I was a child in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s who watched most movies onHBOregardless of the rating. Many cinematic gems shaped my perception of what the world would be like once the days of going to school to pass a bunch of exams were over. I held the belief thatwhat brought me joy as a small kid would carry me into adulthood.St. Elmo’s Fireexemplified such a thought upon my first viewing on cable and evolved into something else over time.
The 1985Joel Schumacherdrama is widely remembered today for its memorable soundtrack, its view of life after college, and the formation of the“brat pack”label to its talented young cast includingRob LoweandDemi Moore. What resonated for me in the initial years when I caught the movie on cable washowSt. Elmo’s Fireinfluenced my belief that my childhood friends and I would stick together through life. As it turned out, once I reached the age of the cast, the reality did not quite meet the fantasy.
‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ Was About Friends Overcoming the Pain of Adulthood
For acoming-of-age dramathat captured the attitudes of young adults during theReaganyears, my initial attraction toSt. Elmo’s Firewas the cast portraying the seven Georgetown University grads.Ally Sheedywas an early crush of mine because of my love forShort Circuit, Moore was at superstar status withGhost, andEmilio EstevezI was a fan of thanks toThe Mighty DucksandYoung Guns. Then to see them all together with Lowe,Judd Nelson, andAndrew McCarthyfelt like an epic picture despite being unaware of how unknown they were at the time of production. Through the magic of their performances and Schumacher’s direction,I truly believed these stars had been close friends for decades.
St. Elmo’s Firewas driven by the theme that what may have brought success in college does not necessarily work in the real world. But as long as you can fall back on your loyal friends, you can overcome any obstacle, be it career goals or the desire for true romance. Moore’s party-girl role as Jules represented the notion of non-stop fun while being in denial of her failing job and financial situation. Her despair turns to near-fatal danger before her friends intervene to help. I felt thatthis is what life should be like: friends coming to the rescue when you are down on your luck.
The Darker Side of ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’
Throughout my high school and early college years, I was expecting to have my own brat pack group of friends. As I was studying filmmaking in college,St. Elmo’s Firewould occasionally catch my attention while flipping channels on lazy days. By revisiting the film as a young adult close to the ages of the cast, however, I realized something that Schumacher struggled to overcome, as he recalled toEntertainment Weeklyin 2017, pitching the screenplay to a studio executive: “Joel, in the history of movies, you have managed to create seven of the worst people I have ever seen on a page.”
Where the characters in aJohn Hughesteen movie were often portrayed in an earnest manner,theSt. Elmo’s Fireensemble engages in some questionable behavior, like Nelson’s Alec “extracurricular activities” outside the relationship with Sheedy’s Leslie, casual drug use by Lowe and Moore’s characters, and the disturbingly obsessive behavior of the guys. The biggest offender for the latter is Estevez’s Kirby, who desires hospital intern Dale (Andie MacDowell). It is embarrassing enough for Estevez to bend over backwards to impress MacDowell in fancy restaurants and land new jobs. But the second he decides to follow her home in bad weather twice in the story, I’m more inclined to back away from these so-called “friends” and file for a restraining order.
While it’s difficult to reconcile the darker aspects ofSt. Elmo’s Fire, which is completely softened by the performances and theDavid Fostermusical score, the fact that my attitude towards the movie changed is not something that brings me grief. In retrospect, I found appreciation in the film’s ending when Lowe’s character leaves his friends at the bus station to pursue a career in New York. To me, it is the most realistic moment of the story because, as I have found over the years,not all great friends have a dramatic falling out. There are those unspoken natural moments of life when friends find their respective callings and simply drift off in separate ways. Yet, much like the dramatic dolly shot pulling back on the six somber Georgetown grads watching Lowe ride off, the love remains constant even from afar.
Living in an age where Hollywood is obsessed with legacy sequels, it is no surprise that Sony has aSt. Elmo’s Firesequel in development following the release of McCarthy’sBratsdocumentary. As an admirer and critic of the original, a follow-up needs to be more than callbacks to Moore’s Jeep and Lowe rocking the bar on a saxophone. The sequel should reflect the realities that come with age when the party’s long over and true friendship matters when life takes away more than it gives.
St. Elmo’s Fireis streaming on Prime Video in the US.
St. Elmo’s Fire
