Andrew McCarthy’s ‘Brats’ Doc Delves Into the Label and its Impact on the Actors Behind the 80s Brat Pack

Synopsis: Focuses on 1980s films starring the ‘Brat Pack’ and their profound impact on the young stars’ lives.
Director: Andrew McCarthy
Stars: Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Rob Lowe

In the 1980s, several films were released that made stars out of a group of young actors. Of those films, The Breakfast Club and St. Elmos Fire were two that were widely recognized for establishing a group of twenty-something actors as the stars of their time.

Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Anthony Michael Hall, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Milly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy were known the world over as The Brat Pack. The name is a play on The Rat Pack from the 1950s and 60s.

This new film, directed by McCarthy, examines the origins of that title and what several of the stars today remember about those times.

An initial thought was why wasn’t a director, independent of the group, directing, but then again, who better than McCarthy? Not only did he live it, but he has multiple directing titles to his credit, including episodes of The Blacklist and Orange is the New Black.

The film is very conversational as McCarthy travels around speaking with people who were either members of the group or somewhat involved with it.

The term ‘Brat Pack’ originated from an article written by David Blum for New York Magazine in the 1980s. The article wasn’t exactly favourable, and as a result, it impacted the careers of those involved. Many, including Blum himself, comment on the article and its aftermath.

There are some interesting aspects, one of which is that the cast was not close. Delusions of them getting together on a regular basis are quickly extinguished.

The film isn’t just a re-examination of the past but also creates a dialogue about the effects of becoming famous at a young age in Hollywood.

Not everyone in the ‘Brat Pack’ takes part in the film. While McCarthy has conversations with Estevez, Moore and Lowe, to name a few, Judd Nelson and Molly Ringwald did not participate in the project. Anthony Michael Hall also politely declined.

For those familiar with the movies these actors starred in, a trip down memory lane with Brats will be a welcome one. It may not be as enjoyable for the non-initiated, but perhaps an opportunity to strengthen one’s filmography.

Grade: B-

Watch the movie trailer: