When people reunite with friends that they have not seen in decades, maybe from school or clubs, a myriad of feelings may come up. They may feel both happy and sad, nostalgic and resentful, curious and apathetic, along with so many other paradoxes of emotions. However, most people’s reunions are probably not based on being grouped together as the hottest actors of the 1980s, when millions of people were obsessed with the group. Nevertheless, that is the case for the documentary “Brat,” where the famous Brat Pack has a bit of a reunion. Actor turned writer Andrew McCarthy decides that he wants to talk to some people that were members of the Brat Pack, as well as people who were adjacent members, and reflect on the impact their work had on themselves and other people. The documentary explores the history while also giving an inside look, for the first time ever, on how everyone felt about being members. In addition, since McCarthy is controlling the documentary, the closest examination is on him, meaning the audience hears how he believes the Brat Pack may have held him back. Available to stream on Hulu since June 13, this documentary pulls back the curtain on what it was like to be one of the biggest young actors of the 1980s.
Andrew McCarthy is known for being in many popular ‘80s films like “Pretty in Pink” and “St. Elmo’s Fire.” Through these types of films, McCarthy became an unofficial member of a group of young actors known as The Brat Pack. A riff on the group of singers called “The Rat Pack, the name from a New York magazine article. While some people may think this kind of attention would be the dream for a rising performer, McCarthy sees the situation differently. He believes lumping himself with that title put him into a box that would not let McCarthybe taken seriously in the world of acting. Even decades after being christened with the name, he still kind of has this perspective. Now, he wants to know everyone else’s thoughts. McCarthyhas not kept in touch with the other members of the Brat Pack, so he has to track down their numbers in order to call up each of them in order to have them each do interviews. McCarthy sat down with members like Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore, similar actors of the time like Jon Cryer and Lea Thompson, as well as other actors, writers, Hollywood historians, and even the man that wrote the article that started it all. Some people see the Brat Pack as worthy of idolization, as they represented a time when young people’s problems were able to be reflected and they could be the star of the show. Other people felt that it glamorized their generation too much, portraying the representatives as a bunch of spoiled rich kids. McCarthy is searching for all angles on the matter so that people will truly understand this “elite” group.
A great group of people were selected for the interviews. I appreciated that it was not just Brat Pack members being interviewed. Everyone was very friendly and warm when they talked, which helped make their stories more engaging, as it felt like a friend telling you a story. Specifically Ally Sheedy and Rob Lowe seemed like the two that were the most fun to hear from, as they seemed to have fond memories of their past and had the most fun talking to McCarthy. I also felt that the various culture writers and entertainment historians made for great interviews, as it showed that McCarthy did his homework for this and wanted people to treat this documentary like an actual piece of journalism. The background that these people shared gave more detail to this situation, which could help anyone understand what was really going on at the time. I don’t think Timothy Hutton, who McCarthy tried to portray as a “godfather” of the Brat Pack as “Ordinary People” started the movement of listening to young people, was necessary for an interview, as I don’t think his points added that much to the film, even if it was nice to see what he has been up to. In addition, in terms of critiquing these interviews, I don’t know if Andrew McCarthy was the best person for the job. I understand that this was his documentary, but it felt like he kept trying to bring the topics back to himself instead of focusing more on what his interviewees had to say. Perhaps some of this documentary was supposed to be a way for McCarthy to deal with the regrets of his past, but I felt that the interviews would have been better if more attention was given to the person answering the questions. Even so, everyone brought up some great topics in this film, such as the highs and lows of their careers, how The Brat Pack affected their lives, as an insider or an outsider, the connections they felt to their various films, and more. The Brat Pack shaped many people in the ‘80s, and these interviews were certainly able to display that fact.
As mentioned briefly before, in some ways, the film felt like a way for McCarthy to confront his past while talking with other people about it. Therefore, some bitterness and envy from the actor came through on screen. To be clear, McCarthy did not come across as mean or arrogant in any way and he was definitely nice to everyone he talked to. However, it looked like he blamed the Brat Pack for his career problems when it seems like some of those problems could just come back to him fizzling out, like most actors who experience their fifteen minutes of fame. A teen label may not be the reason why his only “big” film after this era was “Weekend at Bernie’s.” That fact is especially true when he talks to people like Rob Lowe and Demi Moore who have done very well in their careers since their Brat Pack days and also seem quite smiley and happy. McCarthy might have wanted to prove a point of the dangers of certain types of fame, but it looks like he was humbled most of the way through. He also held a lot of resentment for the name, which kind of came across when talking to the person who wrote the original article, but it felt that the issues he had were not as big as the documentary wanted us to believe. McCarthy could probably use a bit more self reflection to get to the root of his issues, but the documentary looked to be a good start. Even so, the bitterness remained strong, which can seem ungrateful, but at least there is a bit of self-awareness. That is what helps the audience connect to McCarthy and the story he is trying to tell, at least enough to help the documentary engross the viewers.
Considering this documentary focuses on the young people of the 1980s, the people who were not a part of that demographic may wonder if this documentary is for them. How much information do you need to go into this film to enjoy it? For reference, I’m a member of Gen Z, which means the movies referenced in “Brats” are decades before my time. However, as someone who has always been interested in film history, I was walking into this documentary with a decent amount of background knowledge. I would say I was able to follow all the way through, understanding most of the references. If anything, I think “Brats” was able to teach me about just how big the Brat Pack was. If you don’t know that much about the Brat Pack, you may be a little lost at some points, but there are enough movie clips shown and stories told that you should be able to catch on eventually. The beginning may be a bit confusing with a lack of knowledge, but the reunion aspect can be caught on fairly quickly, which can help hook a curious viewer in. If you grew up during the popularity of the Brat Pack and know all about them, you may not gain much knowledge from this film. There are not really any big behind the scenes secrets from this movie. It is basically a reflection of the lives that these people used to live. Therefore, “Brats” may feel kind of plain to an expert as they will kind of understand what is being said. Nevertheless, it can still be fun to see some of your favorite actors once again and they are all quite talkative when the camera is on them, so you could still be entertained by what this film has to offer. So while the experiences watching this documentary will be different for everyone, each perspective will be able to find something that amuses them, so no one should let their level of information be the deciding factor for watching this film.
“Brats” is able to show the mark that a bunch of attractive and passionate performers are able to leave on a generation. There may not be a lot of new information gained from this documentary, but it may leave you with a new perspective on the group. The angle of the documentary was interesting as the fresh interviews combined with some clips from interviews and films from the past shows how time has changed and how Hollywood culture has evolved. There probably could have been ways to tell this story as more of an ensemble piece that could have served the true story better, but McCarthy certainly put everything he had into this project to show a raw perspective, which is admirable in and of itself. I may not have agreed with all of his choices, but I respect how much he seemed to care about everyone he was talking to and was making sure no one held back, which is a sign that he is a good storyteller at heart. It was a beautiful time capsule of an exciting new time in the film industry, when the new adults got to share their voice in slice of life tales. If you’re nostalgic for the coming of age films of the 1980s or you want to learn more about how being a young movie star can affect someone’s life, even decades later, watch “Brats” today.
