Film Number 35 – ST. Elmo’s Fire
The fact that I haven’t seen today’s film embarrasses me greatly; I love 80’s films to the core and I cannot believe that I only decided to watch this today. Joel Schumacher’s 1985 Brat pack movies features all the regulars that you would expect; Alley Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson etc. They all play a bunch of friends that have just graduated from university and they are all having lots and lots of problems. Kicking off with the usual 8o’s soundtrack flair that we expect and love we get introduced to the gang’s usual hang out the bar called ST. Elmo’s Fire, when the gang enters there’s even the songs playing also called ST. Elmo’s Fire. All the characters have a great and believable interaction with each other; there is the usual jokes and characterization kicking off the turmoil that each person must go through.
Sometimes I find in these giant ensemble films can get to be pretty tiresome especially when some character arcs will inevitably be more engaging then others, here the same thing seems to be happening but it’s not dwelling on the boring moments so the scenes don’t feel long and played out. Between them all the characters go through most of the feeling that you here people dealing with after college; career, love, relationships, friendships, yada yada yada. It is a premise that does get slightly tiresome, if I didn’t have such a love for 80’s films and didn’t find these actors so fun I could easily see myself giving up when the shit hits the fan. Inevitably each person goes through a moment of discovery and changes something or gains a new outlook, it’s all pretty wholesome. The problem that really gets to me is a few of the characters, Rob Lowe’s in particular is a real moment of weakness; Lowe acts wonderfully but his characters actions and background just doesn’t make much sense; he has a wife and child yet doesn’t live with them and neglects them, goes of hooking up with any women he can yet feels jealous when he sees his wife out with a different man, guess I just didn’t buy that character and didn’t understand the motivation, it’s not like he’s a evil genius or a bizarre overblown individual, I just found his actions to not be believable. Also in relation to everyone else’s problems Emilio Estevez’ endeavor to get his dream girl Andie Mcdowell is just kind of silly, minor and hurts the tone of movie.
The films plays out as you kind of expect, there are a few surprises; the character we think might be gay and appears to be in love with his best friend is in fact in love with his best friends girl – cue another awesome 80’s song. The acting’s fun and the issues are relevant, maybe if I had seen this film ten years ago I would have found it more effective and moving. unfortunately I have seen so many of these big friend movies like Breakfast Club, Dazed and Confused, Empire Records, Clerks, Waiting, etc St Elmo’s just didn’t get me, I can however appreciate that this was obviously one of the originators.
The film goes back and forth and everyone starts to get quite tedious and annoying. The ending is anticlimactic but effective. In the end it all quite bittersweet, it’s a nice film the setting is perfect, and it again facilitates my need for the 80’s atmosphere. It also does lack the kind of John Hughes humanity that separates Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller from the rest of the 80’s movies.
Defiantly worth a watch, 6 out of 10
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