St. Elmo's Fire

When I first saw this film I was about 14. I loved it back then because there were so many cool actors in it. That is why, nothing more and nothing less. But now, as I am a young adult perhaps going through some of the same scenarios and fears and insecurities that these people are in the movie, I can appreciate it a whole lot more. Not only is it a film that has an incredible young cast in it, but it is a film that does a great job of dealing with a plethora of issues. My favourite character was Billy, the Rob Lowe character. Sometimes his intentions weren't always spelled out for us, but there are subleties about the way he plays his character that really hit home. You can tell that he misses the easier days of college. The days where all he had to do was play sports and smoke up a bit. But now he is in real life and he can't quite seem to find his niche. He is still the good looking playboy that can get laid whenever he feels like it, but as for dealing with real life issues, he is confused and scared. And he masks that insecurity by being a playboy. It's a great character study. Many of the other characters in the film have interesting stories as well. None of them have quite figured out what the meaning of life is yet and all of them are kind of living on the edge. All are attempting to get by with what they have, but what it ultimately comes down to is that none of them really knows the answers. Maybe some have become more successful than others but deep down they are all scared of life. Now I don't know about other mid 20's people, but I can sure relate to what they are feeling and going through. And this movie made me feel like I am not the only one that may not have all the answers. If this is a film that you haven't seen in a few years, watch it. Admire what it wants to say. Take it for what it is. I really enjoyed what this film was about. And it made me feel a bit better about life, after all, we're all going through St. Elmo's Fire.

'St. Elmo's Fire' looks at life after college of seven best friends. Even though I didn't go to college in the 80s, the movie brought a lot of memories and I can still relate to many of the conflicts the characters experience. I don't understand why so many people disliked it. It's very much a character driven piece and while many argue that the they are self-absorbed but who isn't at least a little self-absorbed at that age? These characters are trying to find themselves in the 'new' real world of grown-ups. All seven friends are of distinct personalities and even though they are a little clichéd, they remain real and are well played. The friends include:

-Kirby (Emilio Estevez) who is so desperately 'in love' with a past love that he even changes himself to win her heart.

-Billy (Rob Lowe) who is talented, unstable and unpredictable -Kevin (Andrew McCarty) who is following a love that is with someone else.

-Jules (Demi Moore) who is the self-destructive flirtatious one striving to protect her outer image while she destroys herself internally.

-Alec (Judd Nelson) who is climbing the ladders of success and screwing 'nameless' and 'faceless' chicks while still desperate to marry his girlfriend to make his life perfect.

-Leslie (Ally Sheedy) is the girlfriend who wants to have a career of her own before settling down for marriage bliss.

-Wendy (Mare Winningham) who is the most selfless one, a frustrated virgin who is striving for independence and love.

The actors are brilliantly cast as they fit the parts physically (the right age and looks) and deliver sincere performances. I won't single anyone out as I thought they all did excellent. The supporting cast does not have much scope except for Andie McDowell (who is quite bad).

The 80s were known to be a wild and reckless decade for the young ones where it was all about rock and roll, big hair and felt-tips. Foster's soundtrack wonderfully adds to that nostalgic feel of that decade.

Through their lives, Schumacher presents different themes such as drugs, alcohol, sex, loyalty, etc. It sounds like just another one of 'those' movies but here it is dealt with in a very real and easily relatable way rather than being overdone. Everyone will recognize at least a couple of the conflicts the characters face. I loved the way it ended. There is no definitive conclusion. Instead, what is shown is that the characters are aware that now it is time to grow up and to build their own lives while an uncertain future awaits. It's a great movie.

Too bad the actual movie isn't as big as the soundtrack wants this to be. Like CHARIOTS OF FIRE this has a very memorable and emotional theme music, but it's hard to care about these brats. Yeah, it was most of the famous 80's BRAT PACK (why wasn't Molly Ringwald in this??).

Georgetown as a backdrop is unusual. It's hard to believe these mostly goofballs went to a near Ivy League college (particularly Billy, c'mon. He's not rich and not intelligent. Was there a scholarship for good looking males??)

It's pretty pretentious and I think I always thought that, but it's polished and gives a sense of the era. Good for the idea of the urban tribe and post college challenges. I first watched this on HBO as a high school freshman and it was on heavy HBO rotation, but still, it's just OKAY.

I think Joel Schumacher gets a bad rap. Sure Batman & Robin is possibly the worst movie ever made, and it did kill a multi-million dollar franchise, but is that truly all we think about on the mention of his name? I myself will admit to keeping a stigma of hack whenever Schumacher is talked about, however, along with some decent films of late, his track record in the 80's was full of pure, nostalgic gems. I finally got the opportunity to check out one of my mother's favorite films, St. Elmo's Fire. Made at the height of Brat Pack fame, this film really gets the angst of college graduation and the life of responsibility and work that waits in the future right. While not as quotable or memorable as say The Breakfast Club, Schumacher still is able to take a moment in the youth of society and make something meaningful out of it. Maybe I can relate to it having just graduated from college two years ago, but I think that it would be relevant later on as well. Even if not, it is an accomplishment to last over twenty years and still be relatable to someone in that same position in the present day.

So the film is chock full of stereotypes and clichés, does that make it not true? We have our striver for fame and notoriety at the expense of his ideals, the girlfriend who wants to make a career before settling down as a stay at home mother, the troubled artist who can't leave school behind for a real life, the self-obsessed flirt who would rather self-destruct than ruin the façade she has worked so hard to build, the love-struck indecisive one stalking a past love and changing himself to try and win her over, and the confused souls not quite sure what they want to do with their new independence. We have the drug use, the sleeping around, the comradery, and the heartbreak. Through it all, though, you can really buy into it and see moments in your own life that mirror the events on screen almost perfectly. I think a lot of this has to do with the times and the ability to use actors that are actually the age of the characters they are playing. This is a film about 23 year olds trying to find themselves, and the authenticity of having people that age, going through those things in their real lives, helps the performances to be truthful. Nowadays this would have been changed to a post- high school story with the 18 year olds played by actors 25 or older. It's the vulnerability and the childlike appearance that makes you buy into the story and want to follow it to the end to see if the friendships can remain intact.

The star-filled cast does a great job throughout, and a film like this makes you wonder where these guys have gone. An actress like Ally Sheedy, who had the talent and the looks, pretty much fell off the map once the 80's came to a close. It is her and Andrew McCarthy that really carry the film. He is another that disappeared after Weekend at Bernie's. It is always nice to see this troupe of acting talent and what they were capable of in their prime. Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, and Judd Nelson are all pitch-perfect in their roles along with Mare Winningham playing the friend that is so totally different from everyone else in the group, yet believable because we all have a friend like that. The only weak spot, in my opinion, is Rob Lowe, who at many times seems a bit out of his element as the drunk, party guy cracking jokes and getting into trouble. I don't discount his performances totally, though, because when he has moments of clarity, like when he talks Moore down after her total collapse, he is really excellent.

Everyone goes through a moment of time in his/her life like the characters on screen in St. Elmo's Fire. Schumacher should be given credit for giving us a poignant study into the lives of those souls on the cusp of a new chapter in life and the decisions that need to be made to continue forward without regrets for what is left behind. The dialogue is realistic and it all ends in a conclusion that makes sense in the scheme of the character's evolutions. Your friends will always be there for you, through thick and thin, however, as you grow older, the roles each play in your life changes. Getting older doesn't mean severing ties to the past, but instead a restructuring of it to keep you strong and moving towards the future.

St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

** (out of 4)

Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham are seven friends who graduate and soon realize that being adults isn't nearly as much fun as they thought. We follow their various ups and downs with much drama in between.

ST. ELMO'S FIRE has a rather amazing cast and especially when you look back on the picture. Not only do you have the seven main leads but there's also Martin Balsam and Andie MacDowell so there's no denying the star power. I've never really liked this picture yet for some reason I usually go back and revisit it ever so often. Obviously the main reason to watch the picture is because of the terrific cast and I thought all of them delivered great performances. It's just too bad they weren't given much to work with.

As I get older I think these characters are all the more shallow. Some might say they were people in their 20s so they were supposed to be annoying and shallow but I don't buy that at all. To me the characters are very poorly written here and there's just no real development with any of them. None of them are very believable and for the most part they are all single motivated characters with no development and there's not much charm to any of them. It's really too bad because the cast is excellent but they just didn't have anything here. You can watch any of these actors in much better films from this period.

The film remains watchable thanks to the cast but when the final credits come on you can't help but think you've just wasted your time. I mean, this cast ends up with these results? It's really a shame but there's more issues than just the screenplay. I'd argue that Joel Schumacher's direction is pretty bland and there's nothing good looking about the picture. You do get a great score and a catchy main song but none of this is enough to save the picture.