Rating: 
Summary: Was friendship ever really like this?
Review: This film presents a wonderfully/hopelessly romantic view of friendship as seven buddies make the transition from college to jobs. Although I had a set of close friends at university, this film made me insanely jealous that my friendships didn't seem as frank and open as they are here. Or maybe it was just that my coterie hadn't included Ally Sheedy.
Many of the actors, though just starting out, already seemed to be type-cast. Emilio Estevez plays someone totally obsessed by a girl (Andie MacDowell) -- in today's climate, he could justifiably be prosecuted for stalking and harassment. Demi Moore's character (Jules) lives the high life, way beyond her means and control, and everyone's worried about her. Rob Lowe plays Billy, a philanderer who can't hold down a job or a family.
The demands of the plot mean that, though this cluster of seven was close-knit at college, all the swapping of partners seems to happen only once they graduate. (In my experience, most of the partner-switching happened at college, not afterwards.)
Where this film scores so well is with the message that, despite all the flare-ups and other incidents, these friendships are for life. Yes, people will drift apart -- here symbolised by Billy's somewhat optimistic career move to New York -- but you just know that some day, they will meet up again.
Life in many of its colours is shown here, and the most implausible element is the idea that Rob Lowe's character could ever apply himself sufficiently to pass the college graduation exams. And, in my opinion, many of the plot ideas were shamelessly plundered by Richard Curtis for 'Four Weddings' and 'Love Actually'.
Rating: 
Summary: Can't Be Serious!
Review: The 1980 gal hairstyles were eclectic. There's the smooth look of Alli Sheey. What's with the shawl outfit she wore in two unrelated scenes? Wardrobe screwed up I think. Then there's the teased, big hair, Madonna look of Demi Moore, the square shouldered screw me outfits with lots of hanging beads. One chick does cocaine and the others disapprove. Yeah, like that actually happened in the 80's. Who played the nice Jewish girl? Sorry, the Brat Pack all looks the same to me. Anyhow, she looked like a dumpy Swede. Oy vey! Rob Lowe, he played himself. I wanted to pull the stupid earring from his pretty ear. Poor Judd Nelson. He had to play a young Republican. Obviously the screenwriter felt this was a part lower than pond scum. It's tough to write a screenplay with so many characters that could not have possibly been best friends ever. Two of them seem to be in love with a very plain Sheey. Essentially the film is a youth soap opera two hours long. My era was late 60's, mid 70's. That was long hair and LSD. The 80's seem to me mad chick clothes and cocaine. That generation worked awfully hard to have fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Talk about your loads of crap!
Review: The Real World of cinema I call this. Definitely influential to MTV starting that series. Seven best friends recently graduate from Georgetown Univ. Trying to find their way in life for the future. They all hang out at St. Elmos bar in downtown Washington DC. The characters are somewhat stereotyped the conservative, the artsy journalist, the rebel badboy, the party girl, the niave virgin etc... But that's true to life in a way we all can be put into some category sorry to say. They all have their own set of problems to deal with but end up helping each other out in their own way. Defining 80's coming of age film about relationships & hardships of facing an uncertain future after college. Entertaining script written by Joel Schumacher & an ensemble cast showcasing talent to come. One of my favorite brat pack films. Essential to anyone who grew up in 80's cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Boring Brat Pack Feature
Review: 1985's St. Elmo's Fire is the film that created the Brat Pack. The film is about yuppie angst instead of the usual teen angst depicted in like kind films of the era. The seven stars, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Mare Winningham and Judd Nelson are all appealing, but the film suffers from an overall malaise. All seven are friends from Georgetown University and they trying to cope with the problems facing them in the real world. There is a lot of unrequited love between several of the friends, drug use and emotional baggage. Mr. Lowe's character is supposed to the one character that, instead of getting to the wrong marriage or job, just follows his dreams. His speech to Ms. Moore, who is on the verge of a serious mental breakdown or worse, in which he lights hair spray on fire is truly cringe worthy. Overall, St. Elmo's Fire is more of a cultural document, showing what yuppie life was like in the mid-80's and the state of the young and upcoming stars of Hollywood at the time. It also features the famed number one theme song by one-hit wonder John Parr.
Rating:
Summary: Not one likeable character!
Review: All right, let's take 'em one by one:Emilio Estevez as Kirby: Obsessed with and stalking an older woman, who finally is forced to sic her fiance on his pathetic punk a**. Judd Nelson as Alec: Pathologically cheats on his live-in girlfriend, then pressures her to marry him because he thinks marriage is the magic pill that will make him stop cheating. When she refuses, he beats her up. Rob Lowe as Billy: Tortures us with his gratuitous sax-playing. Andrew McCarthy as Kevin: Thinks that wearing sunglasses at night and chain-smoking makes him a cool existentialist instead of a dateless poseur. Consumed by lustful thoughts about his best friend's girlfriend. Ally Sheedy as Leslie: Living with Judd Nelson. Need I say more? Mare Winningham as Wendy: Passive doormat who is shocked and horrified to find, upon becoming a social worker, that not all welfare recipients are noble, misunderstood living saints. Demi Moore as Jules: Parties with Arabs, maxes out her credit cards and barricades herself in her fabulous-yet-bare (the furniture's been repossessed) loft apartment, finally attempting suicide by opening all the windows and letting her floor-length curtains blow oh-so-artfully about in the cold winter wind as she rocks back and forth on the floor. Now tell me...are these people you want to spend 110 minutes of your life with?
Rating:
Summary: Good, but in reality...
Review: I love this movie for nostalgic reasons, I saw it back in '87 when I was twelve, but now as an adult, I have to give it a reality check. How is it that these 22 year olds who were fresh out of college had nicer apartments than most of us ever will? It was a bit much, even in the age of excess. I also can't believe that a woman as virginal and innocent as Wendy would be caught dead with Bad Boy Billy and the other hipsters (and vice versa). And why was Dale Biberman so calm when Kirby was practically stalking her? Wait--maybe that term hadn't been invented yet, but you get the picture. And I can't get over Leslie walking arm in arm with Kevin and Alec at the end of the movie, as if this love triangle never existed (not to mention Alec's infidelities). Other than those things, the movie is good for nostalgic value. I still feel like a seventh grader as I drool over Andrew McCarthy everytime I see this movie. You won't discover the meaning of life from this movie, but you will be entertained for an hour and a half, or so.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the Brat Packs.
Review: This is definately the best of the brat pack films. It has more sophistication and dramatic acting. You dig deeper into the characters, and you feel for them more. This has some good acting in it. Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Mare Winningham, Andrew Macarthy, Ally Sheedy, and Judd Nelson all do wonderful. The movie is great, see it. I highly reccomend it.
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