I never anticipated at the time I caught this movie in a nocturnal state back in January 1999 on TBS that it would resonate with me so much, particularly at that time. Only two days prior, as a Gary Charters-like teenager myself, I had gotten into trouble with the law due to my reckless (youthful?) behaviour one winter's night after I had drank too much and had possession of the family vehicle.
When I watched it the first time, I felt even more guilty about the wrong I had done, and was even more frightened to tell my parents because I was afraid they'd change the locks on the door too and render me, for that time and for the foreseeable future, homeless. It was hard enough dealing with breaking the law within myself, someone who'd never been at the principal's office, at least not for anything I'd ever done. I truly thought I'd ruined my future, my life.
I could relate to Gary (Jason Patric) somewhat, though my choice of self-medication was booze and not drugs, as if that really makes any difference because underlying factors existed either way. Gary tells his folks (Lee Remick and Bruce Dern) near the end that he hated the way he felt. I could relate. This seems to cut to the heart of why Gary was acting so rebelliously, so recklessly, even if what he hated feeling, what he was going through inside exactly, wasn't revealed.
Even if the method of dealing with Gary was unorthodox, this "Toughlove" support group that Jan (Remick) joined to help her cope with Gary and to help her as she and Rob (Dern) weren't seeing eye to eye re: Gary, a group that Rob resisted, showed nonetheless that being tough on your kid like they were (taking his car away, locking him out, etc.) was the best thing they could do to bring him back to them, which after all the crisis and heartache, is exactly what happened. Coddling won't do it. Luckily, my folks weren't this tough on me, but yet, I didn't put them through the continual hell Gary put his folks through. Remick, in particular, heartbreakingly conveyed the anguish these parents went through as their son battled his demons.
This TV movie is now quite dated, of course, being almost 25 years old. I bought a copy on eBay and watched it several more times in the few years after I first saw it in 1999. I think there should have been a soundtrack to accompany its release on VHS as there are some killer 80's tracks featured throughout, most notably Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" and Peter Wolf's "Lights Out" (which unlike "Sister Christian", played when Gary's girlfriend is seducing him, is not the original recording?). Clearly, I watched it too much, and I am sure primarily to admire Lee Remick's beauty, as she got more beautiful and charming with age.
I am not saying that this is the Citizen Kane of television movies, but it had an effect on me, and I am certain on others, particularly on young people (and their worried, distraught parents), who watched it when it originally aired in 1985, and on those like me who watched it in the years after.
It's a solid 8/10.
When I watched it the first time, I felt even more guilty about the wrong I had done, and was even more frightened to tell my parents because I was afraid they'd change the locks on the door too and render me, for that time and for the foreseeable future, homeless. It was hard enough dealing with breaking the law within myself, someone who'd never been at the principal's office, at least not for anything I'd ever done. I truly thought I'd ruined my future, my life.
I could relate to Gary (Jason Patric) somewhat, though my choice of self-medication was booze and not drugs, as if that really makes any difference because underlying factors existed either way. Gary tells his folks (Lee Remick and Bruce Dern) near the end that he hated the way he felt. I could relate. This seems to cut to the heart of why Gary was acting so rebelliously, so recklessly, even if what he hated feeling, what he was going through inside exactly, wasn't revealed.
Even if the method of dealing with Gary was unorthodox, this "Toughlove" support group that Jan (Remick) joined to help her cope with Gary and to help her as she and Rob (Dern) weren't seeing eye to eye re: Gary, a group that Rob resisted, showed nonetheless that being tough on your kid like they were (taking his car away, locking him out, etc.) was the best thing they could do to bring him back to them, which after all the crisis and heartache, is exactly what happened. Coddling won't do it. Luckily, my folks weren't this tough on me, but yet, I didn't put them through the continual hell Gary put his folks through. Remick, in particular, heartbreakingly conveyed the anguish these parents went through as their son battled his demons.
This TV movie is now quite dated, of course, being almost 25 years old. I bought a copy on eBay and watched it several more times in the few years after I first saw it in 1999. I think there should have been a soundtrack to accompany its release on VHS as there are some killer 80's tracks featured throughout, most notably Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" and Peter Wolf's "Lights Out" (which unlike "Sister Christian", played when Gary's girlfriend is seducing him, is not the original recording?). Clearly, I watched it too much, and I am sure primarily to admire Lee Remick's beauty, as she got more beautiful and charming with age.
I am not saying that this is the Citizen Kane of television movies, but it had an effect on me, and I am certain on others, particularly on young people (and their worried, distraught parents), who watched it when it originally aired in 1985, and on those like me who watched it in the years after.
It's a solid 8/10.