Tetrady
not as good as all the hype
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Bergorks
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
JuiceZee
It is fun from first moment til last. Reeves is in nearly every scene in all his pre belly scar youthfulness. The story is preposterous but we have seen how he is on board for that over the years. It's LOL funny in some scenes. Well cast. Filmed in the writer/directors hometown in, get this...Pennsylvania. Rupert is smart and adorable and the cinematographers were savvy enough to get plenty of closeups. The love story is what dreams are made of as well as the intimate moments, one in particular that involves an erotic, in the moment, and sensually sloppy kiss. Over all it was a wonderful way to tell a story about small town issues, the 80's, teenaged angst, and intimacy problems. Of course, and it is right and good, that Rupert/Keanu solves all the personal problems in the end. I am seeing a lot of Henry's Crime here but that's just me. It made no sense that Bonnie Bedelia & Amy Madigan were nominated for Indie Spirit awards and Keanu was not, as it was clearly his movie. I will say no more. Make every effort to see it. Enjoy the wayback machine for 87 minutes.
yocsmotel
I'm amazed by the positive comments posted about this one. Some of them are understandable--okay, you're from the Podunk area in Pennsylvania and you've never seen your old stomping grounds on film before. You love it. I understand. I hope they make a movie on your patio someday, that will be even better.The big problem is the plot. There's absolutely no good motivation driving the behavior of Keneau's character. He's a dumb kid with a stupid haircut, and Bonnie Bedelia keeps telling him what a genius he is and how he's so much better than the other small town Scrapple eaters. On what evidence? He's a moping little whiner who doesn't have the acting chops to play the James Dean game, and the weak script gives him no motivation that justifies his way-overboard actions.On that last point--without offering a "spoiler"--the Kenau character's actions throughout this movie, and particularly in climactic scenes, are far from charming. He's got way too high an opinion of himself, and gives himself way too much license. His nemesis isn't really that bad--so he comes off as an unhinged spoiled brat, and not even an entertaining brat, just an annoying arrogant punk.Don't fall into the trap of thinking this is some cult classic you have to seek out. There are very good reasons you haven't heard of it. I cannot recommend this offensive and boring yawner, not even to the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Peter L. Petersen (KnatLouie)
Back in 1988, before anybody had even *thought* of "The Matrix", "Speed", or even "Bill & Ted", a 23-year old Keanu Reeves got one of his first major parts in a studio movie, and in this Pittsburgh-shot production, he gives what could be one of his best performances ever (certainly better than a lot of the stuff he's been doing lately).The troubled teen (or "post-teen") Rupert is having problems at home, where his controlling father Gary (Fred Ward, "Tremors") is ruining the family-life with his narrow minded approach to everything has already destroyed his own marriage, leading his wife Pam (Bonnie Bedelia, "Die Hard") to have an affair with Gary's best friend Jack (Jeff Hayenga).Rupert wants his mother to have a happy life, and therefore decides to kidnap his father, in order to get him to sell some land he had inherited, and thus get enough money to provide for both himself and his mother (and his younger brother Roger), when they escape the dead-end that is their current home (in Pennsylvania).Rupert has an affair with an older woman (Amy Madigan, "Streets of Fire"), much to the annoyance of her ex-husband Joe (Jay O. Sanders, "The Day After Tomorrow"), who wants Rupert to shape up and clean his act. But Rupert doesn't want to grow up and become a miner like his dad, and tries everything he can to escape being stuck in nowhere.. one of these things being kidnapping his dad.. but who can/will pay the ransom? You'll have to see it to find out..This is a very touching movie, kinda like "Feeling Minnesota"/"My Own Private Idaho", but different.. at least Reeves has a weird haircut in this one, which looks pretty funny.. I give it 8/10, because it's an underrated gem, which really deserves to be seen before it fades into oblivion.P.S: I found my copy on an old used VHS-cassette, but I'm sure there's a decent DVD-release somewhere in the world..
taifunu
I looked for this movie for a long time. Took me two years to finally get my own copy and see it for the first time. And all my searching was rewarded. A beautiful bitter-sweet comedy. as another poster put it, it might be one of the best movies that no one has ever heard of. A story about rebel and misfit teenagers , messed-up adults, radical solutions , and finding out one's way in life..sort of.. the "prince" that becomes a "free man" ...An eighties' movie about teenagers, but witty, sarcastic and real, and in the same time funny and entertaining... Great acting, by all the actors involved. Too bad this movie isn't more known to the public.