Finally gotten around to this. Had some difficulty buying it, along the way bought the 2014 Gabriella Wild remake. Checking up on it on Wikipedia the past few days, I expected a total shambles, and the haphazard way the movie started, well, I wasn't expecting too much. Wading in, longed for that remake. At first, didn't feel like a Brooke Shields movie at all, but then, with that girl singing that song Endless Love everything began falling into place, and as the story rolls on, I began to like it more and more, and, hey, Brooke Shields is just everything that lives up to her legendary status.
Unfortunately, the movie deteriorates at an alarming rate due to that arson plot development that comes like a bolt from the blue, without any clue in up-to-then normal boy David's behavior, which makes me feel it is just contrived. Before this movie finally irrevocably becomes a shambles to unfortunately remain a shambles and stay an utter shambles, I was gonna award it an 8. It had all the potential for a decent story and then went and threw it all away.
Shirley Knight, powerful performance. All the parents do a fine job, but Shirley's an especially good standout, so is Don Murray, the only guy in the movie who could act. I don't like Martin Hewitt, though. Comes across as a pretentious carnivore, something about him I don't like. Okay, they chose an actor who could play the dark side. Another reviewer, I've since seen, refers to Martin as a cipher. Just there. Exactly. He was capable of doing the nude scenes with Brooke. That's it. That got him the part. But that's all.
Something that few films of that era can say, this movie's first half stood the test of time. Except for that corny heart thing at the beginning, and the planetarium thing, didn't really work. Wonderful use of music, I Was Made For Loving You, Baby and Blondie with Heart of Glass, + as mentioned, that girl singing Endless Love.
Movie has a bad reputation. The author of the book is especially at odds with it. No, I haven't read the book. But the shortcomings have to be blamed on the book, it was the blueprint. The arson story twist is a crock, but surely, that's from the book?
Good start. Then derails. Love the good first half. As for the second half, producers, set fire to the whole lot!
Bottom line for me though: Brooke Shields is worth watching.
Unfortunately, the movie deteriorates at an alarming rate due to that arson plot development that comes like a bolt from the blue, without any clue in up-to-then normal boy David's behavior, which makes me feel it is just contrived. Before this movie finally irrevocably becomes a shambles to unfortunately remain a shambles and stay an utter shambles, I was gonna award it an 8. It had all the potential for a decent story and then went and threw it all away.
Shirley Knight, powerful performance. All the parents do a fine job, but Shirley's an especially good standout, so is Don Murray, the only guy in the movie who could act. I don't like Martin Hewitt, though. Comes across as a pretentious carnivore, something about him I don't like. Okay, they chose an actor who could play the dark side. Another reviewer, I've since seen, refers to Martin as a cipher. Just there. Exactly. He was capable of doing the nude scenes with Brooke. That's it. That got him the part. But that's all.
Something that few films of that era can say, this movie's first half stood the test of time. Except for that corny heart thing at the beginning, and the planetarium thing, didn't really work. Wonderful use of music, I Was Made For Loving You, Baby and Blondie with Heart of Glass, + as mentioned, that girl singing Endless Love.
Movie has a bad reputation. The author of the book is especially at odds with it. No, I haven't read the book. But the shortcomings have to be blamed on the book, it was the blueprint. The arson story twist is a crock, but surely, that's from the book?
Good start. Then derails. Love the good first half. As for the second half, producers, set fire to the whole lot!
Bottom line for me though: Brooke Shields is worth watching.