Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

egsolis-1 The filmscript for "Rites of Passage" was not only intelligently but skillfully written and brilliantly executed by Mr. Victor Salva who, I understand, comes from the training ground of F. F. Coppola. If this is so it comes as no surprise since he led this project with the same sort of fresh energy and panache! It is my belief that audiences have missed the great 'integrity' with which this film quite simply reeks! Had it been promoted as it might have been I feel that audiences may have lifted this film to its rightful place. Beyond Mr. Salva's seemingly limitless gifts there was, also, the music which gave the film its feeling of extreme intensity and kept me on edge throughout while wringing my emotions simultaneously. And, not the least nor the last brilliant element to add to the whole, there were the actors who treated ensemble acting like an unparalleled "Lucia di Lammermoor" cast of singers singing the sextette with sublime artistry. Seldom in today's market have I seen a film elevate the film medium to such heights of style and art! I really feel that any film buff who hasn't seen "Rites of Passage" has missed one of those lyrical and rare gems which comes our way all too infrequently and leaves the viewer feeling cleansed and good to be alive! Mr. Salva, I salute and thank you and your entire team!!!

TheVid This is basically a character-driven thriller exploring some routine familial issues between a middle-class father and his two sons. I say routine, because the conflicts are reasonably familiar: the father's having a mid-life, extra-marital fling; one son's gay; and the other son's bogged down in his own suburban mediocrity; not to mention that the whole drama takes place overnight in the woods, an almost absurd setting for all the abounding macho bonding. In spite of this theatrical, TV-movie veneer, RITES OF PASSAGE is still a satisfying low-budget feature thanks to a very appealing cast and the mature, sure-handed direction of Victor Salva (POWDER). It's an involving little ensemble drama with an amazing amount of tension and truth. No small mention should be made of Jason Behr, a WB-TV pretty-boy type who really carries the picture with a surprisingly inspired performance; although a lot of sympathy for his character is still a result of his physical appeal, he does a very good job here alongside excellent performers like Dean Stockwell and James Remar. Still, I doubt if a lot of the enthusiasm for this film would be there without Behr's good looks. In spite of what I've read in a few of the other reviews, the little bit of violence and profanity in this picture are of the PG-13 variety; as a matter of fact, it could have been a bit more aggressive with it's sexuality and brutality in order to intensify the motivations culminating in this one-night, boys-to-men catharsis. I'll tell you, though, it's too bad family crises aren't this easily resolved by a boy's night out in the woods.

Don P Mitchell I liked Victor Salva's film -Powder- a few years ago, and was pleasantly surprised when I watched -Rites of Passage-. It's a competently made thriller, but the real intent of the film, as writer-direction Salva says in the commentary, was to work out his own difficult issues with his step father. This is accomplished with Dean Stockwell as a hard macho father, and Jason Behr as his estranged gay son.Jason Behr's performance is remarkable for such a young actor. I hope this young man moves beyond the TV series and does more serious film acting. Behr and Salva do the DVD commentary which adds to my impression of Behr as an exceptionally intelligent person, often humbled by Salva's praise in the course of the story. Stockwell's performance is also excellent, as we would expect.

juststacey I bought this video because of my interest in Jason Behr of "Roswell." I want to reassure other fans that this film is worth viewing. The plot is far-fetched and lots of the dialogue is predictable, but Jason Behr looks great and has plenty of screen time to satisfy any fan. There are no gay sex scenes and the violence is nothing you haven't seen before--not extreme or particularly gory. The film is mainly a character study about the relationship between fathers and sons. I would recommend it to fans of the actors involved, but not really in general. But Jason is HOT!