Inclubabu
Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.
Rio Hayward
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Raymond Sierra
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
Jenni Devyn
Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
s.g.miles
I enjoyed this movie when it was released I enjoy it even more now for different reasons. In my teens it was fascinating and focused on decisions I would be making in a few years. In my 40s there's a poignant melancholy as I remember very similar situations faced by my own group of hometown friends.
All of the individual components of the film are solid with my only negative criticism being the slightly overblown intensity of some of the relationships. It's all very much a 6 out of 10 experience, but what elevates to a 7 for me is one particular scene that still resonates powerfully...
In the film the characters have a regular table at their favourite bar. The last scene of the movie sees them standing outside the bar looking at a younger crowd at 'their' table. The characters linger for only a moment as they explain they each have various reasons for not going for a beer. I had exactly this experience the week before I left home to work overseas and start my career. This scene punches me hard, I miss those days and 'our' table in that bar
archaeotypetw
I'm sure St. Elmo's Fire is considered to be a defining 80's movie, and the ship that launched half a dozen careers but good grief, it is a stupid movie. Nuf said.
kurt-2000
....that this was a silly film with dated jokes. But there were a few moral principles in this flick that the '80's generation needed to listen to and view as acted out. They should've filmed the x rated adventures of the '80's brat pack out on the streets of L.A. during this time period and made an unrated documentary for today's youth 30 plus years later, and we could've gotten more value out of that. Too much short sighted planning in the '80's,. so an opportunity lost. Assuming the brat pack wasn't all media hype, which I suspect. It's interesting which careers took off and lasted a lifetime. What happened to Demi's career? What a drag it is growing old, as Mick said. Mare's career held up. Other than Demi, everyone else became less than legendary for a film that some people had way too much fondness for. Was it....the idea of having seven close friends with mixed gender secret romance attraction that people liked? Or is this a chick flick with complicated relationships that women liked. I don't see men defending it. If the jokes had been better, it could've held up like 16 candles. I thought Demi looked very soft and fluffy in this film. Way too much Breakfast Club influence here. But Andie getting a wet kiss at the end, after all that mindless teasing, was justice.
Dandy_Desmond
Just like Rob Lowes speech at the end to try and sum up the movie- about St Elmos Fire not really being there and nothing really matters etc - I don't think my review will make sense...However I find St Elmos Fire very watchable. I have nothing in common with any of the characters, but isn't a movie a kind of escapism? I'm English and this is a time and place in America that I like to think existed, but know really didn't. So now and again I whack it in the DVD player and transport myself to a time you could run off to New York with just your sax and a head full of dreams while your gaggle of quirky friends cry and wave you goodbye... ah the 80s. Such a film would not be made now. If I could however I would find a way to cut Emilio Estevez out of the film. Like completely. The character creeps me out and don't understand the point of him or his ridiculous celebration following his awful pouncing on poor Andie McDowell.Other than that the other characters and their various intertwining stories are interesting enough and are made better by the brat pack themselves. I really can't explain why but I hated this film back in the day... maybe I realise that sometimes you need that earnest type of film only the 80s can deliver. And St Elmos does that. See? Total nonsense.