Youngblood *** (1986, Rob Lowe, Cynthia Gibb, Patrick Swayze, Ed Lauter, Jim Youngs, Keanu Reeves) – Classic Movie Review 4396

The 20-year-old Rob Lowe stars as Dean Youngblood in the cheesy but fun 1986 youth-oriented romantic and sports drama Youngblood. Lowe gives it his best shot, easily upstaging Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.

The young Rob Lowe stars as Dean Youngblood in the cheesy but fun 1986 American youth-oriented romantic and sports drama film Youngblood, directed, co-produced and co-written by Peter Markle.

Full of self-doubt, Youngblood takes up ice hockey, runs the gauntlet of his tough Canadian team-mates, romances the coach Murray Chadwick (Ed Lauter)’s daughter Jessie (Cynthia Gibb) and of course becomes a winner. This is the mid-eighties, after all.

Writer-director Peter Markle’s teen movie is sweaty, minor-league locker-room stuff, and we have seen it all before. But Lowe gives it his best shot, easily upstaging Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in thankless supporting roles as Derek Sutton and Heaver.

Reeves appears in his first feature film role, playing the Mustangs goalie. He had played goalie at a Toronto high school, and was nicknamed The Wall.

Also in the cast are former major junior player George J Finn as the villain Carl Racki, Fionnula Flanagan, Eric Nesterenko, Ken James, Peter Faussett, Walker Booone, Martin Donlevy, Harry Spiegel, Rob Sapiensze, Bruce Edwards and Lorraine Foreman.

Among the dozen songs on the soundtrack: ‘Stand in the Fire’ written by Diane Warren is performed by Mickey Thomas and ‘Talk Me Into It’ written by Diane Warren is performed by Glenn Jones.

Youngblood is directed by Peter Markle, runs 110 minutes, is made by Blueline Productions, The Guber-Peters Company and United Artists, is released by United Artists, is written by Peter Markle (story and screenplay) and John Whitman (story), is shot by Mark Irwin, is produced by Peter Guber, Jon Peters, Patrick Wells and Peter Bart, is scored by William Orbit, Chris Boardman and Torchsong, and is designed by Vincent M Cresciman.

It was shot in Ontario, Canada, and Mendota, Minnesota, in the summer of 1984, making Lowe 20 at the time. It was released on 30 January 1986.

Lowe said he hated learning to skate. He recalled: ‘I don’t like any sport where you’re already exhausted when you’re done putting on the equipment. But once I got the equipment on and was out on the ice, I loved that. I loved hitting people, being hit, skating. I love the exertion and competition, so that was all great. But it’s a lot of work putting all of that shit on! Give me a surfboard and let me just paddle into the ocean.’

Markle was a former minor-pro and international player for the US.

Canadian cinematographer Mark Irwin wore skates and a helmet and devised a special rig for shooting hockey scenes on the ice.

The film’s hockey consultant Eric Nesterenko, a National Hockey League veteran and Stanley Cup Champion, also plays Lowe’s father Blane.

Lowe and Swayze also appeared in The Outsiders (1983).

Robert Hepler Lowe was born on 17 March 1964. He came to fame as a teen idol and Brat Pack member in The Outsiders (1983), Class (1983), The Hotel New Hampshire (1984), Oxford Blues (1984), St Elmo’s Fire (1985), About Last Night… (1986), and Square Dance (1987).

The cast are Rob Lowe as Dean Youngblood, Ed Lauter as the Hamilton Mustangs’ coach Murray Chadwick, Cynthia Gibb as Jessie Chadwick, Jim Youngs as Kelly Youngblood, Patrick Swayze as Derek Sutton, Fionnula Flanagan as Miss McGill, Ken James as Frazier, George Finn as Carl Racki, Peter Faussett as Huey, Eric Nesterenko as Blane Youngblood, Keanu Reeves as Heaver, Charlie Wasley as young Dean, and Ricky Davis as young Kelly.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4396

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