BRATS: A Therapy Session Disguised as a Documentary

Random Movie Reviews - BRATS (2024)
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[@peternighswander9629]

Emilio should not complain. His film career created a hockey team that didn’t even exist

[@michaelblaine6494]

Hahahaha that seemed so strange at the time and thinking about it now it seems even weirder

[@jewdea]

What does that do for him? Does he get a cut of the teams proceeds or something? Weird take.

[@peternighswander9629]

@@jewdea uh recognition, notoriety. For all I know he did get a cut. Frankly the comment was more tongue in cheek

[@KrisBryant99]

Andrew is what you call "not knowing the magnitude of his worth" because as someone who didnt come up in the 80s the Brat Pack is one of my all time film eras.

[@franciscaguevara1611]

It's funny that Andrew, blames "the brat pack" when he was on drugs and doesn't even remember filming pretty in pink... accountability in one's choices comes to mind...

[@rickdaniel3230]

Weekend at Bernie's 1 and 2 are how I know Andrew McCarthy. Be proud of that, and then figure out where you went wrong.

[@missnellie33]

Don’t forget Mannequin!

[@gbear2253]

The Will Smith reference to GI Jane being his favorite movie….. LMAO 🤣

[@peternighswander9629]

Kevin Bacon is a one man industry. He is almost inexplicable phenomenon who will endure forever it seems

[@crescendo5594]

I always thought it was weird that it’s “The six degrees of Kevin Bacon”, and not “The six degrees of ”

[@ggorter]

I was 19 in 1985 I spent the 80s working in the mall and delivering pizzas... I think I went on four dates lol I would have killed to be part of that friend group and everything that went with it. Andrew needs to stop whining

[@dnikkithatsame5990]

Here’s the thing that younger people don’t get about it. The careers of these actors were put on hold some indefinitely. In Hollywood was looked as this new group of young actors who are kind of ruining the old guard. I remember that there was an Oscars where they tried to bring on young actors and it was so tacky because they were doing this old timey musical number. Also quite a few of them had drug and alcohol problems. Molly left the US for over a decade. Rob Lowe and Demi Moore had to entirely overhaul their careers, so did Anthony Michael Hall. Robert Downey Jr didn’t stop going to jail till the early 2000s. I’m not saying the label made this happen, I’m saying that the label did affect everyone negatively. The assumption that people are supposed to be better has an adult is something you realize doesn’t actually happen without large amounts of effort & it’s still there.

[@pepperminttree]

they should've showed this more in the doc

[@tuckerplum8085]

Molly Ringwald left for a decade in France because she married a French citizen. You make it sound like she had to escape! She has worked in show business consistently since the 80s. Demi Moore had to “overhaul” her career?! She was a daytime soap opera actress who made two successful movies with her “Brat Pack” cohorts. Both of those movies came out well AFTER the “Brat Pack” article. Within two or three years, she had huge success with “Ghost,” and a couple years after that she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood! Rob Lowe had to “overhaul” his career because he was discovered to have made a sex tape with two underage girls! He has had steady work his whole career. Robert Downey Jr went to jail all on his own, and is hugely successful today. (What exactly are you accusing this journalist of doing? He wrote one article and coined a catchy nickname.) You are spinning these events to make it sound like this journalist did something to damage these people’s careers! Most of them have done quite well for themselves. Do you think Hollywood careers come with guarantees of only glowing reviews and constant steady work? That’s not how it works!

[@reprintranch]

@@tuckerplum8085 Yeah, the entertainment journalism industry has a long history of doing "hit" pieces on specific artists, performers, acts, movies, genres, fads and so forth. Andrew McCarthy apparently didn't devote any screentime to this phenomenon and the fact that extensive, unapologetic snark was nothing new or unusual.

[@MissDebbieSue123]

Oh come on. They were minimally talented actors who woukd have disappeared or never been given a chance without the Brat Pack. They were lucky for the publicity. And old actors having problems with the up and comers is a tale as old as time. You really do not sound like you were of the 80's. Because you are reciting. For one thing, Rob Lowe having his career stalled had nothing to do with the Brat Pack, it had everything to do with underage girls and video tapes.

[@chuckHart70]

Look at their net worths. There are actors that are 1000 times better worth ZERO!

[@tristanmayer5373]

My first time seeing this channel and I’m already sold. A very articulate review going over your complex feelings towards the doc. Can’t wait to watch more!

[@nathanmoore5435]

Awesome, thank you!

[@nolipgloss1343]

Same! I clicked because I didn’t know the doc was out and stayed to the end.

[@williampaul7932]

James Spader was such a good villain in Pretty in Pink. I would have loved to hear from him.

[@mylastduchess9998]

I was just coming of age during the end of the "brat pack" era. The article was negative and spawned a bunch more which wasn't fair. That said, those that succeeded kept moving, kept redefining themselves year after year. I think he's more upset that he was pigeon holed in general and never figured out how to overcome it. All successful actors have to deal with that. Its how l they handle it that determines what comes next.

[@garycoates4987]

I'm gonna say Andrew McCarthy is probably very bitter because of a specific movie, probably the most controversial of the brat pack movies is "Pretty in Pink",,, his character wasn't particularly liked even though he was supposed to be the primary love interest, I think a lot of casting probably would have seen him as a potential villain in a movie when he saw himself as a lead. I think that's probably his trauma is that he wasn't as likable as the other actors lumped into the group. Just my opinion

[@madisonvillegas7198]

As much as I ADORE Andrew McCarthy, I won’t be biased and blinded. I’ve watched a great deal of his interviews and I too notice this exact thing. You hit the nail on the head. I just wish he saw his worth, it’d remove a lot of that insecurity and resentment.

[@thewebstylist]

So I guess Andrew hasn’t been in therapy, much needed. Great review, totally agree with.

[@MissDebbieSue123]

Oh, my God. If nothing else has illustrated the passage of time, seeing Andrew McCarthy and Emilio Estavez and wondering, who are those old men? Is that their dad's? And realizing who it was was a bit jarring, because in my mind, Blaine (Pretty in Pink,Andrew) and Bill (Maximum Overdrive,Emilio) are frozen in time. Time gets us all. This will be a bit long, I can feel the bubbling up and now I am a bit disappointed,with a big bit of "ick" rising up. I was around 20 when the Brat Pack was formed and we thought it was super-cool. In our traumatized states of being, we all glommed onto thinking these were the THE people of our generation. What has never really been addressed was how fearful and anxious we were, because we believed at any second a mushroom cloud was going to end us all. And thank you to "The Day After," to help us envision the end times. It helped to see these young people, smiling, partying, carefree, above the average person, it helped because if they weren't worried, this Brat Pack, I didn't need to be either. This is why things are frenetic and nonsensical in the 80's videos esp. At any moment it's going to be over, so let's rail one and dance. Here's the thing as far as Emilio Estavez is concerned. The dude was not done in by being in the Brat Pack. He was eclipsed by his own brother, Charlie Sheen, who had the cool points and charisma, talent and presence that Emilio lacks. And in the 80's Emilio was focused on directing. "Men at Work", "Wisdom", were the cinematic equivalent of soggy cornflakes. So bland, boring and, sorry Emilio, but much like their creator. Take a look at the scene in "Ferris Bueller"where the sister is in the police station and talks to young Charlie Sheen. He has star quality. Emilio does not. Same with Andrew McCarthy. He sees himself as this edgy, New York actor, but somebody explain to him and The Whining Emilio that they do have something that kills careers. They are cringe. Cringe. Cringe cringe. Cringey cringe. It's almost embarrassing. If these two were smart, they could have soaked up the Brat Pack, embraced it, done the really bad boy thing, then had a redemption arc. But instead they bite the hand that fed them, the people who loved and idolized them, by being ungrateful. I think the reason Andrew didn't trim the scene with the journalist is because that is who he is all the time. To him, normal. And he really feels he was done an injustice. The truth is, nobody read that article. Nobody had to. They were everywhere. Suck it up, Andrew and Emilio, it looks like it afforded you a life your talent would not have. Just a note. I think, but not positive, I saw an I terview with Molly Ringwald where she mentions Andrew having issues with Brat Pack. She probably didn't want to do it, cuz he's a whiny mess. Thanks, for the review and I am binging your videos.

[@thesunnyfawn5701]

He said he viewed himself as a serious New York actor. The Brat Pack is the opposite of that. He got his dream in a way he didn't want.

[@maximusprime3459]

Exactly. Thats how "serious" actors have always been.

[@STLmurphy20]

I disagree. I do not believe that his “trauma” is genuine. “Brats” feels much more like a calculated career move to cash in on the celebrity documentary craze, especially those with a Gen X flavor (Brooke Shields, Michael J. Fox, Janet Jackson, the making of “We Are the World.”) Andrew McCarthy was barely mentioned in David Blum’s article, probably because he was the least exciting and least famous member of the pack. I suspect Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and a few others are missing from “Brats” because they recognized it for what it is and had no interest in lending their names to McCarthy’s vanity project.

[@MissDebbieSue123]

Thank you!!! Andrew McCarthy needs to get a grip, and realize if it wasn't for The Brat Pack and John Hughes, he wouldn't even be a blip on the 80'radar. Nobody cares. And if nobody cares about you with 80's nostalgia then it's over.

[@LittleMissStamper]

This documentary isn't for you 🙄🤣

[@MissDebbieSue123]

@@LittleMissStamper And pray tell, why not? Are documentaries only for the people who are already on board, or do they also deserve to be watched by those with differing opinions? Let me guess. You're not Gen X. Because if you were, you wouldn't jump to such a judgey conclusion.

[@LittleMissStamper]

@@MissDebbieSue123 Well....once again you'd be wrong. 50....Aug 1973 and VERY much Gen X....that's 2 for 2. Seems Andrew's not the one who needs to "get a grip" after all lol.

[@mikeadams4230]

“Mannequin” and “Weekend At Bernie’s”…Name two reasons that Andrew Mcarthy’s career was not what he hoped for.

[@MissDebbieSue123]

Andrew McCarthy needs to face facts. He wasn't talented enough or have enough charisma to overcome it. If it hadn't been for the Brat Pack, he would have disappeared a long time ago.

[@royboy4571]

No the Brat Pack, did not make him, he already had some hit films to his name and would do a few more. It did nothing for him. As for us fans, most of us thought the term was a term of endearment, but obviously this doco reveals the term was anyhting but that.

[@dananicole3969]

Rob and demi didnt have a problem with the brat pack situation, i think it didnt bother them.

[@maximusprime3459]

Rob was one of the younger ones.

[@SY-ok2dq]

That's hindsight. In the late 80s, just a few years after that 1985 article, Lowe was the center of a scandal and potential criminal charges and end of his career. So the Brat Pack label was nothing compared to that. He was lucky that it was before the Internet age as things eventually died down anf the public lost interest in the controversy. It looked very iffy for a while, but Lowe was able to get cast in big films - most notably "Bad Influence" with James Spader, a film which got extra publicity because of Lowe's new "bad guy" image and the sex video and blackmail similarities to Lowe's real life situation.

[@royboy4571]

Well the article barely mention Demi and praised Rob with looks and charm to spear. The only mention about Andrew, was a quote by one actor, that said Andrew brought to much intensity to his roles and would never make it. No wonder Andrew didn't like it.

[@user-ml5hm6qk3l]

I just found your videos today and they are great videos! Very well thought out. Keep up the great work.

[@nathanmoore5435]

Glad you like them!

[@amybrown9539]

As Gen X kids, my husband and I watched all these movies back in the day and watched this documentary several days ago. We agree, Andrew came off very badly in this. We think he was one of the least talented actors of the group, the same with Emilio. He is probably very bitter that he was pigeon holled in this stereotype and didn't get the rolls he wanted out of his early success. Many of the other actors leaned into the stereotype instead and had major success or held out until they started working again due to nostalgia parts. Also, Anthony Michael Hall wasn't in this either , he had the same take as Molly and Judd.

[@amandaredd3057]

I always thought James Spader was an underrated part of the BP. He was always put up against Andrew Mcarthy in movies as a side character but for me he stole the spotlight! Less Than Zero with him AND Robert Downey Jr? Oh hell yeah

[@nocarbonfootprint9120]

OK I took my sorority girlfriend to see "Pretty in Pink" and she nearly lost her mind that Duckie lost out. And she didn't shut up about it for days.

[@rentme2011]

I learned recently that the movie Some Kind of Wonderful was made because Duckie was supposed to win so they sort of “re-did” Pretty in Pink but just switched the genders. Deutch and Hughes were not happy with the ending of their previous collaboration Pretty in Pink (1986); in the script and the original cut of the film Andy (Molly Ringwald) wound up with her best friend Duckie (Jon Cryer). Test audiences disliked that ending, however, so a new ending was shot where Andy wound up with Blane (Andrew McCarthy).[2] With Some Kind of Wonderful, Hughes decided to re-tell the story, but with the genders of the main characters switched.

[@emiliomiller5952]

"Will Smith's favourite movie" 😉

[@stevenhandzel5929]

Ya know, there will be time when this running gag about Will Smith’s slap has run its course. But for now, this particular joke is gold!

[@alicias.8482]

One article didn't make or break any of them. Drugs, talent, and luck had a much greater effect in the long run.

[@amandabiewer1423]

This was an excellent video! Thank you!

[@Brad772006]

I got called a member of the brat pack when I spilled paint in the garage.

[@AndriaBieberDesigns]

This is a great video! I watched the rat pack movie when it came out. I grew up with the brat pack. And your video was really insightful thank you.

[@CharlesRBiggs]

I enjoy your thoughtful reviews. Keep up the outstanding work. Don't change a thing!

[@nathanmoore5435]

Thanks, will do!

[@saharaalberto4057]

I Just read David Blum's article "Hollywood's Brat Pack", originally published in 1985 in New York magazine.... the article only briefly mentions Andrew McCarthy - where McCarthy is critiquing Sean Penn's acting. **Note that none of the women actors from the Brat Pack era are mentioned - except for Demi Moore, who gets a nod for being one of the other actor's girlfriend. The actors mentioned in the article are: Emilio Estevez "Tom Cruise, 23. He first made his mark in Taps, then went on to star in the youth-movie classic Risky Business. The huge success of that movie (it made $30.3 million) gave Cruise the leverage to get over $1 million per movie." "Rob Lowe, 21. He first showed it to moviegoers in The Outsiders, then starred in Class and The Hotel New Hampshire. He stars in St. Elmo’s Fire." "Judd Nelson, 25. He made his reputation as a hood in Making the Grade and The Breakfast Club. And now, in St. Elmo’s Fire, he shows-with his role as a congressional assistant-that he was better off when typecast." "Timothy Hutton, 24. He got started ahead of the others as a troubled teen in Ordinary People, then joined the Brat Pack in Taps." "Matt Dillon, 21. Everyone thought he would do it back when he made Tex and The Outsiders, but he eased into a lower gear with The Flamingo Kid, a comedy that did well at the box office." "Nicolas Cage, 21. A nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, he changed his famous surname-and took out an eyetooth to play a leading role. Birdy, which made his reputation as an actor. His ethnic looks usually land him the part of brother or best friend." "Sean Penn, 24. He is the natural heir to Robert De Niro’s throne; like his mentor, Penn will transform himself for any role he takes." "Two Matthews-Broderick, 23, and Modine, 24. Both are fine actors..." "...Kevin Bacon, 26, the star of Footloose and Diner."

[@karmicobsession1636]

Apparently that was Emilio talking about McCarthy in the article or atleast thats what I’ve heard

[@royboy4571]

Yeah no, the quote was about Andrew and very negative, however it doesn't say who said it. This article was mean spirited, envious and misrepresented them, based on one night. Also, the journo admits the title of the article cam first and worked backwards from that. A poison piece, that used the term Brat Pack, which became completely divorced from its original intention, which was to denigrate the actors.

[@ginapiroli6136]

Weekend at Bernie's killed his career, not the Brat Pack

[@michaelblaine6494]

Weekend At Bernie’s 2 killed his career🤪. I’m surprised that doesn’t get mentioned more as the worst movie ever,I think it’s the only movie I walked out of. God I’m old😂

[@ginapiroli6136]

@michaelblaine6494 You are a brave soul! After the first Bernie movie, I couldn't force myself to watch the second.

[@jennycoyle8204]

For starters I’ve subscribed because you popped up on my algorithm and I love this review. I’m 50 this year and back in the day the bratpack in our northern Irish eyes were everything! From the outsiders to St Elmo’s fire I had them all on vhs taped from tv. I watched all the movies on repeat!!!! Thing is Andrew mc carthy was my first crazy crush on a celebrity, I had a poster of him above me on my bottom bunk bed I would whisper sweet nothings to him as I fell asleep. They were a phenomenal force because of the bratpack name. I remember him being cast years later in a show called concrete jungle it was similar to sex and the city. The writers strike at the end of season two killed the show. I can’t believe how whiny and horrible Andrew has become about a term that made their careers soar!!!! I believe he’s just sour that he didn’t have the success of Demi and Rob so he’s spending his life now blaming a nearly 40 yr old piece of journalism 🤦‍♀️ the bratpack rocked my young life in the best ways possible. Andrews an AHole. Loved your very kind review 💗🦋

[@pepperminttree]

i really liked the "do you think you couldve been nicer" comment because the dude was 10 toes down at the fact that he didnt regret the article and i too was wondering if he couldve been a tad nicer lol

[@missnellie33]

Sounds like he’s upset his career didn’t turn out the way he had hoped and rather than doing some deep introspection, letting go, and moving on, he stays stuck because he keeps looking for something else to blame. He may have thought this documentary would restart his career. Kinda sad and cringe.

[@jadentrez]

In the 1985 article, some of the actors (McCarthy was not present) talk about their peers. The assessment of one unnamed actor was something like "He always brings the same old intensity ... I don't think he'll make it." Reading it, I wondered if they were talking about Andrew McCarthy because personally I always felt as an actor he was a one-trick pony. I like him better as a travel writer.

[@royboy4571]

No the quote is about Andrew directly. Re-read the article. And of Andrew McCarthy, one of the New York-based actors in St. Elmo’s Fire, a co-star says, “He plays all his roles with too much of the same intensity. I don’t think he’ll make it.” No wonder he has very mixed emotions about it.

[@jadentrez]

@@royboy4571 Thanks. It's been awhile since I read the article.

[@twiglet2205]

The way this title is so accurate hahahaha

[@nhmisnomer]

I'm the same age as the brat pack, so watching Brats wound up feeling like a retrospective of myself as a viewer and a person. I found the attitudes and environments of the interviewees - the differences - fascinating. To me, Emilio seemed gracious but wary, just by his posture and expressions. Demi seemed like a sel-protective princess in a tower, by the fact that we went through hallways and doors to arrive at an inner courtyard where she sat bundled up in a sweater. She seemed fragile but wise from overcoming some well publicized challenges. Rob seemed the happiest, and he and Andrew seemed to be genuinely enjoying their visit. The filming was interesting in its stylizations and effects. I'd like to watch again just to pay attention to that and better understand what he was trying to say with it.

[@amyhon2000]

I am Gen X and I grew up loving the members of the "Brat Pack" and thought the moniker was cool. I never read the article at the time and having read it since, the article was really scathing and dismissive of their talent as actors which to be honest pisses me off. I don't think that it was to the writer's credit to completely stand by the article - he honestly came off as jealous in the article. Yes it is cool to be a part of the group of actors that were taking the world by storm but the article reduced them to brats who essentially can't act. I did see, what you did, that this was a therapy session for Andrew McCarthy and so it was uncomfortable for me to watch. Demi Moore and Rob Lowe do have a better view of it all, likely because they have been through worse things in their lives. Rob Lowe's sex tape, Demi Moore is watching her ex, a man that she loves and has children with, deal with frontotemporal dementia - which is devastating. Being called a member of the Brat Pack is probably not even a blip on her radar.

[@ED80s]

Agree. Demi even was surprised they were even offended by that term looking back. I am a gen x too and i never read the article and in not doing so I honestly thought the term was cute back in the day.

[@coltonbrowder4176]

This is an exceptional video, I have only one critique in that you said you didn't read the article that started this whole thing - I think that's a really integral piece of the puzzle if you're going to criticize McCarthy (who I have no feelings about and couldn't pick out of a lineup if you asked me to.)

[@jaymogrified]

I’m conflicted on this. One the one hand, I think it’s a valid approach to review the documentary solely on what it presented and how it presented it. On the other hand, that tidbit did catch my notice too and I would’ve liked to hear his thoughts on what was actually said in the article and how the documentary frames it.

[@jadentrez]

Andrew could have livened the mood of the ending by interviewing Bernie, who is still dead.

[@ED80s]

Omg that would have been hilarious!!!

[@humanbeing2420]

How did the label damage their careers? Demi Moore became possibly the biggest actress in Hollywood in the 90's despite her middling acting talent. Rob Lowe overcame some major unrelated PR problems afterward and built a long and successful career. Anthony Michael Hall has been successful. Emilio Estevez prospered behind the camera. They all endured despite several massive flops. Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy have been less visible, but can't believe any one of them blames the Brat Pack story.

[@jewdea]

Robe Lowe had an underage sex tape scandal in the 80s/90s and that didn’t destroy his career, but sure the brat pack destroyed Andrew McCarthy’s career. Okay.

[@cpdreyer]

I think you hit on the head with the issue of the branding of The Brat Pack being of dubious benefit, especially if you're in the inner circle. Sure you're the coolest kids in Hollywood, but that didn't equate to being given huge moneymaker franchises or multiple Oscar wins. The outer circle of The Pack, depending on your opinion of who those were, got the benefits of the access without any of the downside.

[@leighsimmons2663]

I know he never intended this for the documentary but watching a man who had everything and enjoyed an amazing career gripe about what could have been based on one moment, just made me learn to appreciate my life more. We all want more, and we endlessly compare ourselves to others, to the detriment of our own happiness. I genuinely found this documentary uplifting for all the wrong reasons. Leaving it I just kept telling myself to enjoy what is and not why could have been. This guy has had such a great life and it’s genuinely sad and frustrating to see him stuck in the past like this 😂 but we can learn from it I feel. And even if that’s now why McCarthy intended it’s what I took in the end

[@peternighswander9629]

For my money, Robert Downey Jr is the most impressive of all the brat pack pantheon. I am not sure where the lines end in terms of brat pack inclusion. I guess you could throw in Charlie Sheen, Matthew Broderick, John Cusack, Jon Cryer, James Spader, Eric Stoltz, and Mary Stuart Masterson in the mix except those actors showed far more depth and range than many of the other Packers. What’s different about the brat pack adjacent actors is they really evolved and matured as successful artists and many of them have very current IMDb pages. That’s not to say the others washed out, but I would be far more excited about seeing a film with Spader, Downey, Broderick, or Stoltz than I would the traditional BP set. Go back and watch Platoon with Charlie. No matter what you think of him now, he absolutely nailed that performance

[@SY-ok2dq]

RDJ was not Brat Pack then. In 1985 when the article was written he was in a low budget video movie called "Tuff Turf." And RDJ wasn't even the star. He played the "friend" role, to the star James Spader. And RDJ was around 8th or 9th in the cast list of "Weird Science" (1985) but at least that was a big studio film that got major theater release and was a hit. But he had just a small role. That's how unknown RDJ was in 1985. He didn't statt to become well known until after 1987 - he had a major, but not leading role, in "Less Than Zero" and the co-star male lead opposite big star Molly Ringwald in "The Pick-up Artist". Both big studio films and not video, but both were quite unsuccessful at the box office. So not a whole lot of people saw the films at theaters, although probably were popular video rentals. But sibce they were not successes, RDJ remained a lesser known name. He starred in more bombs e.g. "Chances Are", before finding wide audiences and fame with films like the big budget Mel Gibson (huge star in the late 80s and early 90s) action comedy "Air America".

[@SY-ok2dq]

Mary Stuart Masterson only came to be known to large audiences with the film "Some Kind of Wonderful" - but that came out in 1987. Well after the 1985 article. Masterson's career started to rise at about the same time as RDJ's career and they were even in the same flop film together "Chances Are". Masterson's successes came later and would be better remembered for her 90s film roles. Masterson has never been considered part of the Pack. And she never was. She certainly did not hang out with Estevez, Lowe and Nelson, or even Sheedy or Ringwald.

[@SY-ok2dq]

Jon Cryer had a very difficult period in his career after the 80s. He was in a number of TV shows which failed to find viewers and got cancelled quickly. Cryer has spoken about how he wad even labeled a "TV show killer" and how that perception tainted him in the eyes of studio and network execs. Les Moonves was reluctant to even let Cryer audition for "Two and a Half Men." But he did, and Cryer won the role. Cryer was also a little too less-known to be viewed as part of the Brat Pack. He was the lead in the small film "No Small Affair" (1984) with Demi Moore. But it wasn't exactly a big hit. And he wasn't mentioned in that article. He just wasn't known well enough. That changed after he was in "Pretty in Pink", but the film was released in 1986, a year after that article. Before (and even after) that film, people often mistook him for Matthew Broderick.

[@kait.5437]

I might have this wrong but weren’t Emilio and Andrew kind of the older members of the “brat pack” so maybe (I think is an assumption for sure) they didn’t like being called brats or essentially kids when they were like mid-20s almost 30.

[@robertblume2951]

Well then don't act like Brats. Yall seem to forget that they got the name for being drunken and drugged up jerks.

[@royboy4571]

Na, both were 23 at time.

[@dananicole3969]

Im.a 70s baby and like the brat pack was this very popular group of young talented actors and actresses that dominated the 80s ,i didnt think being in the group would hinder more opportunities for them,as they would get older,but still very talented and gorgeous.

[@kevincoughlin3455]

In my mind, it's criminal that the movie: first, didn't let Ally Sheedy talk all that much and second, didn't even mention Anthony Michael Hall. Anyway, great video!

[@thesollylama130]

I grew up in the 80's. I was the real life John Bender from The Breakfast Club. I did a saturday six hour detention along with a couple friends. I had weed in my locker. I never left home without a denim jacket (Black Sabbath Live Evil back patch) and even dated a preppy beauty queen briefly (she was out of my league). They were US. We didn't model ourselves on these characters, the characters were modeled on us. No matter who we were, jock, preppy, thug, nerd.....there was a brat packer (or adjacent actor) that was a reflection of you. It was a time when characters in film truly reflected the audience. Watching the struggles of the characters in the brat pack movies is almost a documentary itself.

[@beckigreen]

Oh please.

[@Spiral.Dynamics]

My husband watched this and he did mention that McCarthy was bitter about it and we were both like, No Way! We grew up watching these movies and never would have guessed that any of the Brat Pack was bitter about it!

[@neivilde.1242]

i thought it was oddly directed/edited, like it went for an authentic feel but still feel forced. but with the amount of st elmo's fire footage they showed, i did leave the doc wanting to watch that lmao

[@Ua_H03]

Wtf!? This guy is so underrated

[@emiliomiller5952]

Agreed. Interesting take on this doco. He seems like a genuine dude. 2 thumbs up :)

[@nathanmoore5435]

Thanks guys 😊

[@Ua_H03]

@@nathanmoore5435 no prob, please don't give up in making these videos I'm sure more people like me would notice and appreciate your unique takes

[@PearlGirl-sx2ky]

Your review missed the point Andrew McCarthy was trying to make because you approached it almost entirely from a fan perspective. ‘80s nostalgia may be running pretty hot these days, but McCarthy is attempting to show that the fame they experienced then wasn’t the career boon most might believe. The fact is, the type of notoriety that group garnered often appears much different when viewed from the artist's point of view. “Brat Pack” was most certainly a derogatory label when it was put on that group, just as “Rat Pack” was meant to smear Bogart’s original drinking society for challenging the studio system. Nostalgic hindsight from four decades on has cast a pretty boozy glow on the mid-80s, but the reality remains: in Hollywood, labels kill careers. Ask Val Kilmer. The Brat Packers were top-shelf tabloid fodder for years largely because of that label. Little of that publicity actually benefited their careers. Demi and Rob Lowe escaped purgatory largely because of their looks, but even they missed on the careers they should have had. The less pulchritudinally endowed among them largely ended up out of the business altogether, despite their obvious talent. Some might even view McCarthy’s stance as whining because he remains recognizable enough to command a certain level of public attention. But this was never really his goal. Millennials, by and large, tend to see fame as an end in and of itself. Two decades of Kardashians and social media have solidified that notion. There was a time, though, when actors actually prized the ability to get good work more than fame itself. Being pigeonholed may seem a trivial inconvenience from the fan’s perspective and perhaps no more than an occupational hazard, but to the actor, it is artistic cancer. Acting is a fickle trade. One bad impression and it’s all over. And that’s why I forbear Andrew McCarthy his lamentations. Most people who complain that he should get over his regrets have never been anywhere near as close to their dreams as he came to his. It’s easy, after all, not to miss what you never had. All McCarthy is doing is grieving for what he may well have had if not in part for the fallout from a writer’s trivializing label, a label that’s stuck all these years for better and for worse.

[@T.Alexis926]

I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments. Having just finished watching the doc. How the group was branded was thusly and primarily established by the cultivation of one journalist's jealousy. I picked up on it during Andrew and Blum's conversation. At one point, Blum spoke about how much attention Rob Lowe specificity but also the others were getting with him being the exception. Here he was a struggling journalist pushing 30 watching younger 20 something yr olds seemingly enjoying the benefits of fame, fortune, and notoriety. He was on the outside looking in, where he flicked a lit match at a forest sparkling with budding Sequoias, to his ignorance setting it ablaze. 🔥 😢I only wished that the group managed to insulate themselves and pushed back. Yet unfortunately, the media is a multi-headed hydra with Hollywood as it's backdrop.

[@GroverJ83]

Even without the "Brat Pack" label McCarthy's career stalled because he got typecast as a Yuppie charector and those kind of roles were not really around in the 90's, and he really wasn't able to reinvent himself the way Anthony Michael Hall,Spader and other the other dudes from that group were.

[@SikeChick]

@@T.Alexis926 I think so many of the reviews I have seen are dismissing Blum's intention. That article was definitely written from a place of bitterness and jealousy. Who the heck is gonna be happy to be labeled a "brat"? Frankly, I thought he came across as pretty proud of himself for knocking them all down a peg. The fact that he thinks they should have thanked him for the success of St. Elmo's Fire is evidence of his hubris. He's basically saying any publicity is good publicity for the subject even if I'm trashing said subject and they should be glad they're even being written about. What I d-bag.

[@brettkurlander4555]

I was a fan of all of them and the era in general. I am 48. We liked these people and these movies. That being said, I think for the most part they all got the careers they were capable of. Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr (and yes, peripheral brat packers) are better actors than the others. Andrew McCarthy is great and so is Judd Nelson but they would never be able to do the roles or hold up franchises like Tom and Robert because they don't have the gravitas or (yes) acting ability of those guys. They just don't and I am a fan as I said. Huge Emilio and Anthony MH fan as well. And again, picture either as Maverick, Lastat, Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chaplin, Jerry McGuire.....etc etc... Picture that and giggle because it wouldn't work. I will say Rob Lowe's dramatic work on the West Wing was amazing and he may be the only one, along with Demi that at least started out with the innate looks and natural talent to be top tier. Just didn't happen. Sort of for Demi but not for long... Anyway, those are my thoughts. Ps. Again, big fan of all of them. They all are talented and entertained my generation. I will thank the entire pack for that!

[@SY-ok2dq]

@@brettkurlander4555 Are you kidding?? People - especially fans of Anne Rice's novels - HATED Tom Cruise's casting and performance in the role of LeStat. Critics were no fans of Cruise in the film either. I found him to be miscast, and underwhelming and all wrong in his performance of the part. Brad Pitt was not much better. Kirsten Dunst was the standout and it launched her as a star. I've always found Cruise to be too obviously acting - and straining hard to emote - in almost all his dramatic roles. It's like you can see him concentrating and putting effort in to try to reach that point, and not quite getting there. Very strained. Cruise got lucky with his initial successes but his drive and ambition to shape his career, choosing certain projects and trying to craft his image - that is what has kept him a top box office movie star (emphasis on "movie star" as opposed to actor). Never liked Nelson and found him unconvincing and overacting in "Breakfast Club", and annoying in "St. Elmo's Fire" but he turned in a powerhouse performance in the 80s TV miniseries "The Billionaire Boys Club", for which he was nominated for an Emmy or Golden Globe, I believe. Well deserved nomination. If you haven't seen him in that, then you should. He also proved to be surprisingly funny in the TV sitcom "Suddenly Susan."

[@goodfellabadguy257]

That label halted their trajectories, or at least stalled them. You can say that it was partly their fault ajd choices, but they hated that term in real life. Then, you to remember that for the next 3-4 years, any time they were caught up in some news, the "Brat" term was used, perpetuating the stereotype. They said now, and in thebdoc how some of them refused to work with another member for fear of the label staying forever. This crop was supposed to be the next generation of consistent, quality actors to take Hollywood into the next decade, but it didn't happen. You can say part was them succumbing to their addictions and demons, but there was a huge lull in their careers. Some of them eventually overcame, like Demi. But her career was dead until Ghost, which isn't even her movie. Their peers retroactively tagged as BPers/BP-adjacent are the ones that were Hollywood mainstays.

[@RandalSterling]

Good review. As someone about the same age as the “Brats” I saw Andrew and thought he’s whiner, a lot like the characters he played. None of his old colleagues seemed to like him a whole lot. Hard to feel sympathy for a guy whose life would be a dream come true for most aspiring actors. Let it go, bro. Enjoy your fame and wealth.

[@maximusprime3459]

Andrew had written his biography that was released some time ago. This documentary was always a part of his plan.

[@edwinatakasaki2258]

In Rob Lowe's case, he did a low-budget series, not well- known, in the U.K. But he kept taking on work that was not leading man material, knowing character actor work helped to pay the bills. Demi had a wave of huge highs/lows but I think for her, it was her relationships with her family that helped pull her through and gave her stability through it all. Emilio Estevez had his own family to ponder the ultimate high/lows and to work through that carnage. Molly Ringwald had a recent/decent gig with Hulu's Swans, glad she's working. Robert Downey, Jr. is the Renaissance Man isn't he? His lady wife is successful as well and likely gives him balance creatively. I haven't heard about Ally Sheedy but Anthony Michael Hall and James Spader have also been successful. Timothy Hutton and Tom Cruise are stars. But if Andrew McCarthy is bitter, I don't know, maybe he needed to find it in himself to take a different path within or outside of Hollywood, the way Drew Barrymore had to stop drinking at an early age, cast aside her crazy mom, finance her own productions because who wanted to cast her anymore because they thought she was "too old" (the way Hollywood just casts aside women after they turn 30, hello Reese Witherspoon!)? He had a network of people to draw upon that could possibly help him but that bitterness was possibly a wall that prevented him from building anything positive before getting off the ground. That's a bummer. Should have tried to work on that first maybe?? That's a lot to carry for that long.

[@brendaleigh7834]

Let's face it - Andrew McCarthy was the worst actor in the bunch and is using this docu-drama to make himself relevant again.

[@Oonagh72]

Let me help break this down. Andrew McCarthy was the most famous of the group when the Brat Pack started. Now let’s look at where everyone’s careers are and who is probably the least well known? Even Rob Lowe got a revival after all his stuff. James Spader got fat. Yet their careers are doing it. Andrew McCarthy has never gotten past the Brat Pack and I can see why he’s mad.

[@nathanmoore5435]

Was he the most famous? I think Molly was the most famous at the height of the brat pack.

[@jenniferlattanzi9947]

McCarthy was the least popular with good reason.

[@royboy4571]

Look at his resume, he has had a very good career, particularly behind the camera.

[@annafife9094]

Just watched this last night and thought it was weird. There was no cohesion, no through plot, no end goal..It was a narrative mess. It made all sorts of assumptions on the part of the audience: like we knew verbatim what was in the initial article. Like we knew how this article directly damaged their careers. Mc Carthy says "Spielberg and Coppola were never gonna give a role to a Brat Packer". Another assumption. He never provides proof. A producer of successful 80s films was interviewed and she said at the time she thought the label was marketing gold. If Mc Carthy and Estevez wanted to distance themselves from one journalist's shallow hot take, then why did they go onto make shallow films like Mannequin and Wisdom? Why not enlighten the audience about the acting choices they made post Brat Pack that weren't popular or financially successful but spoke to who they wanted to be? Then I would better understand what they were about. Instead I came away thinking did these two do anything post 80s, besides bemoan their past? Another aspect that bothered me was that the documentary's hook was supposed to be "Did you know the Brat Pack hated the term Brat Pack?". Mc Carthy then goes on to provide ample footage of every member of this pack railing against the label at the time it was coined. This means it was already public knowledge in the 80s and not shocking at all. I kind of admire the fact that Mc Carthy allowed his anxiety, fear and regret show through, but I have no idea what the point of this documentary was about or what I am supposed to have learned.

[@RockSmith-rl9qr]

Its a shame that Andrew McCarthy doesn't know his own worth and legacy. If he'd be a little more less serious and just embrace the nostalgia of it. It would do him a lot of good. And it sucks hearing that Emilio estevez thinks the same thing

[@crescendo5594]

I’ve never heard of this movie, but it’s impossible for me not to see the Breakfast Club actors as those characters in that image.

[@michelle78]

Elilio was excellent in Repo man

[@MYukiProd]

andrew mccarthy's career didn't go well cause he never blinked in pretty in pink

[@drlarrymitchell]

I got two words for Andrew McCarthy: Mare fucking Winningham.

[@maximusprime3459]

Count again.

[@royboy4571]

Hey, like your review and watched the Doco as well. I was 17 in 1985, remember well hearing and telling my friends, who weren't film buffs, that Brat Pack, was just a play on the Rat Pack. In any case to your point about your Mum wanting to be part of it, that's not all incongruous to the fact the people in it, particularly Emilio and Andrew, felt that the article was definitely mean spirited, envious and completely pigeonholed these kids as Brats, after just spending one night with them, totally misrepresenting them and the others. No to mention, the Journo agrees, he thought of the title of the article first and worked backwards to write the article. I mean I'm no Einstein, but that gives all you need to know about his good/bad faith position. The Journo, who you think is somehow praise worthy because he stands by his work, is unrepentant, who showed no empathy at the time or now, and even tries to take credit for some of their success. I mean their was enough material in the Doco, to show at the time most if not all of the actors detested the article. And rather than potentially pairing these actors together in subsequent movies, they all became kryptonite to each other. Think of the movies we never got to watch because of that article. As to your point about journalists v actors, you did listen to Emilio, who was shocked the journalist basically ambushed him with the article, coming off as a friend, when in fact he could give two f**ks. The journo was 29 and Emilio 22, he had years of experience on him and effectively used him. The sucker punch by Andrew was deserved, I mean the Journo in the article actually quoted another actor, who said Andrew was never going to make it because he was too intense. As for sticks and stones , of course the journo can be glibb about that, because it wasn't about him. Overall maybe Andrew is a bit whoa is me, and the other actors come off as ok, with engaging and interesting mature takes on the phenonem . This can't be said for the Journalist, he gives off the writer vibe of on the one hand exposing the truth ( what truth did the world need to hear) and completely lacking any human connection or empathy for the subjects he used to further his own career. In conclusion the affection given by fans to the term Brat Pack, was completely oblivious to the article written, and therefore we the fans had no realisation this term was presented, not as a term of endearment but resentment, looking to knock them down by a insignificant journalist of his time. And compared to the Rat Pack, that was given to a bunch of seasoned professionals who already had fame, success and security, and was most a term of endearment, men wanted to be them and women wanted them.

[@nathanmoore5435]

Yeah no. I don't feel bad for the incredibly successful actors that had a mean article written about them. Lol

[@royboy4571]

@@nathanmoore5435 Short response for a 18 minute video you made, You probably should have titled the video as such. Of course, I am going full " first world problems " with my analysis. Its a puff peice that coniained a phrase that took off, who knew. So in that spirit, I don't mind a negative article about the elites, but at least the journalist should have presented the truth, not some version of the truth, which he appeared to decipher from one evening with them. Shit, I wouldn't want an article written about me, when I was 22, and out on the town with the lads.

[@apriceaboverubies1284]

Andrew like RDJ dealt with a lot of substance abuse issues. He lost years of emotional development in truth because of it. If he is stuck in the negative part of things when others of the same group were able to get through it this may be why. He just needs more time. Let's give him that and enjoy the footage and the conversations between friends...These I am sure will help him move forward

[@user-yn7lm9on6e]

It seems as if Andrew believes he would've been a huge movie star or an Oscar winner if it weren't for the brat pack moniker. It is absolutely likely that his career would've been exactly the same, if not worse, if that article never existed. Sidenote, I was a kid in the 80s and I loved ole' crazy-eyed Andrew in Mannequin❤

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

To a minor degree, I could get some of his/ others' resentment over the label -- Patrick Swayze didn't want to be in 'Young Guns', I believe- because some of those already cast, made him think it was too 'Brat-Pack-esque', or something like that (I think one of the critiques at the time called it like, 'The Brat-Pack-in-the-West') - but some actors are/ will always be beyond that moment-in-time 'status'; Patrick, RDJ, & James Spader- you don't think 'Brat Pack' when you think of them- you just think an incredible star of the 80's/ 90's, in general - & in RDJ's case, his stuff like 'Tropic Thunder' & 'Iron Man'...

[@SY-ok2dq]

Neither Swayze nor RDJ were seen as part of the Brat Pack during the actual 80s. It's only later that RDJ has been seen by some, that way. Neither Swayze nor RDJ were stars back in 1985 when the article was written. Neither were mentioned in it because nobody really knew of them (OK, back then Swayze was known to some for roles in "The Outsiders" and films like "Red Dawn" which was known by some teens but wasn't a commercial success. And he didn't have lead roles so he was not at all a major star). RDJ was even less known in 1985. He only had a small role in the 1985 hit "Weird Science." The star was Anthony Michael Hall. Hall was the name actor and very well known to the movie public. Whereas nobody really knew who RDJ was. His name came about 8th or 9th in the cast list. RDJ only started to be an actor on the rise after 1987, when he appeared in "The Pick-up Artist" in the lead role, and in "Less Than Zero". But since neither film was successful, RDJ was still not a star and not widely known until a few years later. He was a 1988~90s and beyond star.

[@SY-ok2dq]

Spader was also not a star in 1985. He was known for supporting roles in big, hit films in the mid to late 80s. But this was after 1985. In 1985 Spader was still making these TV and direct-to-video type films such as video cult favorite "Tuff Turf" (with RDJ in a supporting role as "the friend" to James Spader).

[@GiulianaBruna]

I think this a really interesting documentary to come out after all the criticism of the media treatment of female stars in the 2000's. Will we get a biopic too?

[@deadbodychic75]

I was an 80s kid.. these movies were huge for me. These actors were huge at the time. I never associated the brat pack with any bad quality by the name. I felt it was the genre of the time, like the Rat Pack of before. I felt like I WAS brat pack, as it felt like an era, not a particular group of actors. By the time 1990 hit, I was going into high school. It's ashame that Andrew has those feelings. I feel it has more to do with his career not reaching a full potential he may had wanted. I mean, the dude did Mannequin.. lol. Don't get me wrong, I like that movie, but there are good actors and great actors. Great tend get more opportunities. No disrespect to anyone. Maybe Weekend At Bernies didn't break him out big.. lol.. sorry, I'm kidding. I watched the doc for nostalgia, it was okay. I never read the article. I would like to see what Judd would have to say. Or maybe not. We don't need to know the mysteries behind everything.

[@apriceaboverubies1284]

The other thing I just thought of is that anyone can be a great actor and never get the chance to be famous! Maybe if "the Brat Pack" never happened Andrew assumes it stalled his career...what if he just wasn't what Hollywood was looking for?...who knows?

[@phish66]

Nice take on documentary. It was definitely watchable, but McCarthy does come off as clueless to the cultural impact that the term gave way to. He should've dug deeper into evidence that the article negatively impacted his career (how many roles was he denied because of article). Also maybe a deeper dive into popular ensemble casts and their productivity after success (Friends, Seinfeld tv shows.. those actors definitely had mixed results after joint success). He should have pressed writer of article more as well, not so much "why were you so mean?" but why would a 29 year old writer choose to focus on their partying and not the fact that Hollywood was putting out entertaining films geared towards teens and twenty somethings. It was a good watch, but if they all got together and talked about partying in the 80s and all the perks, that would be a fun watch too!

[@jetteroheller]

Totally agree. Those movies are beloved classics to so many. It’s not pejorative. Get over it dude.

[@christopherraven]

Nice take on Brats and St. Elmo's Fire. Keep up the great work! Can we post links here? You might be interested in my take on the same subject, as I was "coming of age" when these movies were first coming out! I've written five blogs about it!

[@nathanmoore5435]

Sure!

[@christopherraven]

@@nathanmoore5435 I don't think it will let me post links; but you can find it on the web easily. It's called "Molly Ring Leader; Or A Response to Mr. McCarthy's Brats"

[@wessdaniels4492]

I may need to rewatch it, but Emilio said he didn't like the article because he felt betrayed. But he said his career wasn't ruined by it. For God's sake, he made a LOT of money a lot of movies, and he directs. It's like the 3 people who really want to distance themselves from the BRAT PACK are the ones who have had a career failing. Judd makes a shit ton of movies and each one is worse. Molly moved to Europe and stage, a movie career mostly a dud once she tried to move away from what made her. Andrew has a career he likely owes it to the Brat pack. We just watched Less than Zero. Downey shows he can be great and he's made some big time films. Andrew is whining.

[@robgesualdi206]

RTJ! RTJ! RTJ!

[@danielafoslin2799]

9:19 😂

[@evelynwilson1566]

I found Andrew Mccarthy very one- note as an actor - he always had yhat confused expression 😅. I think actors are very easily typecast but Andrew Mccarthy was in some very successful films. Other actors have used the money from successful films to either hone their craft or pursue other passions. So while being typecast as a teen idol can be a mixed blessing, he's evidently dwelling very much on the downside, while not realising he's one of the one percent who have starred in famous films, and he has a lot to be grateful for.

[@royboy4571]

Dont worry, he had a very fulfilling career, look at his resume. But I think he has ever right to feel the article and term was not something positive for him. I mean, he is the only actor named in the articles, that literally insults him and his talent.

[@myronsanders4563]

The Brat Pack films were going on in the 80s between when I was being toilet trained and in Elementary School. So I was too young to fully recognize the full impact of that time. But ive seen every 1 of the films during that era. Some i like more then others, a mixed bag honestly. 1 of the main issues i have with that documentary and Mc Carthy's objections with the core members of the group: None of them were exceptional actors. Demi Moore and Rob Lowe had the Hollywood looks. Thus why they had careers expanding in the 90s. The rest of them, none of them had a commanding on screen apperence and their acting abilities again aren’t exceptional. I think they were just 80s acts and it would have stopped there anyway. Except again Lowe and Moore, Nelson playing the "Jerk/Tough guy" role after that era and Anthony Micheal Hall having to reinvent himself by getting bigger physically to erase his nerd stereotype he had at that time Another thing i have against him complaning about the Brat Pack Label: They earned it. To my knowledge they were all Middle Class in upbringing at the least and were the offspring and family members of actors already in the industry. They acted like a bunch of spoiled brats. They drank and partied, did drugs, had legal issues, arrests, destroyed properties, in and out of rehab........I mean they truly earned that title. Looking at that Documentary last night, its like the host wanted to put blame on a journalist doing his job, but didn’t want to acknowledge the behavior that got an article like that written in the 1st place. Either he dosen't want to admit fault or lacks self awareness of the situation. But you are right, The Brat Pack was, and still is a cool thing. A bunch of young 20 somethings who feel invincible and has their whole future ahead of them. Its just something about it. I even remember my 1st Full time job, meeting a bunch of like minded people like me. Late teens to early 20s, Making money, All going to College at the time and goal oriented. And we all hung out during and after work. And we talked about 80s films like Breakfast Club, Weird Science and Some kind of Wonderful and that era all the time. If i were Andrew Mc Carthy, I would get Rob Lowe, Estevez and get Nelson out of hiding and just embrace that era again. It might just jumpstart his career

[@robertblume2951]

Thats my memories of it too. The Brat Pack was an actual bunch of Brats and they all had to grow up and be better people to get over it.

[@dimplesd8931]

These were the movie stars of my generation. Andre McCarthy was the whiniest, most miserable of them all even when they were at their peak. Truth be told, he was lucky to be in that number. He had the least charisma and his acting ability was just above Rob Lowe, who was really just pretty, at the time. If this was a fair world, James Spader would’ve been front and center in the Brat Pack and Andrew would’ve been a side character like John Cryer. He wasn’t cute. He wasn’t charismatic like Robert Downey Jr. or Judd Nelson. He didn’t have acting chops like Molly Ringwald or Ralph Macchio. He just got lucky and unlike the others he flamed out early, then found the place where he belongs, BEHIND the camera. PS as a POC, it was not lost on us that NO POC was in the Brat Pack or in many of the mainstream seminal movies of the mid-late 80’s.

[@chuckHart70]

I didn't see it as all that whining maybe slightly. But it's much like all of our Lives we always have that what if thing or something that held us back. But just like them if we look back sometimes we realize wait a second that actually was a good thing or if I hadn't done that this wouldn't have happened. I enjoyed the documentary

[@taperina2801]

Honestly I wasn’t a fan of this documentary. It was long and a little self serving.

[@crescendo5594]

If anything the brat pack phenomenon extended their careers far longer than they would have otherwise been. There was a lot of talent among them, but not so much that any of them were irreplaceable.

[@royboy4571]

And now you're trying to give credit to the journo, I mean he wrote a really mea spirited articles, however the branding of the term was taken as a term of endearment by the fans, with 99% of us completely oblivious to the intention of the term. I would say . the only thing the article did, was to ensure that the actors pretty much did not do any more movies together.

[@crescendo5594]

@@royboy4571 Most people were not reading this article. But such an article could only do nothing but help the actors. The term itself carried enough cultural weight for most people to know of it, but not enough that it was cemented as either pejorative or otherwise endearing. And most two people don’t even agree who should be included. A vast majority, if not all but one, of this era of young actors moved on with their careers and don’t have many feelings about it at all, let alone the feeling that it was a bane of their careers.

[@royboy4571]

@@crescendo5594 Yeah, he was the only actor, in the article, wo had this said of him: "And of Andrew McCarthy, one of the New York-based actors in St. Elmo’s Fire, a co-star says, “He plays all his roles with too much of the same intensity. I don’t think he’ll make it.” How would you feel ! For me this is more about the role of journalism, and its impact on only our culture, but on peoples lives with zero accountability. I mean, at best this article, can be viewed as coining a term for the fans, their chance to be part of a thing, like the Rat Pack of the 60s. Who can say whether it had no concrete positive or negative impact on the players careers.. But in to me this article was purely a very meanspirited, glibb and at times very misrepresentative if not mendacious piece. Written by a obviously envious, manipulative journalist, without any regard or semblance to the truth or at least balance, to further his own career. Andrew never decries it impacted his career negatively, I mean he has had a full career, both in front and behind the camera - look at his resume. For me his confrontation with this journo, indicates he was right, the journo could give two f**Ks about any of them, notwithstanding he liked them. I mean the cretin pretends he had a lot to do with thier success, which is patently BS, all of them had done 2 or movies, off thier own bat, something he never gives them credit for. I mean, he thinks just because they aren't Brando, Dean, Pacino etc etc they don't somehow deserve it. He was a dick then, and nothing has changed.

[@thomasscharnott6236]

Andrew who? Blaming a news article on his sub par acting abilities and making a whole ahh documentary is wild.

[@royboy4571]

Obviously you have no idea about the Brat Pack.

[@thomasscharnott6236]

@royboy4571 no idea or don't care? I was born on 83 so not really sure what your point is.

[@Dman425]

It was boring as hell

[@BishopWalters12]

A millionaire whining for 90 mins bored you? Come on MAN

[@MrBdiddypop]

I kind of liked the moment her Andrew asked, “Could you have been nicer.” I felt that it came from a more emotional place and maybe just a moral question. Can journalists be kind or if it all about selling magazines and he and he fellow brat packers were collateral damage.

[@donna25871]

I was never into the Brat Pack films during the 1980’s (or since). They were full of misogynistic BS if you ask me.

[@royboy4571]

It was the 80s, I mean are you gonna chuck at all the great movies in the 30,40 and 50s , because black actors were portrayed as servants,porters,waiters etc etc

[@kittycat6195]

No. Andrew is NOT bitter! He has learned to embrace this in his maturing age. Molly was stupid to not participate . Same as Judge. Andrew did this not out of bitterness at sll!

[@icyflann7178]

He's definitely bitter af and i say that as a fan...

[@jorgecalvo2878]

The Brat pack as a collective are still talked about, even to this day. Andrew McCarthy? He is a footnote of the 80s at best. Oh, and Emilio, one of the original nepo babies with no discernible talent... maybe you should stay in your lane. Scorsese didn't contact you, most likely, because you were a lousy actor.

[@ndnd2023]

Yh, no one actually cares at all. Really. Unless you've got free coke.

[@cheranguista]

This guys made a loooot of money, this guys have not a real job for decades, so he’s and hypocrite