Directed By Andrew McCarthy

Starring – Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy

The Plot – Centering on 1980s films starring the “Brat Pack” and their profound impact on the young stars’ lives, as well as an article in the New Yorker that threatened to crumble it all.

This film is currently not rated

‘BRATS’ | Official Trailer | June 13 on Hulu (youtube.com)

POSITIVES

In my experience with stars who direct documentaries centering around their own impact to the industry, it often turns into a shallow vanity project with the hopes of hanging onto the fame and impact that no longer caters to them, but McCarthy has constructed quite the intriguing narrative here that not only examines the cost of youthful fame in the public eye, but also dissects the idea of labels and the kind of power we give them to make them leave such a lasting memory in our psyches. For the cleverly labeled ‘Brat Pack’, that summarizing was something that unfortunately followed them for the entirety of their respective careers, but with a variety of internal and external speaking guests that open up Andrew’s eyes to insightful revelations, he’s able to appreciate it for the blessing that it truly was, allowing him to therapeutically come to terms with the subdued feelings of his subconscious that force him to confront some forgotten truths about those closest to him. That time in place is brandished beautifully in the depths of McCarthy’s presentation, in which he seamlessly replicates grainy video camera quality with current day technology, all in the means of enabling some uniquely artistic transitions between the various sections of the exploration that prove he’s learned a lot in his time within the industry. Likewise, the abundance of archival footage between Andrew’s intimate moments in real life, film scenes, and the Pack’s feverishly rampant takeover within the industry is firmly captured and vividly rendered, helping to correspond with the overhead discussions in ways that transcend the fictional and reality encompassing’s. Because Andrew is very much a man who lived and thrived in the public eye during such a nostalgic age for the industry, he’s able to recapture some of those key ingredients that made it such a time for reflection and admiration, forty years later, and all with an infectiously toe-tapping soundtrack of 80’s favorite pop songs that further distinguish the crossover line into fantasy that the film eagerly embraces. As for some of those aforementioned speaking guests, it unfortunately isn’t a complete picture of the feelings of everyone within the group, but those who are assembled each bring something meaningfully vital to the observations they’re constantly making, with an element of authenticity to the relaxed editing that conjures atmospheric feelings between Andrew and his guests that aren’t always easy to experience in real time. For my money, I appreciate a storyteller who lets the camera do the talking of what has persisted, and while there’s no kind of arguments or confrontations within the film, that feeling of unresolved jealousy or regret lingers like an airborne toxic that will inevitably consume those involved, prescribing an untouched quality to ‘Brats’ that outlines a few of the group dynamics that, like the term ‘Brat Pack’, proves that perception isn’t always reality. That sentiment is fully realized in the humility that McCarthy exhausts in attempting to contact so many of his on-screen cohorts, which not only conveys the literal and proverbial distance between many of the group’s members, but also shatters the perception of the general public that this group was ever inseparable to begin with, with some dynamics remaining untouched for over the thirty years that have since passed. By Andrew leaving these moments in the film, it paints a greater degree of difficulty and vulnerability in the project than most documentaries care to waste precious screen time exerting, in turn giving me a greater appreciation for the things he was able to accomplish for both Hulu and himself, which the latter seems like a longtime coming. Beyond the explorations of the group’s unmistakable impact to the industry, or even McCarthy’s own awkwardness with overnight success, the film also takes ample time to pay respects to the legacy of its greatest contributor, John Hughes, who perhaps more than any other filmmaker gave respect and attention to films featuring youthful protagonists, which we now take for granted. Much has been documented about Hughes and the recluse he was towards an industry that constantly overwhelmed him, but McCarthy’s reflection pays him the respects and admiration that he’s owed as a trailblazing visionary, proving that none of this would be possible without the time and energy that he elicited to changing the way the industry saw this particular demographic, all the while producing iconic films like ‘The Breakfast Club’, ‘Pretty in Pink’, and ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’, just to name a few, that remain etched in the memories of its relating audience. Lastly, the film is smoothly paced within its 88 minute run time, without the extensive interviews either overstaying their welcome, or even feeling repetitive as a result of an abundance of unique talking points that could easily stack with meandering tedium that beats the same point home. Instead, McCarthy approaches the idea and intention of this scathing article with the thirty plus years of wisdom that has passed since its inception, with contrasting opinions and personal knowledge that articulate an opinion-based product is only as strongly effective as those who give it power, helping in the extent of the journey to craft a narrative that might not feel as important or urgent as other documentaries, but one that is nonetheless entertaining towards its value.

NEGATIVES

Despite McCarthy being the right man to convey the monumental impact of the Brat Pack and their impact on the industry, ‘Brats’ does occasionally feel shortchanged by the framing of its focus, with some unavoidable gaffes in its execution that keep it from telling the complete story. The first of these instances is obviously in the previously mentioned hinderance of the film not including all of the members of the Brat Pack, which might feel detrimental to anyone looking to these three particular actors as compelling guests in a story revolving around their own lives. While I can’t blame McCarthy for their absences, as the duo didn’t want to be a part of reliving the pasts that paved the way to their own stardom, I also can’t help but long for the kind of film that this could’ve become if given the complete and extensive picture of what everyone was feeling about the magnitude of events that are captured in the film, leaving it with a condensed capture to its ambition that is made even worse by the film’s closing moment, in which one of the two actors finally does reach out to Andrew, but by then it’s simply too late. Hell, one unmistakable member of the group isn’t even mentioned at one time anywhere throughout the film, which opportunistically leads to my other major problem with the film. I also wish the focus of the narrative at least occasionally drifted over to the realities and dynamics of the group themselves, which with a lack of depth or exploration just leaves us thinking that none of these people were ever friends to begin with, which I simply can’t buy. I can understand and interpret that McCarthy might not be down to air his dirty laundry to the general public, but the destruction of the Brat Pack leaves so many unanswered questions to the engagement that are never even attempted to be approached, leaving it a great dissection on fame and perception in the public eye, but not exactly the quintessential Brat Pack documentary that even attempts to get any closer to any of the figures or realities of the time away from the public eye.

OVERALL
‘Brats’ is an authentically emotional and insightful journey into one man’s coming to terms with the fame that still haunts him, and the scapegoat of an article that he perceives is where it all went wrong. While McCarthy’s reach often exceeds his grasp on the extensive material, the documentary is still a refreshing exploration into a simpler time in both the world and pop culture, with the titular group of fresh-faced idols serving as the catalysts for the youth-driven industry of films that we now take for granted.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-