St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

Other than his Batman flicks, Schumacher is relatively dependable for delivering something that, at the very least, does the job. Watch A Time To Kill, 8MM, Bad Company, Phone Booth(OK, that one is arguably downright good), or The Number 23(the ones I've seen of his). Know what I mean? They sorta stay with you somewhat, but you don't find yourself calling them "great". This is another addition to that. I'll start by addressing complaints I've heard about this; it's said to be excessively 80's, and I basically get what they mean(not growing up in the decade, being 4 years old when it ended, I have no recollection of it), and if that is likely to bother you, then yeah(the man often does not know when to say stop to the designers; I refer you to his short stint at superhero movies... you know, the ones that nearly killed the genre, with the murder weapons being neon and camp), you may wish to steer clear. Another is that these characters, credible and well-written though they are, are spoiled, selfish, superficial, and at times empty-headed, brats. Yes. They are. The film is aware of this(which always makes it considerably easier to tolerate), and it doesn't pretend that those are attractive traits. No, they are not necessarily likable; however, they are relatively interesting to follow. Think Election. And the things they go through are quite easy to recognize. Life after high school, love vs. obsession, relationship issues and dealing with various problems that young people face are dealt with, and it comes across pretty convincing and genuine. It can be funny here and there, when it goes for it, a little of that being black comedy. This is fairly engaging, and there is some tension. There are a few stereotypes in this, such as the presentation of a gay man; meanwhile, when you look at how the straight people in this are, it would have stood out more(as Joel points out in the informative and amusing director's commentary on the DVD; it also comes with theatrical trailers for About Last Night and Mortal Thoughts) if it had been toned down. There's the prostitute and the Jews, as well, I suppose. The acting tends to be spot-on. There is a bit of sexuality(not graphic, only brief nudity) and strong language in this. I recommend this to anyone looking for pictures about the troubles of growing up. 6/10

Fmovies: Perhaps one must be of a certain age to truly appreciate this film. The "self-absorbed" comments seem to spring, in my mind, from older (middle-aged or elderly) viewers, or maybe just from grad students who are frightened that their prof may be reading their dissertation on this film.

In my experience as a 30 year old woman, most young people who are in their twenties are self-absorbed. I think it's a natural and necessary part of thriving in the current United States' culture. I saw this movie in my late teens, and it made a tremendous emotional impact on me. I did not see the characters as shallow, superficial, or selfish, but just as regular people like myself and my friends.

Even now that I have left my twenties, I can go back and still appreciate St. Elmo's Fire; not just for the 80's nostalgia (though that is a big draw, I must admit) but because I perceive the characters as living stories that I can identify with in parts. Especially as a slightly more mature adult, I can look back and say, "Yeah, I remember going through that." or "I knew someone like that five years ago." St. Elmo's Fire will always have a place in my heart for what it represents to my generation, and to the generation that actually came of age during the film's premiere. Maybe one had to grow up in the 80's - whether in childhood or adolescence - to enjoy St. Elmo's Fire.

Okay. So it's not timeless. Who cares? There are some great scenes in this flick and it's a fun watch, even though it always makes me cry.

St. Elmo's fire has been on constant play on HBO lately. I turned it on the other night and watched the whole thing. Yeah, it was a nostalgia trip (I remember watching it a few times on cable ten years ago) but it also has some decent scenes and it really captures a "moment," both for recent college grads and for those of us who were enchanted by the brat pack in the 80s.

I've been reading other people's reviews; several of them whine about how "self-absorbed" these characters are.

Well...um... duh. Yeah. Most movies are about self-absorbed people. Self-absorbed people are more interesting, because they don't care what other people think: self absorbed people feel deeply, they make huge mistakes, and they're generally fun to watch. Some of the greatest movies of all time are about self-absorbed people: Annie Hall (Alvy Singer), Amadeus (Mozart), Leaving Las Vegas (Nic Cage), Goodfellas (Every single mobster in the movie). Mother Theresa was completely giving, completely SELFLESS, and yet I haven't seen a great movie about her. That's not the point.

I'm not saying St. Elmo's Fire is a classic. I'm just saying, calm down people. Take the movie for what it is, a stylized look into one moment in life, and don't be so preachy about what kinds of characters are "appropriate" to focus on.

St. Elmo's Fire fmovies. This movie is hilarious, and it's not even a comedy!

It follows 7 recent college grads, trying to transition into the real world. The caricatures... er, characters, are:

Billy - the greasy musician who's finding that monogamy and fatherhood are not his thing. Alec - the aspiring politician who's finding monogamy to his fiancée is not his thing. Leslie - Alec's fiancée, who wants to establish a career before marriage. Wendy - the philanthropic virgin in granny duds. Kirby - the waiter pining for a fellow alumna. Kevin - the sensitive writer pining for Leslie. Jules - the "Like A Virgin"-clad, coke-addled mess.

How are these people even friends? What do Leslie and Billy have in common? Or Wendy and anyone else? The only interaction between "Kirbo" and Jules is his requesting her expertise on ordering fine wine to impress a date. More importantly, how did some of these idiots attend Georgetown?

Joel Schumacher may be a fine director, but his dialogue for this age group is highly contrived. Some doozies:

Billy - "Let's Rock!" Alec - "Wasted love!" Leslie & Wendy - " Men... can't live with 'em; can't shoot 'em." Kirby - "Soon as I make it really big, I'm going Fluff-n-Fold." Kevin - "Love is an illusion." Jules - "You were always the couple most likely to couple, and don't you forget it!" Group - "Booga Booga Booga, Ah Ah Ahhh!"

I've watched this movie many times since my teens (when it premiered), and I always laugh, cringe, facepalm, stare in wonderment at the screen as to how such nonsense was even filmed. The ridiculousness of Jules' breakdown near the end, by opening her windows to allow in some cold air, perfectly sums up this masterpiece.

And then the cherry on top: after Billy's departure to hit it big in NYC, the gang decides to convene at Houlihan's the next day, because now they're grown-ups.

When I first saw this film I was about 14. I loved it back then because there were so many cool actors in it. That is why, nothing more and nothing less. But now, as I am a young adult perhaps going through some of the same scenarios and fears and insecurities that these people are in the movie, I can appreciate it a whole lot more. Not only is it a film that has an incredible young cast in it, but it is a film that does a great job of dealing with a plethora of issues. My favourite character was Billy, the Rob Lowe character. Sometimes his intentions weren't always spelled out for us, but there are subleties about the way he plays his character that really hit home. You can tell that he misses the easier days of college. The days where all he had to do was play sports and smoke up a bit. But now he is in real life and he can't quite seem to find his niche. He is still the good looking playboy that can get laid whenever he feels like it, but as for dealing with real life issues, he is confused and scared. And he masks that insecurity by being a playboy. It's a great character study. Many of the other characters in the film have interesting stories as well. None of them have quite figured out what the meaning of life is yet and all of them are kind of living on the edge. All are attempting to get by with what they have, but what it ultimately comes down to is that none of them really knows the answers. Maybe some have become more successful than others but deep down they are all scared of life. Now I don't know about other mid 20's people, but I can sure relate to what they are feeling and going through. And this movie made me feel like I am not the only one that may not have all the answers. If this is a film that you haven't seen in a few years, watch it. Admire what it wants to say. Take it for what it is. I really enjoyed what this film was about. And it made me feel a bit better about life, after all, we're all going through St. Elmo's Fire.

St. Elmos Fire is a look at life of several friends who have just graduated college and are making the transition from frat parties and college football to real world decisions and backing up their degree. Although in hindsight this movie really isn't the best movie, I gave it a ten because at one time I could really relate to the characters sense of trying to redefine who they are. Demi Moore was definitely one of the weaker performances and you want to reach into the screen and smack her around for being such a half-wit snob. The rest of the cast did a really good job. The music from this movie is phenomenal. I think the reason I love this movie despite all its flaws is it makes me put my life in perspective and think about the friends and decisions I have made. Everytime I hear the love theme I can't help but feel sentimental. So all in all I gave it a hesitant 10 not for the performances, script or direction. I gave it a 10 because it hits home.