St. Elmo's Fire (DVD, 2001)

Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Mare Winningham, Andrew McCarthy, and Andie McDowell headline this brat pack movie about kids fresh out of college who return home and try to cope with life. Ally and Judd's characters are contemplating marriage although Judd continuously cheats on her, while Andrew McCarthy secretly has a love for Ally. Demi Moore's character is in a world of hurt financially and is hooked on coke. Emilio Estevez tries courting the older Andie McDowell, and Mare Winningham is a virgin who is in love with the bad boy Rob Lowe, who is already married with a child (it's working out terribly) but is trying to live the Rock and Roll dream as a saxophone player in a rock band-don't see that too often (kind of corny, every time he's shown playing the sax, it's a little melodramatic, it would've made more sense to have him being a lead singer or guitar player, but oh well).

Anyway, all the characters (except McDowell who tries to distance herself from Estevez throughout the movie) are best friends trying to cope with life, and all the lifestyles contrast against each other. Rob Lowe and Demi Moore are the most similar in the movie, because they need the most help, and their friends have to keep bailing them out. Especially Rob, who is continuously given job opportunities through his friends, but he can't seem to keep any of them. Plus he's an alcoholic who doesn't care too much about his wife and kid. And he gets a DWI, but at least he's a horn playing rock star, so he's got some potential there, or something. And everyone gets together to sort out there problems and catch up with everyone at St. Elmo's bar. Good place for an alcoholic, but isn't that the way life is sometimes?

St. Elmo's Fire is a decent movie, it's a little dated, but most of the brat pack movies are. I don't like it as much as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, or Pretty In Pink; but it's still a pretty good movie. The brat pack movies are kind of funny to watch sometimes, because a lot of the stars of the time can't really adapt to much else, or they're typecast and noone will give them jobs doing anything else. Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and Ally Sheedy are prime examples of this. Outside of The Breakfast Club, can you name one good movie that Ally or Judd were in (Short Circuit doesn't count)? Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Andie McDowell's careers lasted longer, but they've mostly been buried with the 80's, doing a few projects here and there. Not that I don't like them, they've done decent work. Especially Estevez (Repo Man, Young Guns 1 and 2) and Lowe (The Stand, Bad Influence, Frank and Jesse), and Demi Moore has had a decent career (Ghost, A Few Good Men, The Seventh Sign). Although there are good movies out there, the Brat Pack will forever be remembered for their efforts (good or bad) in movies like St. Elmo's Fire. I wouldn't say it's a great movie, but it's definitely worth watching at least once.

In 1985 I was 20 and the "Brat Pack" were capturing the 1980's for my generation in film. Like many of the Brat Pack movies most all where coming of age dramas and comedies, many in a High School setting. Many were written and directed by the late John W. Hughes Jr. and credit is due to him for his efforts. However, director Joel Schumacher wrote and directed the quintessential Brat Pack coming-of-age film focusing on seven friends and their journey out of college and gravitating towards the realities of adult life. For me personally the "Love Theme to St. Elmo's Fire" written and performed by David Foster captures the emotion of not only the drama and tenderness of the central characters,but the 1980's itself. A masterpiece. There has been some discussions about a St. Elmo's Fire television sitcom involving Mr. Schumacher bringing this story to an new generation.
Page Sausman

Fan of the 80's? Fan of the "Brat Pack"? The clothes and the hair will definately take you back. It was one of my favorites in the 80's. The gang graduates from college and still hang with the same crowd in the same bar doing the same things. They get each other through the bad times and the good. Great movie to see the young Rob Lowe, Demi Moore before plastic surgery, and the others as they are starting their careers.

This movie is the "Brat Pack" at its brattiest. They create drama and solve it with more drama. Rob Lowe looks good even in leg warmers and one red/one green Chuck. Andrew McCarthy before he played bad guy roles. It's silly. It's fun. This movie took itself sooo seriously, you can't help but laugh at it. This is a great movie to watch when you are going through a bad time because it is one long joke.

I am almost thirty-eight years old and I can still remember the day that I saw St. Elmos Fire. There was so much heart, and emotion, and gut-wrenching reality in those few hours. I still love to watch this movie. I also love the music scoring for this movie. This was my first introduction to the music of David Foster, and he definately captured the movie through music. There is not one thing that I dislike about this movie.