The Cure **** (1995, Joseph Mazzello, Brad Renfro, Annabella Sciorra, Diana Scarwid) – Classic Movie Review 3517

Director Peter Horton’s poignant 1995 drama is an outstanding little gem. Brad Renfro stars as loner Erik who finds a little older and much bigger best friend in his next door neighbour Dexter (Joseph Mazzello), an 11-year-old boy with AIDS. In an eventful summer they try to make last a lifetime, they vow to find a cure and save Dexter’s life.

Erik becomes closer to Dexter’s mother Linda (Annabella Sciorra) than to his own neglectful mom Gail (Diana Scarwid), who forcibly forbids the boys’ friendship. However, when they read a doctor in New Orleans says he’s found a cure for AIDS, the boys leave home to go down the Mississippi river to find him.

The four stupendous performances, Robert Kuhn’s beautifully written original screenplay, Peter Horton’s dedicated direction, superb cinematography by Andrew Dintenfass, vibrant locations, a great soundtrack by David Grusin and Marc Cohn’s terrific song ‘My Great Escape’ over the opening credits all add up to one heck of a fine movie. Bruce Davison plays Dr Stevens.

Actress Nina Foch, who died on December 5 2008, aged 84, was a consultant to the director and an acting coach on the film. Her work was not in vain.

Marc Cohn’s track ‘My Great Escape’ was not released except in the movie.

Picked from obscurity for his promising film debut in The Client (1994), Brad Renfro went on to appear in The Cure (1995), Tom and Huck (1995), Sleepers (1996) and Apt Pupil (1998). But his career suffered when he was arrested and convicted several times for drugs possession and he died tragically of a heroin overdose on 15 January 2008, aged only 25.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3517

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/