BRATS

"Interesting. "

"Ultimately found it repetitive and too self indulgent, but interesting to revisit these stars and a big moment in pop culture."

"3.5⭐️ I watched this for the nostalgia and came away thinking differently about the Brat Pack. Not that I think about them much anymore but for most of us coming of age when they were, the early to mid 80s was spent immersed in those films. They defined an era. When you’re young yourself you don’t think how incredibly young the actors on screen actually are because they’re reflecting themselves onto you. But when you see that early footage .. these folks were babies! Never having read the article that stamped them with the label, I was unaware how negatively and judgmentally it portrayed them, or how it affected their careers when they were on the cusp of so many possibilities. Apparently those interviewed were acting out, sowing oats, feeling in their power or whatever, as anyone in their early 20s might be, be they stars or not. It pretty much describes that time of life for any generation. I also had no idea how it affected them all to the point that bitterness palpably emanates from some to this day. You can’t help but have some empathy but at the same time you just want to say maybe get over it? Demi, Ally and Rob have the best perspectives, philosophically able to ride the wave. Emilio was permanently damaged. And Molly and Judd refused to be interviewed. Like @claire_freeman_8903, I would’ve liked more Brat adjacents to have been interviewed instead of all the time fruitlessly spent chasing the core group. For the doc itself, I couldn’t say it was the best one I’ve ever seen. Andrew McCarthy comes off a bit self indulgently in the way he extraneously films himself and waxes on about their plight. However for Gen Jones (most of the Pack) and early Gen X (the younger members) you kinda almost have to watch it. "

"Regardless of the reasons that Andrew McCarthy had for making this documentary, in the end he came off looking like a WHINY LITTLE B*TCH. Instead of embracing the moniker of the Brat Pack and riding the train until the wheels fell off, he decided to let it consume him and his career has suffered for it. Many of the others either embraced it or disregarded it and went on to have lengthy and fruitful careers, but McCarthy just can't seem to get past it. Refusing to work on movies with anyone that would be considered a member of the Brat Pack, that most pop culture holds in high regard, was a huge mistake. John Hughes and the Brat Pack basically created the genre of the teen drama/comedy in the 80s, so he should be more appreciative. The landscape in Hollywood has always been precarious and the movie audience has low attention spans, so to not take full advantage at the height of his fame has proven detrimental and now he's jaded and won't stop crying about it. Throughout this documentary, McCarthy is constantly contradicting himself, one minute claiming that the term Brat Pack was a scathing remark that was disrespectful and damaging, and the next somewhat embracing it when anyone mentions that they were beloved. He's consistently looking for validation. I almost pity him for letting two little words (Brat Pack) consume him and have such an impact on his life and career. Either way, it was a mildly interesting watch that I viewed simply for the nostalgia factor but was ultimately annoyed by McCarthy whining the whole time. 4/10 "

"Eye opening, it was really good. Loved how McCarthy himself produced/directed it, wish Judd and Molly would have agreed to join, I would have loved to hear Mollys perspective on it. AND ALSO, I will forever be p*ssed that Anthony Michael Hall wasn’t considered as iconic as the rest of the stars. The brat pack wasn’t an ideal label to be placed under, but Hall was totally just as iconic as the rest of them. "

"The Nostalgia was great! Moments were thought provoking and profound . I was a little disappointed in the lack of several members absences from the overall doc, however it was a great blast from the past. "

"This isn’t a reunion type episode but Andrew McCarthy interviewing Brat pack members individually about how they felt about being labeled “Brat Pack”. He also interviewed a few actors from that era. I was disappointed that Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson did not participate. Very lame in their part. "

"A fun revisit to arguably the greatest cultural zeitgeist for Generation X. This was bittersweet, since it was fun to go back to the summer of 1985, but also sad to see how horribly this affected a group of young, talented actors, some of whom seem traumatized to this day by what happened to them as the result of a jealous & cruel journalist with zero class. Andrew McCarthy, who, surprisingly, was never officially mentioned in the article as a Brat, did the best he could to meet with several named & unnamed fellow Brats, but left many out who would have been exciting to see: James Spader & Robert Downey Jr, who were not Brats but could have been their cousins. Ditto for his former co-star Matt Dillon plus Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage & Kevin Bacon. Still worth a watch. On Hulu."

"Partially fun to reminisce. Mostly felt like a whine fest, lead by Andrew McCarthy. He seems still traumatized by this. While others have adapted in a much more healthy way. Overall, a bit depressing. "

"Very interesting documentary. I was a junior/senior in high school when these movies came out, and they were just as big and important to us as the documentary suggests. I had always wondered why they basically all stopped working together after “St. Elmo’s Fire.” I was a little disappointed that Judd Hirsch and Molly Ringwald declined to be interviewed. Overall it was a very good doc, even if it tended to get a little whiney towards the end. At the end of the day, they will always be known as affecting the cultural zeitgeist in a way that no one had done before or since. Their movies are still relevant to an extent to this day, and I will see to it my son watches them when he comes of age. "