Brats (dir. Andrew McCarthy)

By: Adam Freed

Nothing good is guaranteed to last forever, certainly not youth, and rarely fame.  In the new Hulu documentary Brats, director, and former 80’s teen heartthrob, Andrew McCarthy explores the impact of a term that was unwillingly bestowed upon him and a cohort of young gifted actors, many of whom were never able to outrun its shadow.  In an attempt to reconcile 35 years of the esteem diminishing gravity given to a term coined by New York Magazine writer David Blum, McCarthy goes on a coast to coast quest to gather the former members of said group in an attempt to heal from the wounds caused him by the age old moniker.

Although the members of the “pack” are rather shy about  being clearly defined, most notable among them are Emilo Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and of course Molly Ringwald, all of whom, minus Ringwald and Nelson, elect to share their memories within the film. The Brat Pack acted as a sort of mid-eighties Hollywood Avengers having major contributing credit for era and genre defining films such as St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), The Breakfast Club (1985), Pretty in Pink (1986), Class (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984) and The Outsiders (1984).  Just as shopping mall culture exploded across America, so did the impact of this group of gifted young performers, until the very nature of their shared existence became a collective burden post the publication of Blum’s 1985 article.  Just as quickly as the young stars had exploded into orbit, they grew weary of working with one another.    

What makes Brats such a fun watch is the reunion-like quality it provides, and just as Andrew McCarthy seeks closure for what he feels are decades old open wounds, it also allows audiences to witness that McCarthy’s isn’t the only opinion on the matter.  Both Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, who have enjoyed the most fruitful “post pack” careers, choose to view that era as a meaningful moment in time for which they express tremendous gratitude. While it is exciting to catch up with old screen friends, one cannot shake the feeling that McCarthy’s project feels a few perspectives shy (Nelson and Ringwald) from painting a complete picture of the time.  Fans of the nostalgia rich John Hughes era of youthful entertainment are sure to enjoy Andrew McCarthy’s Brats as it is a strong reminder that nothing, no matter how lasting it may seem at the time, lasts forever.

Target Score: 6.5/10  Honest and at times vulnerable, former “Brat Pack” member and documentarian Andrew McCarthy allows fans to accompany him on a trip down memory lane as he processes the perceived damage done to his career by a term he never learned to embrace.

Brats was screened as part of Movie Archer's coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival