The Death of Richie

A movie I remember when I was a kid that made me scared to death to use drugs.

Ben Gazzara and Robby Benson are solid as battling father and son in this true story about a teenage boy, rebellious and prone to joy-riding all night, who gets involved with drugs. His hard-working, long-suffering parents try to stop the downward spiral, but nothing can break through to their angry, apathetic kid, who seems intent on destroying himself. Despite dated trappings and an overemphasis on parents of addicts who cop out or turn a blind eye (designed to show all sides), the film still packs a small punch. John McGreevey's teleplay, adapted from the book "Richie" by Thomas Thompson, is a bit thick with writer's ink, and the pretensions show through (particularly in an early scene with the father giving a speech in his son's bedroom at two in the morning). However, director Paul Wendkos does a good job at steering us through the tragic circumstances, and the family's plight is certainly a heart-rending one.

This TV film pushed the envelope concerning teenage drug usage in the era. Even though the dialogue is a bit corny at times, Benson, Gazzara and Brennan still give powerful performances. Still worth viewing! Caution! If you watch it on Amazon Prime, be prepared for a very poor video transfer.

There were many anti-drug made for TV movies in the 1970s. This is probably the best one of the lot (outside of "Go Ask Alice"). Robbie Benson was excellent in the role of a troubled teen who is caught up in drug addiction. There was a scene where he was in his room, crying after a particularly bad day at high school. Benson did an exemplary job of showing the kid's isolation and loneliness. Ben Gazarra was also excellent in the role of the father who ultimately has to made a hard decision concerning his son. I remember being outraged at the ending, but looking back on it, I understand why it had to come to that conclusion. I have noticed that some made for TV films have been released on video and DVD. This one should be released as well.

"The Death Of Richie", more than thirty-five years later, remains a pretty effective made-for-television movie. It is fairly tough going at times, for several reasons. The main reason is that it portrays drug addiction in a pretty realistic fashion, showing that there is no easy way out of the situation for both the addict and his loved ones. Another reason is with the character of Richie. He is a pretty unlikable fellow, though after some time I realized that may have been the point, to show that drugs can make anyone into a repulsive sort of person. Benson gives an excellent performance as Richie, though Ben Gazarra also deserves kudos portraying the struggling father who is not completely sympathetic. If there is a flaw in the movie, it may be that it does not illustrate how Richie got into drugs in the first place - the movie starts in the middle of his addiction. Though I do realize that movies don't always have the time to show every detail of a situation.