Rebuilding Rob

Like a lot of people of my generation, I watched the Andrew McCarthy Hulu documentary Brats almost immediately after it premiered last week. I wrote about my feelings on the documentary here.

And I’m sure, like a lot of my fellow Gen Xers, after watching the movie I went back and watch the handful of the “ Brat Pack“ movies. In my case, I watched Tuff Turf , Class, and Taps. I chose those three because they were three of the movies that were mentioned the documentary that I had never previously seen. I topped off the week with a rewatch of Saint Elmo‘s Fire – mostly because the movie was talked about so heavily in the documentary. Also, in part, because I believe I had only seen the movie one time all the way through. From what I’ve seen on social media this last week, I’m not the only Gen Xer who did this.

I’ve always considered myself something of a movie buff. In fact, when I was in college, I was very close to minoring in film. So unlike a lot of people, I don’t really have an aversion to watching “old“ movies. I know some people who refuse to watch anything that was shot in black-and-white, just because it automatically feels old. As such, I pride myself on my ability to watch something from another era and turn off my “2024 eyes” when I do so.

I recently completed watching all 11 seasons of MASH. This is a show that I never watched previously. All things considered, I think that show hold up surprisingly well. For the most part, I was able to just watch it for what it was. There were, inevitably, times were my 2024 mindset came in to play. But I think part of what made mash. Such a great show is that it really does the test of time.

However, going back and revisiting things that were beloved in your childhood – or even in your adolescent years – is another story altogether. This is where my rewatch of St. Elmo’s Fire comes in to play. For many of my generation, Saint Amos foyer is a classic movie. If you’re not familiar with it, it tells a story of a circle of friends as they graduate from college, and are beginning to make their way in “the real world“. The casting of this movie alone made it must see viewing for the time. It featured the veritable who’s who of the “brat Packers“

The seven main characters are incredibly difficult to sympathize with. Kirby (Emilio Estevez) is just cringe-worthy in his unhealthy obsession with Dale Bieberman (Andy McDowell). Even in his final solution for his obsession, Kirby comes across as manic . Alec (Judd Nelson) and to a lesser extent Leslie (Ally Sheedy’s) characters exemplify everything wrong with the materialistic yuppies of the 1980s. I think that, as it was believed by the characters in the movie, had Kevin (Andrew McCarthy) character been gay, it would’ve been a much more interesting story arc for him. Were the movie made today, I think filmmakers would make the decision to go ahead and pull the trigger on that. Illy (Rob Lowe) is a complete fuck-up. But like a lot of young people. You can tell that he had his best days when he was in college. In many ways Billy and Jules (Demi Moore) may the most rounded characters of the group. At least with them, we see some genuine character growth. all. Finally Wendy (Mare Winningham) f just kept getting used over and over again by Billy . Wendy joins Billy and Jules is the only characters in the group who actually evolve. 

Of course, I don’t want sound like I’m completely poo-pooing all over the movie. The score/soundtrack was obviously very memorable. Likewise, the cinematography work of Stephen Burum also goes unsung. The lasting impression that keeps coming back  to mind are the shots of the main characters against the oversize murals in their apartments. The credit for this can probably go just as easily to the set designers.

The story itself, while one that many young people can relate to, is trapped in a lot of 1980s tropes . It’s basically about what happens to a group of friends after they graduate from college. Some of them struggle. Some of them make bad decisions. A few of them have a hard time letting go of their college glory. I think the problem lies in the fact that the movie like St. Elmo’s Fire is made for a particular audience at a particular age in a particular moment. For better for worse, movies like this aren’t necessarily made to stand the test of time.

Of course, all this talk of nostalgia gets me thinking about a movie like the original Star Wars. What are the point, how was it that a movie like Star Wars can stay the test of time with audiences where something like St. Elmo’s Fire feels very dated? I think there are two factors that lead to this.

First, Star Wars is a relatively simple, timeless story. It is universal. It is the story about good guys and bad guys, with the good guys getting their happy ending. The characters in Star Wars are based on very fundamental literary archetypes. In fact, George Lucas himself wants to describe the movie as a story quote for a generation growing up without fairy tales“. 

Another thing going for movie like Star Wars is that it never really had an opportunity to leave the collective conscience of moviegoers. I have to wonder what I would think if I were to watch Star Wars today, in 2024 for the very first time. For that matter, I’d be curious to see what my thoughts would be if I only watch Star Wars again today after seeing it as a young child for the first time. it would not hold the nostalgia fact that it does for me. Star Wars is a movie that I have carried with me for the majority of my life. But in addition to it being a very simple story, it is one that has some very difficult dialogue. Even the actors in the movie of often quoted as saying “ no one talks like this!“ I have to wonder how I would look at a movie like Star Wars today; if I wasn’t seeing it through the permanently rose colored glasses of nostalgia.

Brats, St. Elmo’s Fire, Taps and MASH are currently streaming on Hulu. Tuff Turf and Class are currently streaming on Tubi. Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope is currently streaming on Disney+

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• The O.R. Virgin
• A Day in the Life of Rob
• Rob Reviews: The Acolyte. Am I missing the boat here?
• Rob goes green
• The nicest, coldest drink ever

The article “Rob Reviews: St. Elmo’s Fire, and the Power of Nostalgia” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob