St Elmo’s Fire *** (1985, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Mare Winningham) – Classic Movie Review 1822

Director Joel Schumacher’s fondly remembered 1985 ensemble romantic drama is a haunting showcase for a host of Eighties Brat Packer actors.

Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and Mare Winningham play a group of seven friends, recent university graduates who find that life after college is a struggle against rejection and uncertainty.

Estevez stars as Kirby Keger, who wants to become a lawyer and pays for his schooling by working as a waiter at the local St Elmo’s Bar, is more interested in Felicia (Jenny Wright) than in studying law. He’s roommates with struggling writer Kevin Dolenz (McCarthy), who is writing obituaries. Kirby has just reconnected with Dale Biberman (Andie MacDowell), a slightly older woman.

Sax-playing ne’er-do-well Billy Hicks (Lowe) has made a girl he doesn’t love pregnant, Alec Newbary (Nelson) is romancing with budding architect Leslie Hunter (Sheedy) and they have decided to live together, Moore’s character Jules is on drugs, and Wendy Beamish (Winningham) is still a virgin with an understandable crush on Lowe.

Schumacher and Carl Kurlander’s screenplay provides more chat than you get in most teen movies (The Breakfast Club excepted). The conversation is good but the philosophy they spout and angst they experience seem to belong to an older generation than the characters who are speaking and feeling on the screen.

The performances from the appealing young iconic Brat Pack actors are consistently attractive and watchable, even if Schumacher’s script and direction fail to ignite the sparks of real emotion.

Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten also star as Mr and Mrs Beamish, with Blake Clark as Wally.

It was a big hit, taking nearly $40million at the US box-office.

Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy were all also in The Breakfast Club the same year (1985).

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1822

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