St. Elmo's Fire is a BAD Movie 

St. Elmo’s Fire is a movie about a bunch of self absorbed yuppies who learn absolutely nothing from their irresponsible behavior. A much better film with a similar premise is Less Than Zero, where unlike St. Elmo’s Fire, does NOT have a happy ending.

Professor of Rock youtube channel did a video about the theme song from this movie. Basically the writer of the iconic "Man in Motion (St. Elmo's Fire)" song wrote the song about a Canadian athlete named Rick Hansen who had been paralyzed in an accident and went on a wheelchair world tour. There was a book written about Rick Hansen called *Man in Motion*. So the writer of the St. Elmo's song got hired to write a song for the movie. And he had this song he wrote but hadn't released about Rick Hansen. So he literally just rewrote the hook to add "And St, Elmo's Firrrrreeeee" to tie it into the movie. He didn't even bother to change the lyrics about the wheelchair (Gonna be a man in motion, all I need is a pair of wheels). And it seems like it has nothing to do with the movie. Nobody is in a wheelchair. Nobody is overcoming adversity. The same guy wrote some other big hit songs from some 1980s/1990s movies. He just really phoned this one in. It sounds like the whole thing was just a low effort cash grab at the end of the Brat Pack movie wave.

As a Gen Xer I despise this movie for perpetuating the worst stereotypes of our generation. This movie is best thought of as Less Than Zero without Bret Easton Ellis's sense of self-awareness.

It's the only "Brat Pack" movie I've only seen once.

I like St Elmo's fire overall, I would give it like a 7/10, I think the biggest problem is that there were too many storylines in a movie that isn't very long and most of them have a weak ending. I never had a problem with all the characters being pricks because these are mostly spoiled rich kids that went to Georgetown, and this is how many of them do act in real life.

I love the movies because the it’s full of flawed characters. I like stories with flawed characters because reality is the same way. Also, I feel like this movie is prime example of everything that was wrong about the 1980’s. Decadence, entitlement, vices, narcissism, and no love for your fellow man.

Nate, you raised some excellent arguments. I truly had forgotten about this film for some time. The Room was a bad film that did not pretend to be anything else. SEF was a terrible movie that was striving to be socially relevant using beautiful, hip actors to explain preppie angst in the 1980s. I am sort of joking because these kids seem to be a bunch of entitled, self absorbed arrogant bubbleheads and the audience is supposed to like them because they dress nice, make sanctimonious speeches, and engage in misconduct. The film is loathsome because the creators believe they have something sublime when this would not make it on an ABC After School Special I am not sure the characters have to be likable. I think if the setting is that the characters are not and the audience is with them on that, it makes for a better movie. Thinking of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Not ostensibly likable characters but we love watching them. These are unlikable characters but not by design

This is one of those movies that you needed to be alive in the 80’s to maybe understand the cultural impact it had. I think the soundtrack and the songs were more impactful than the movie I think people liked the theme songs, and looking and attractive actors who weee popular at the time. But the movie, as a stand alone film, is bad. And it’s bad because the character are all self centered a-holes.

SEF was a repulsive and condescending piece of nonsense. The characters ranged from annoying to revolting and insulting to the audience. Terrible script and complete lack of believability. The one character I did not hate as much was the one played by Mare Winningham (Wendy) I love her as an actress and I was constantly irritated by the people surrounding her from her dope friends to her misogynistic father (played by Martin Balsam- another fine actor) who kept insisting she get married and have kids. I saw this movie once on VHS and could barely finish it. I am not a Georgetown grad, but I know the place very well and while there are some stereotypes like that on campus, most are not and the movie would seem to imply otherwise. In short, a tasteless piece of cinematic dreck populated by actors who have done much better work

demi moore was scary beautiful

It's one of my favorite films but I am 48. My teens did not get it either. I think a lot of the appeal of these movies is based (often) on the time period they were made in. It's not a deep film but for my generation, it's a staple!

Films that deserves a bigger audience: One Crazy Summer, The Dream Team, The Last Starfighter and Enemy Mine.

I hate this movie. I agree with you that the big problem is the characters are terrible people but the movie tries to frame them as sympathetic. The best example of this is I was legitimately hoping that Jules (only know her name because you mentioned it) would actually die because then there would be some consequences for their awful behavior. When Rob Lowe (BTW not just 80s Rob Lowe is incredibly good-looking, as McCarthy's Brats demonstrates) saves her I was like I'm done. This movie is hopeless. Completely unearned "happy ending" ugh. I completely forgot that Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy are in this one, too. Just bad all around.

I don't think it is possible to be harsh enough. This is the epitome of a movie being far less than the sum of it's parts. Just excruciating from beginning to end to the point where I had to remind myself that everyone in this film did something else that I actually enjoyed.

My favorite part of the Demi Moore suicide scene was that it directly follows the repossession of all her stuff but they let her keep that porcelain clown. I just imagine the crew being like, "Yeah, you can keep that creepy thing."

I do have comments to make but it would be a paragraph or two on how much subtext you missed...some so glaringly obvious I was shocked that you did not see it... while it is not the greatest movie made,,,it is a strong character-driven snapshot of that time in your life when you are in the middle of the immaturity of youth and the maturity of adulthood. So, I guess we can agree to disagree that this is a really good movie.

Why do I like this movie? I was 14 and I truly thought this is what adulthood would be like. I wanted to own a jeep. Cruise the streets with my friends none of which wear seatbelts. It reminds me of my more naive days of being a 20 something who drinks daily (without harming my liver), smoke and have little bills to pay. Oh yea.....play the saxophone seductively. What a life that would have been. Yes I probably wouldn't have made it out of my 20s but I'd have awesome big hair. That's why I've always liked this film. It's never been deep but it's good looking.

Falling Down is amazing. I do not like a lot of Schumacher’s films but this one is great

I watched St. Elmo's Fire for the first time a few months ago. I had a similar reaction to what your thoughts were. The entire time I found myself asking whether I was supposed to intentionally hate everyone in this movie. I also read that Joel Schumacher based Emilio Estevez's character on his own experience in college. He apparently was relentlessly obsessed with someone in his college classes and used that as the inspiration for Emilio Estevez's role. That is truly disturbing stuff, and I wonder if the object of Schumacher's eye knew what was going on.

OMG i couldn't agree more.... I'm a genxer and i hated the characters in this film...... I will say one thing about the 'stalking' scenario and they way it was dealt with.....'Times have changed' and for the better, as far as things like this go and i don't think someone as young as you can truly understand just how much the world is different to what it was like in the 80's.... I mean all you need to do is watch 'Revenge of the Nerds' to see what was considered actually funny back then is outright rape nowadays

I am 46 years old and I used to like this movie. You made some great points about the nasty characters. I think “St. Elmo’s Fire” was supposed to be a “coming of age” movie like 1983’ s “The Big Chill”.

i adore absolutely everything about this movie.. it's realistic because folks of every generation come out of their youth, just as horrible as these kids.

Child of the 80’s and new subscriber here. I related much more to 1973’s American Graffiti for its characters and their development over a single night. You genuinely care about them and the last scene hits you in the feels. Highly recommended if you haven’t seen it. Keep up the great work!

There are some films that capture the zeitgeist for the good and the bad. This film epitomises that. It won't make sense to this generation. I think it influenced things like Friends.

As someone who was 9 years old when it came out and saw it in endless runs on cable, what I can say is that we knew it was trash when it came out, but it was our trash. It is gloriously terrible.

St. Elmo’s Fire is a movie that is of its generation. Is it a great movie? No, but it wasn’t trying to be. It’s just a movie made for entertainment and, as a 80s kid, it was entertaining. That’s what people who weren’t there don’t get. Movies used to be entertaining. Let’s look at a “hit” movie today. You’re telling me that Anyone But You is anything but a cut and copy piece of shit? I wouldn’t expect anyone that was alive when St. Elmo’s Fire was released to get it. It’s just a movie of its time. Now que all the comments of “I was alive and I hate it!”

St. Elmo’s Fire walked so Rules of Attraction could run.

I agree with you for I have never liked St. Elmo's Fire only thing I enjoyed was the score and the song. I was 13 in 1985 and remember how huge this movie was at the time. I will give this movie credit for being a nice time capsule of the eighties with the clothes, hairstyles, cars and interiors.

"Bad" is an understatement.

Where Jason shows up and “puts in some work” 😂

Nice shirt of Peter Weller👍🏽 also, St. Elmo’s Fire is one big ego-massaging shallow 80s drama.

I just remember wishing it was over 30 minutes in

For whatever reason, probably because of the recent Brat Pack doc, St. Elmo's Fire is being talked about again - but honestly, it was a sort of packed away movie - not forgotten necessarily, but definitely packed away. Over the years, until now, this movie did not become canonized or revered or gain cult status the same way a lot of its contemporaries did - The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles. St Elmo was a popular movie of its time - but it just didn't stay in the public consciousness the way a lot of the other films did. St. Elmo's Fire suddenly being talked about alongside the "classics," has surprising to me.

You're not wrong. Im going to add something. I was 20 and this was my erra. This movie is sadly acceptable as to how things went. 😅😂. We did fool around and get along afterwards. Sport sex was not uncommon. Overspending and all the drinking and stalking etc. That happened. I can't tell you how far we have come. It was, unfortunately, far more real than you want. Rob Lowe's character is pretty true to how some guys act. Im not giving Hyperbole. I wish i waz. Those 80s were crazy

As someone who came of age when this came out, I couldn't figure out why I didn't like this film. I wanted to like it because like you said, it looks good and it had major stars of that time. If there was one redeemable character it would have saved it. Good thoughtful review.

I think the reason why so many people like it is because it tests your tolerance level by watching people struggling with the early years of adulthood. It's not an easy adjustment and I would have liked to have seen these characters 5 or 10 years down the road.

Let's face it, they're spoiled Yuppies. What else did you expect? Most of the actors came up working class but were expected to play these middle class, self-obsessed young adults. And to think Joel Schumacher co-wrote this movie with the producer of teen comedies Saved By The Bell, Hang Time and USA High!

You're not being too harsh. I'm a huge fan of these 80s films, but St Elmo's is bad. Everything you said about it was how I experienced it as a 17-year-old girl.

dunno. I felt very connected to this film, seeing it after I graduated from college. PLUS I love Weird Science.

just found your channel, I just subbed, great review🙂

"Falling Down" is not to be missed.

SEF was trash when it came out, and it is still trash today.

I just sub'd! I like how you dive into the history of the movies! I'm looking forward to what other movies you review!

New subscriber!! Love your take on this! I loved this movie as a kid. But rewatching it as an adult was a different story lol. Also: Watch falling down! It’s an incredible film!

Thoughtful review. Yes, “hangout movie” fits this. it reads like an attempt to slot a hangout movie between Breakfast Club and the Big Chill in terms of life stages, but without the soul of either. With the better examples of the art form the writer must have a certain affection, sympathy, or respect for the characters. There’s no sense of any of that here. St Elmo’s Fire felt like a project the Brat Pack actors all agreed to make time for but no one nabbed a good script for them. The end result was an extended Michelob commercial. In some ways this was a quintessential Schumacher film. Until his Batman movies I don’t recall people having any strong opinions about his movies but I thought most of his were polished, but not great. Just good enough. With a few exceptions he made the kind of movie you’d expect to see during your flight.

No matter how bad a movie is, as objectively as possible, there will always be someone saying “How dare you…It’s my favourite!” 😄😄😄

The best thing to come out of this movie was the music video for "Man in Motion" especially the way the Judd Nelson knocks out McCarthy in sync with that vocal peak.

I agree completely. I just rewatched it for the first time in 30 years, and though I never liked it, this time I hated it. The whole thing is just “off,” and I think you highlighting its insincerity and presumption is right on. It asks us to take seriously and like people it gives us no reason to take seriously or like. But that’s Joel Schumacher at his worst. Lost Boys, Falling Down, Phone Booth, and maybe Tigerland are Schumacher at his best. One of the most wildly inconsistent directors ever.

I forgot Iron Man was in this movie. I'm so glad his life didn't end young due to drugs and alcohol. He turned himself around.

The film has not aged well. And yes it is stupid and does hit one note. The couple lives together and the man wants to marry her. Then she dumbs him and wants to be alone and it’s s as ok fine.

Dang were people in the 80s really like this? Cocaine is a helluva drug

I saw this at 12 yrs. old in the '90's. My biggest takeaway was "damn, coach Gordon Bombay is a nutcase."

Im over 60 yrs old and saw this in the theater. I didn't "get it" like all my friends seemed to, so over the years, I've rewatched several times. I still don't get it. I didn't like any of the characters, much less have a connection to any of their lives. I dislike Weird Science, too.

I agree, its quite a droll film... it was supposed to be the younger, cooler, hipper version of The Big Chill... but misfired big time.... it only got traction because of the brat pack hotness at the time - its got vibes.... but its empty and soulless

I'm not going to give away the plot twist around the 16 minute mark, but I was 20 when this came out and that's exactly how I felt leaving the theater.

“Fire” was one of the earliest shots that Hollywood took at the Preppie-Yuppie sociocultural death star, followed by better films, e.g., “Less Than Zero,” “Bright Lights, Big City,” “Robocop,” “Wall Street,” “Gremlins 2,” and “Die Hard.” The genre fizzled with a whimper with “Bonfire of the Vanities” in the early ‘90s---but even that and other lackluster efforts like “Secret of My Success” were 100 times better than “Fire,” which felt like a paint-by-numbers Brat Pack film, like the execs and screenwriters thought all they needed were these hot young actors doing reckless-youth stuff, like “Rebel Without a Cause” with trust-funders. As you noted, they didn’t give the viewer anyone to root for. Before scads of Chili’s, TGIF, Applebee’s and other bar-restaurant hybrids littered U.S. suburban wastelands, one of the earliest restaurant-bar chains was Bennigan’s in the early ‘80s, and the TV ads clearly targeted yuppies, as they marketed this chain that tried to fabricate the organic textures of neighborhood bars of yore----and also attract families for dinner. “Fire” is the Bennigan’s of Brat Pack films.

I have to assume it's iconic simply because of the casts roster There's sooo many big actors in it but no the movie's not great. Linklater is the man, on the other hand!

All points earned, but that's kinda the point. They were really awful friends, but that's more real than everybody getting along great. I hate that it's cliche to say it was a different time. Estevez does absolutely look like a psychotic stalker. I couldn't stand Jules character personally. But things felt different 30/40 years ago. A realistic view of remaining friends for life after school or college. And the truths they hide from each other. It's the most brat pack of 'em next to the Breakfast Club. Going down this road, I highly recommend Less Than Zero. Some of Robert Downey's best work. Probably McCarthy's too.

It was a movie about yuppies for yuppies. You had to be there.

St. Elmo's Fire was Joel Schumacher's attempt at making a Brat Pack version of the Big Chill, but fails miserably.

I’m a fan of this movie more for nostalgic reasons but I will say its beautifully shot and scored. That all being said, I can’t argue with any of your problems with it. Like I said…nostalgic reasons.

I appreciate the effort you put into your review of St. Elmo's Fire, Nate. It is far from a perfect movie, let alone a great one, but I challenge you to reconsider its purpose. St. Elmo's is about the difficult transition a circle of friends experiences shortly after graduating college. The cap and gown ceremony forces the characters to end their childhood and begin their adulthood whether they are ready or not. They aren't, and they cling to their circle of college friends and keep congregating at St. Elmo's Bar, their favorite college hang-out. All the characters are flawed and there is no hero in the film. Even so, their circle of friendship remains intact despite their misadventures and poor judgment. There is also a sense of closure at the end in which the main characters are as ready as they can be to embrace adulthood and move on with their lives. The Billy character is a prime example. He struts around in the movie wearing his fraternity blazer, and he goes back to campus to play football with his fraternity brothers. Billy is nostalgic about the college party life and he yearns to find his way back to it. He is impossibly attractive, and his promiscuous prowess leads to an unplanned pregnancy and a marriage to a young woman he doesn't love. Billy's a mess and the only thing the guy has going for him beyond his good looks is his talent as a musician and his circle of loyal friends. In the end, Billy gives up on finding a way back to campus, he divorces his wife who wants to leave him, musters up the courage to leave his circle of friends, and heads to New York to pursue his passion for music. Will he succeed? Who knows? He has the talent and the looks, and at least he is going for it. The circle of friends watches Billy depart from the bus station together, and I think it is a touching scene. The Kirby character, your favorite, is obsessed with an older student who already graduated and now works as a resident at a local hospital. Kirby is obsessed with her, and his obsession crosses the line from romantic pursuit to stalking, no doubt about it. Even so, Kirby ultimately realizes the ridiculousness of his behavior and sees the humanity of the young doctor he had put on a pedestal. He doesn't even keep the Polaroid photo taken of the two of them together. Kirby just drives away and lets go of his college dream girl. The next stop for him is moving on to law school. The Wendy character loves Billy, but there is much more to her story. She has domineering wealthy parents who want to marry her off now that she is properly educated. Wendy doesn't want that for her future, and she doesn't really want Billy despite her feelings for him. Wendy wants to be independent and self-sufficient. She wants to be on her own, and she chooses to give her virginity to Billy near the end of the film because she is ready to become a woman. The film has many flaws. It never lets the viewers see what the characters' lives were like together before graduation, and the closure provided at the end isn't strong enough. Have the characters truly learned their lessons or not? Is St. Elmo's a BAD film? It's not that bad Watch it again in six months.

My wife and I hated this movie at its release, and recently revisited it to remember why it's so vile. These aspects most memorably make me scream at the screen: #1 Sax players keep their instruments in cases. No exceptions. #2 The rich girls drop in at the charity food kitchen and actually EAT THE FOOD. This is Seinfeld-level sociopathy. #3 Andie Macdowell's reaction to Emilio's stalking is a sign of insanity. #4 The title drop.

This movie is basically an episode of Friends. Kinda funny, and just hanging out. Interesting that Rob Lowe said that without the Brat pack there would be no Friends.

I watched this a year go for the first time. I had the same reaction, this was an awful movie.

Gen-X here. I haven't even watched this yet and I just want to say "YES!!!, IT IS BAAAAD!"

I know this is technically a bad movie... I know most of it's characters are a bit vile... I still love it.

Your idea of making this movie into a Friday the 13th sequel is slightly off-target. The franchise you're looking for is Sleepaway Camp. That's the movie that has all these reprehensible characters who get killed off. In the St Elmo's Fire version it ends with the big reveal where Emilio Estevez' head rolls off of Andie McDowall's lap. Then she stands up and reveals that she was a guy all along.

Absolutely agree! I had always just assumed SEF was a John Hughes production, so relieved to learn it wasn’t….because of the 10 times i’ve watched the movie, I have never once come away thinking ‘what a great movie’ or ‘Wow! Those characters were genuinely likable!’ The exact opposite in fact. Always wonder who I can go see to get the two hours of my life back that I (inadvisably) invested in a rewatching. I guess I just assumed it was a John Hughes because of the involvement of several Brat Packers. Great music though, I’ll give it that!

Among the many things I detest about this film: - Demi Moore, observing Andrew McCarthy's failures with the ladies and concluding he must be gay, tries to fix him up with her flamboyantly gay neighbor; - liberal Judd Nelson takes a job with a right-wing Republican senator for career advancement, and the whole group finds his abandonment of his values cute and funny; - the insipid spontaneous group cheer they keep doing.

I don’t like the movie, but I love the theme song.

I thought it was a boring movie with selfish characters who were so unlikeable. Don't even get me started on Emilo's character who is a sociopath stalking some poor intern.

Having re-watched this, it's very of its time and I guess it got by mainly on style (80s music, cool looks, a stylish look) but agree the irredeemable qualities of the main characters undoes it's positives overall. Compared to a much better written and acted About Last Night with Moore, Lowe and Jim Belushi a year later it's night and day. That movie had snappy dialogue, good acting and was a much more relatable effort. Also, check out Bad Influence with Lowe and Spader from 90 for a neo noirish thriller that has style and good acting and a disturbing tone that played to fewer fans as the Brat Pack craze had passed as the 90s took hold. This is kind of the Rocky V of Brat Pack movies in a way.

Agreed, with all of your points. It reminds me of a similar 80’s "hang out" film with completely unlikable characters: Diner. Best thing about St. Elmo’s Fire is its theme song, which has absolutely nothing to do with the film, thematically speaking.

I watched this movie two times (years apart). This first time I was largely unimpressed and bored. I watched again hoping to see something I missed. Nope missed nothing. The only character I had any respect for was Wendy because she didn't fall for the family pressure and join the family business and/or marry a man her family approved of. Instead she worked in a job she wanted despite her family seeing it as beneath her (and them). The only thing that got in the way of my appreciation of her was sleeping with Billy. Maybe at some level that was also Wendy saying no to her family as well. None the less she was the only character who showed any kind of growth.

I'm not disagreeing with your evaluation of the movie as a whole. I just think there are some noteworthy moments that should draw some sympathy. There is a scene where Billy returns to visit his college buddies (I think frat brothers?) and wants to hang out. The other guy says he does want him to come hang out, and then he says it's because they need drugs. You can see the hurt in Billy's face. It's a relatable moment because he is trying to recapture something he can never have again, and I feel like that happens to people a lot. In addition, although you do give some acknowledgment to Wendy, I don't think you do justice to the fact that as a young woman from a rich family she dedicates her work (both paid, at the welfare office, and unpaid, at the soup kitchen) to the poor. She has no reason to do that other than caring about people, and I think that's noble. Perhaps she gets carried away into trying to be a savior-- that is, saving Billy from his own foolishness. She is naive but genuinely caring.

David Foster’s score is great

St Elmo's fire describe an area.....People In the 80's were ambitious. They graduate from university, had a great job in Finance. They were yuppies.......now these values are bad so it's a bad movie. For myself, I love this movie. It's optimistic and full of good vibe. It shows the life of young people than everyone wanted to have at this time.

You almost have to feel bad for Mare Winningham. Not only does she get saddled with the most pathetic character, but she’s never mentioned when it comes to the Brat Pack overall. She stands out like a sore thumb in a subpar movie and that’s NOT good.

I remember watching St. Elmo's Fire after watching The Big Chill because I wanted more of THAT. Obviously, I set the bar too high and set myself up for disappointment.

I saw it once. The day after it was released. Never again I kept feeling nauseous all thru the movie. Getting up a couple of times to go to the restroom thinking I had to vomit. Never did, until on the way home I had my friend pull over and I vomited a lot. Then I threw up 12 times in the next 12 hours. Coincidence ?

Oh, I did see the documentary about the "Brat Pack" and I genuinely felt bad for them... that writer was SUCH A JERK to McCarthy even today!!

I saw it in the theater as a teenager. I found most of the characters extremely annoying and laughed out loud at some of the “serious” moments.

A snapshot of a snapshot in time

I was never a fan of this movie. I was a teen during the brat packs days and this movie even then just seemed like a bunch of posh brats pretending to be adults. Not a redeeming character in it. Not the best writing or acting, but I've never really thought the brat packers were the best actors.

Its not a bad movie....its an over-rated one. The critics thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I think you are overlooking the fact that by movie's end, they decide to go for brunch instead of hanging out at the bar...so...yeah....that happened. No seriously, everything you said was 100% accurate...its a bad movie.

When I was a teen this movie was huge, but I only saw it for the first time a few months ago. There are things I like and can relate to, but some things are just plain stupid. Emilio Estevez's story arc mainly. I kept waiting for him to end up in jail and wondered what happened to his character after the end of the film.

Falling Down is a MASTERPIECE!

You are too young to know the movie The Big Chill. St. Elmo’s Fire is a “in your 20’s minus the Vietnam War” version of The Big Chill. So, if you saw The Big Chill, a far superior movie, at 16, then saw St Elmo’s two years later, you’d love it. “90210/Gossip Girl”/Dawsons Creek” was formed in the mold of SEF. Our real life relationships were awful and messy back then. “I can see a new horizon in St. Elmo’s Fire!!!” PS not to make light of SA but a lot of my oldest closet male friends put moves on me in my 20’s. We were drunk a lot or high a lot and we usually ended up in a heap in someone’s bed or on the floor. I still love my old college friends. We’re still friends to this day. Thank goodness we didn’t have social media so all the bullsh-t we did and lived through are just memories. Watch the documentary “Freak Nic” if you wanna see how crazy the 80’s-90’s were.

It got bad reviews when it came out and was considered a bad movie

I could not agree w/you more. I grew up with these movies but just saw this one only recently and wish I hadn't. I thought the same: the story structure was terrible and the character development was shallow and completely unrealistic. What could have been an examination of entering "the real world" as the sobering experience it can be, the film instead assigns the characters trivial issues/problems and milks the crap out of it (mostly by relying on more outlandish behavior.) I don't blame the actors: they have the burden of bringing these unrealistic, unlikable, and/or vapid characters to life let alone attempting to make them likable. But, while the Breakfast Club was absolutely rooted in the reality it faced making it a pithy project, St. Elmo's delivers the opposite. Deep as a puddle.

For anyone in their 20's who had a hard time finding their way in life, you can take that story from it. But otherwise, yeah it's not realistic. Those seven characters would never be friends in life. Maybe two or three at the most

I love brat pack movies but I have to agree this one is slow and terrible.

I saw this in the theater in the 80s. I had been really hyped up to see it but you are right... I HATED It. On every level I was like, huh? Most teen girls I saw this with clapped on the Andrew McCarthy character.

Watch The Client, good film... Falling Down is great, Phone Booth is not bad.... Flatliners is quite entertaining

I have hated this movie since I sat with some friends and watched it in...probably '88. I remember a couple laughing at how bad it really is. Good video, man. Worth a Sub'

I went to see this movie when it came out, because these actors were so popular at the time. It was the big movie of the moment. I wanted to love this movie, but it was a big disappointment. I remember what a jerk Rob Lowe's character was, how creepy Emilio Estevez was. The only time I laughed was when Rob Lowe says "Do you believe in premarital sax?"

I'm in my late 40s and saw this movie for the first time about 8 years ago. I also disliked it and wondered what the big deal was. I figured a person had to have seen it as a young teenager to appreciate it.

I think this movie is where the phrase brat pack was first used. 🙂