A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon *** (1988, River Phoenix, Ann Magnuson, Meredith Salenger, Ione Skye, Louanne, Matthew Perry) – Classic Movie Review 4,092

Matthew Perry made his big screen debut in the 1988 American coming of age drama film A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, starring River Phoenix.

In the Chicago suburb of Evanston (illinois) in 1962, the 17-year-old rabbit-boy Jimmy Reardon (River Phoenix) has got 24 hours to convince the one girl he really loves that he is honest, faithful and true and fully committed.

Writer-director William Richert’s 1988 American coming of age drama film A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon follows the boy’s fortunes as he tries to make some sense of his life in his last summer before college. He is infatuated by a beautiful young socialite, Lisa (Meredith Salenger), mainly because he hasn’t got past second base with her.

He is seduced by an attractive divorced friend of his mother, Joyce (Ann Magnuson). When Lisa is finally willing to have sex with him, he is unable to comply because he has just made love to Joyce. He then discovers that his father is also having an affair with Joyce.

Phoenix does extremely well as the schoolboy sexpot who leaves achieving to his rich buddies (like Fred Roberts played by Matthew Perry) and, instead of going to his father’s old business college, plans to head for Hawaii with his girl if only he can raise the money he needs to go.

The rest of the performances are uneven and this intelligently and affectingly written serious-minded teen flick, based on Richert’s 1966 novel Aren’t You Even Gonna Kiss Me Goodbye?, is tentatively achieved. Though it fails to hit the spot consistently, it still maintains enough interest and it does always look good. At least it is a film with more on its mind than the juvenile pranks and drooling titillation found in some of the Eighties youth films with which it has been compared, and it spends little time on the external trappings of the period.

Richert does a fine job capturing the alienation, confusion and desperation that can follow high school, as well as the very real class distinctions that begin to define students’ futures. Alas, the young Perry’s promising role (in his first cinema movie) fizzles out around half way.

River Phoenix (August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) effortlessly commands the screen throughout. He is sorely missed.

Also notable in the cast are Ione Skye, Louanne Sirota, Jane Hallaren, Paul Koslo, Jason Court, James Deuter and Johnny Galecki.

A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon was filmed in 1986 and released on 26 February 1988. It was made by production company Island Pictures and originally distributed by 20th Century Fox in a version very different from the director’s original cut, but it was later re-cut and re-issued independently as the director’s cut under the book’s title of Aren’t You Even Gonna Kiss Me Goodbye?

After 20th Century Fox acquired US cinema distribution rights from Island Pictures, they dropped plans for a broad release, and the film barely broke even at the box office, grossing $6,264,058 against a $5 million budget. But, as often in the Eighties, video came to its rescue, and it picked up both fans and cash on VHS, thanks Island Pictures’ arrangement with CBS/Fox Video.

The cast are River Phoenix as Jimmy Reardon, Ann Magnuson as Joyce Fickett, Meredith Salenger as Lisa Bentwright, Ione Skye as Denise Hunter, Louanne Sirota as Suzie Middleberg, Matthew Perry as Fred Roberts, Paul Koslo as Al Reardon, Jane Hallaren as Faye Reardon, Jason Court as Mathew Hollander, James Deuter as Mr Spaulding, Marji Banks as Emma Spaulding, Margaret Moore as Mrs Bentwright, Anastasia Fielding as Elaine, Kamie Harper as Rosie Reardon, Johnny Galecki as Toby Reardon, and Alan Goldsher as Musician #2.

William Richert (1942 – July 19, 2022) is celebrated for writing and directing the feature films Winter Kills and The American Success Company, both with Jess Bridges, and A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.

Matthew Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) made his big screen debut in the 1988 film A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. On October 28, 2023, Los Angeles police found him dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home aged 54, apparently drowned, with no sign of drugs or foul play.

A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon is drected by William Richert, runs 90 minutes, is made by Island Pictures, is released by 20th Century Fox , is written by William Richert, based on the novel Aren’t You Even Gonna Kiss Me Goodbye? by William Richert, is shot by John J Connor, is produced by Russell Schwartz, and is scored by Bill Conti (US version) and Elmer Bernstein (non US version).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4,092

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