BRATS Documentary Review: Andrew McCarthy Is Still St. Elmo’s Fired Up About ‘Brat Pack’ Label
BRATS, the new documentary film from ABC News Studio (premiering Thursday on Hulu), is a must-watch for the Gen X crowd that knows its John Benders from its Duckie Dales.
Back in the spring of 1985, New York Magazine writer David Blum set out to pen a profile of Emilio Estevez. But when the buzz for St. Elmo’s Fire caught, well, fire, that feature blew up into a cover story that infamously christened Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore et al “Hollywood’s Brat Pack.”
Andrew McCarthy, as director of BRATS, sets out to reconcile his own past struggle with the “Brat Pack” label by interviewing Estevez, Moore, Lowe, Ally Sheedy and other rising young stars of that time. (“It’s been a blessing more than a curse in my life,” McCarthy shared at the TCA winter press tour, echoing his BRATS narrative. “We were branded as ‘partying, wanting to have a good time and get famous,'” and as a result the young actors lost control of the narrative of their careers.)
But if you’re looking for a trip down Brat Pack memory lane rife with fun anecdotes, once-hot goss and wall-to-wall clips from St. Elmo’s Fire, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and the like, this is not that documentary.
McCarthy’s individual reunions with his fellow Brat Packers — some of whom he hadn’t seen in 30 years — are across-the-board genial and warm. His sit-down with Ally Sheedy was a highlight for me, and Rob Lowe is always gonna Rob Lowe.
When McCarthy drops in on Demi Moore, it becomes crystal clear (if there was any doubt) that BRATS served as a bit of needed therapy for its maker. Moore’s insightfulness fuels one of the film’s more complex conversations, as she, from a place of love, nudges her onetime co-star to reconsider his toxic, decades-long relationship with the bratty label.
In addition to participating bona fide Brat Pack members — McCarthy posits that the “official” line-up is him, Estevez, Lowe, Moore, Sheedy, Judd Nelson and Molly Ringwald — Jon Cryer and Timothy Hutton also are paid a visit, while other talking heads include authors of related tomes and filmmaker John Hughes’ go-to casting director. (Nelson decided not to participate in the docu, reportedly telling McCarthy, “The Brat Pack didn’t exist,” and neither did Ringwald, but both appear in archival interviews.)
The breezy docu builds to McCarthy confronting New York Magazine vet Blum himself about siring the moniker that would prompt many Brat Pack members to instantly distance themselves from the others in subsequent films. Blum’s recollection of coining the term is candid, non-apologetic, and in its own weird way helps bring McCarthy some closure.
As a filmmaker, McCarthy takes a few swings that don’t land. BRATS has a clunky start due to his decision to chronicle his first exploratory cell phone calls to Estevez & Co., but since (recording consent laws!) we never hear the other end of those convos, the moments are inert. Similarly, he tries to film his arrival at each Brat Pack member’s home, but the camerawork repeatedly fails to properly capture the long-awaited hellos and hugs.
As an interviewer, McCarthy left me wishing, hard, that he had asked his former co-stars one question: What film project did they think (or hope) broke them out of their Brat Pack mold? (Like, does Moore go with Ghost? A Few Good Men? Striptease?) It could have offered an insightful look into who each actor thought they could be, beyond the Brat Pack.
Where BRATS greatly succeeds is as a reminder of, hot damn!, what a moviegoing time we Gen Xers lived in back then! The Brat Pack and their peers were prolific during the 1980s, thanks in part to, yes, John Hughes, but also the trend of moviemaking at the time. A steady stream of low- and mid-budget films about high school and friends and college and relationships? With only the occasional blockbuster sci-fi film in sight? We lived, people. So while not quite the trip down memory lane described above, BRATS does winningly speak to a very special and specific time in pop culture, one that is, alas, long behind us.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Are you a Gen Xer? Don’t you… forget about… streaming BRATS on Hulu this weekend.
Gen Xer here, class of 1988….looking forward to this. And my kid who is 19 loves Andrew McCarthy but has only seen a few flicks of his. I showed her a lot of the old John Hughes stuff. She actually bought Weekend at Bernie’s on DVD a couple weeks ago. Not really a brat pack film, but still fun.
So when Demi says in the clip why were we offended? It was strange? As a fan it was offensive because it mocked the value of the movies and the feelings about them.
I’m a Gen Xer; class of 1985. My husband is class of 1984. We are looking forward to this documentary, although truth be told, me more than he is. lol
Great into, Matt, sure brought back the memories. And the Rob Lowe reference made me guffaw. Coming of age in the 80s made this gang My Generation. I’m feeling nostalgic and looking forward to it.
Generation Xer here also, class of 87. I don’t know why Jud Nelson and Molly Ringwold refused to be in it and why McCarthy is still bothered by it. It’s 30 years later people, get over it! It’s not like they never worked again because of it. Moore went on to be the highest paid actress in Hollywood for a while for goodness sake and Lowe is constantly working and on one tv show after another. I think some of them want to blame the label for their careers stalling or not turning out like they wanted it to but Moore and Lowe are proof they could break out of that and be successful which is probably why they’re the ones who didn’t have a problem talking talking about it to McCarthy. You are so right about movies during that period also. No constant new superhero or Star Wars movie or tv show, so sick of those. Movies about actual people and life.
Only on Hulu?? Sorry to miss it but can’t afford it.. :(
You can get a week’s free trial if you are new to Hulu or haven’t had it in a long time. Just cancel before the trial ends and you won’t pay anything.
With all the real hurtful name calling that exists, Andrew (and Judd) needs to get over it.
Saw the BRATS premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last week. Thoroughly enjoyed it! A great walk down memory lane with some films so many of us grew up seeing.
“Where BRATS greatly succeeds is as a reminder of, hot damn!, what a moviegoing time we Gen Xers lived in back then!”
This!
I’m a Gen Xer, class of 1988 and I’m looking forward to watching this documentary; there are a few of the actors who you don’t see or hear from a lot anymore (e.g., Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy).
Class of 1990. Will definitely be watching this.
Class of 1986 here. Had huge crushes on both Emilio and Andrew in particular, but am looking forward to seeing everyone involved. I would have liked to have seen Judd and Molly, but otherwise it sounds like a fun trip down memory lane will be had!
Class of 1984 here! Pretty in Pink was my favorite movie!! Had that movie poster hanging in my dorm room. I’m sorry Molly Ringwald isn’t participating.
Great review!! Thanks for the heads-up that it does not have the “once-hot goss and wall-to-wall clips” I was expecting. But I’ll still watch it.
Class of 82 here! I was excited when I heard about Brats, and I finally got to see it last night. Although I enjoyed seeing Andrew and the few actors he interviewed, I was disappointed that Judd, Molly and Anthony Michael Hall didn’t participate. Also, I think any young actor in the 80s would have given their eye teeth to be a part of the brat pack. It was simply a way to address the “it” crowd of actors who were extremely popular. I feel like Andrew missed an opportunity by not including many other young actors from the 80s and getting their perspective.
Really disappointed that McCarthy appears to blame the Brat Pack story/moniker for negatively impacting his career rather than well documented struggles several had. McCarthy, Moore and Sheedy had admitted serious substance abuse issues. Lowe had disastrous PR/career scandal with the underage girl sex tape. Think he has latched on to misguided bitterness like dog with a bone.