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Around the Fire

  • 1998
  • R
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
864
YOUR RATING
Around the Fire (1998)
Paradigm Studio presents a 25th Anniversary Release in HD of "Around the Fire" available for the first time on streaming services. A modern day prodigal son story with the backdrop of the psychedelic music tour scene á la Phish and Grateful Dead starring Devon Sawa, Tara Reid, Colman Domingo, Eric Mabius, Henry Lubatti, Bill Smitrovitch and Charlayne Woodard. Music by BC Smith featuring Bill Frisell on guitars. Soundtrack includes: Bob Marley, Phish, Grateful Dead, Blind Faith, Dire Straits, The Meters, Freddie Hubbard, Cymande, Finley Quaye, The String Cheese Incident, The Neville Brothers and and more... Newly restored trailer and feature length film with scene-by-scene digital color grading on DaVinci Resolve and sound remastering to Dolby 5.0. Picture sourced from original 35mm inter-positive film and DA-88 print master audio. Transferred to 4:4:4:4 High and Ultra Definition.
Play trailer2:12
1 Video
23 Photos
Drama

The deeply resonant story of a boy named Simon who, despite being raised in an upper-class Manhattan household with all its privileges--and restrictions--is haunted by the mysterious circums... Read allThe deeply resonant story of a boy named Simon who, despite being raised in an upper-class Manhattan household with all its privileges--and restrictions--is haunted by the mysterious circumstances surrounding his mother's death. In Simon's eyes, his high-powered businessman fathe... Read allThe deeply resonant story of a boy named Simon who, despite being raised in an upper-class Manhattan household with all its privileges--and restrictions--is haunted by the mysterious circumstances surrounding his mother's death. In Simon's eyes, his high-powered businessman father Matt wasted no time in marrying his stepmother Lauren, a woman with a perfect facade who... Read all

  • Director
    • John Jacobsen
  • Writers
    • John W. Comerford
    • Tommy Rosen
  • Stars
    • Devon Sawa
    • Bill Smitrovich
    • Tara Reid
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    864
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Jacobsen
    • Writers
      • John W. Comerford
      • Tommy Rosen
    • Stars
      • Devon Sawa
      • Bill Smitrovich
      • Tara Reid
    • 25User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Videos1

    Around the Fire 25th Anniversary Trailer [HD]
    Trailer 2:12
    Around the Fire 25th Anniversary Trailer [HD]

    Photos23

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    Top cast36

    Edit
    Devon Sawa
    Devon Sawa
    • Simon Harris
    Bill Smitrovich
    Bill Smitrovich
    • Matt Harris
    Tara Reid
    Tara Reid
    • Jennifer
    Eric Mabius
    Eric Mabius
    • Andrew
    Colman Domingo
    Colman Domingo
    • Trace
    Charlayne Woodard
    Charlayne Woodard
    • Kate
    Lisa Burgett
    • Lauren
    Henri Lubatti
    Henri Lubatti
    • Kevin
    John Pirruccello
    John Pirruccello
    • Joe
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    • Doc
    Daphne Brogdon
    Daphne Brogdon
    • Simon's mother
    Blaine Walker
    • Young Simon
    Manny the Hippie
    • Vegan GooBall Man
    Amos Glick
    Amos Glick
    • Neal
    Heath Lourwood
    • Jason
    Bob Morrisey
    Bob Morrisey
    • Mr. Whitney
    Cole Stratton
    Cole Stratton
    • Kyle
    Scott Ragle
    Scott Ragle
    • Hippie Stir Fry Buyer
    • Director
      • John Jacobsen
    • Writers
      • John W. Comerford
      • Tommy Rosen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews25

    5.3864
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    Featured reviews

    5theofilosarapidis

    Not as bad as i expected

    Just because Tara Reid is in the movie,i was expecting it to be horrible and ultra trash.But it wasn't that bad after all.There are some really notable quotes about life and drugs and if you've had any kind of drug experience then you can really relate to what happens in the character of the movie.The plot isn't that original though and it is a little boring so that's why i rated it with 5 stars.Good movie to watch once but not another time.Oh and by the way,this is probably the only movie where Tara Reid's acting doesn't suck at all but isn't the best possible either.
    7monsalbus

    Pretty Good

    I really liked the movie. Doing the dead show thing for many years during the late 80's and throughout the 90's I can distinguish between complete fiction and what experiences may have wanted to be conveyed. The movie has some good music, pretty decent acting and a point to make. Tara looks really cute doing the hippy thing and the girl/boy thing really does remind me of some great times and rocky roads. I can personally relate to the balancing act of school/shows/girls/drugs. All in all, it is a bit corny, but real life can be, most scripts are, and I find it to be much better than most the crap I see being made. I bought the DVD with a stack of others and actually kept it and have enjoyed watching it more than once. Worth checking out.
    moonbrat_2001

    Well done film, one of Sawa's best.

    I was reading all the negative comments and I have to disagree! Around the fire is in my eyes an original film that may be an eye opener for young adults. There is nothing cheesy about it at all. As for the acting, it was very good, especially Devon's role. Although he can act like a geek at times, it's part of his style, I still think he did an excellent job!
    groovatron11d4

    entertaining i guess but PLASTIC

    This movie held my attention but the story line was a little plastic and had the classic anit-drug message. Tara Reid played a cool little hippie chick wonderfully though... a damn cute one too. The story was just very cliche; a young man plagued by the death of his mother rebels, falls in love with hot blond, gets into drugs, and ends up in rehab... I mean how many times are people going to use that plot?

    The real shortcoming to this movie however, was not the plot. The story could have been a realistic inside look at hippie culture if it were only made to be realistic. Whoever directed this movie has obviously never been to anything more than a Kenny G concert. Throwing 15 or so extras in make-up and tie-dyed shirts in a field to recreate a Grateful Dead show is a horrifically commercialized and pathetic attempt to portray hippie culture.

    Anyway, this movie did hold my attention but mostly because I was fascinated that Hollywood could make such a cheap, pitiful attempt to revitalize a beat to death plot. There were some interesting moments and hey I watched the whole thing, but there are much better movies out there. And remember kids, drugs are bad!
    murpz

    Painful propaganda

    This movie is disguised as some sort of hippie coming of age drama... but the sad truth is that this is just a thinly veiled bit of anti-drug propaganda. The soundtrack and watching Tara Reid be hot are about the only things going for this movie. Beyond that, the movie suffers from a predictable (and very bad) plot, stereotype characters, and cheezy dialog. It's like watching an After School Special that just drags on and on and on.

    If you are considering watching this movie... put on a Grateful Dead CD and download pictures of Tara Reid from the internet. You'll get all the good points of the movie without having to endure the painful "Drugs are bad, mmkay?" plot. If you don't already use drugs, listening to the dialog in this movie will drive you to drugs in an effort to kill the pain.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Some original Star Wars production Panavision cameras were used.
    • Quotes

      Matt: I, uh, didn't expect to see you here.

      Simon: I didn't come here to fight. I'm not gonna stay long.

      Matt: Well you can... if you want to.

      Simon: Look, I just wanted to tell you. Needless to say, I- I made a lot of mistakes, Dad.

      Matt: Me too.

    • Connections
      Edited into Around the Fire: Deleted Scenes (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Water of Love
      Written by Mark Knopfler

      Performed by Dire Straits

      used by permission of 1978 Almo Music Corp. (ASCAP)

      Rondor Music (London) Ltd. (PRS) administers on behalf of Chariscourt Limited.

      Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records inc. / Mercury Records

      by arrangement with Warner Special Products

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    FAQ16

    • How long is Around the Fire?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 4, 2023 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Jugando con fuego
    • Filming locations
      • Novato, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paradigm Studio
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 46m(106 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Ultra Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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