quote:the characters seem self-involved and narcissistic
Yes, agreed. I watched this again recently showing it to a friend who had not seen it. I dont think i can watch it now without wanting to smack rob lowes character up the side of the head, throw a glass of water in Jules' face and say to Alec - your an arrogant w%$ker who has too much money and no personality.
At one time i did like this film but have long forgotten why really. I do share most thoughts with everyone else whos posted but there is one thing which i do like - the music.
Im ultimately concluding, i dont really see the point of this movie either now although there are a couple of scenes involving andrew Mc and emileo which do make me laugh. Too many actors competing for our attention using nothing method acting. Not one of the characters were able to pull of a convincing act for me sorry, now iv had a chance to look at it again and make another judgement. There are far too many other movies which put this to shame.
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posted
I think it's easy to forget as adults just how much narcissism and a know-it-all attitude passes for cool and grown up in movies when you're younger. This movie is for people who haven't started college, or are just going through it.
It's worth pointing out that all the criticisms we are making of the movie now (as grown-ups) are more-or-less the same criticisms critics made of it at the time: Self indulgent, narcissistic, overacting, unbelievable, all style no substance, etc. Remember, it was during the shooting of this movie that the phrase 'brat pack' was coined.
When I watched it as a kid, the character flaws meant nothing to me. As a teenager / young adult, I saw the flaws but ignored them and just went with it. As an adult... let's just say I can breathe in the nostalgia and watch the movie with one eye closed seeing only what I saw when I was younger.
So I'll just leave you with something I used to say to people (and meant): If St. Elmo's Fire had been a French language film - it would be considered a masterpiece.
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
posted
Great post Logan, i still like St Elmo´s. Awesome soundtrack!
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oneyedwilly
The Dread Pirate Rewind....
Member # 8730
posted
Yeah, Logan, you pretty much nailed it with that post to be fair mate.
I kinda see where your going with the french film route . . .I think if it was more melencoly, left of centre with a couple of unknowns and a little more thought in the cinematography this movie could have been more arthouse/successful rather than an 80s movie with no sustainability - so it seems looking at everyones posts.
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Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
Member # 1322
posted
"St. Elmo's Fire" was on Encore today.. I remembered this thread and tried to give it another chance. I'm sorry to say that I still struggle to find any character that appeals to me in it.
I noticed that it made a few of the Rewinders Top 20 list.. so if it was on yours or you appreciate this movie.. please give me some insight because I want to like it.
"I'm obsessed thank you very much."
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posted
val, sometimes movies are just middle of the road, not great but not terrible either, this movie i think is in that zone.
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Kash
Kash : Aha! He'll save every one of us...
Member # 297
posted
Val dude, those people were driven by fear IMO, and that manifested itself in different ways (e.g. obsession, whoredom, frustration, nostalgia /delusion etc). But since they were all self-obsessed navel gazers, their common front or shared defence was hubris and egomania.
Its a familiar narrative template about being unprepared to face the challenges ahead. And conform to the arguably unreasonable or outmoded expectations that society hands down from one generation to the next.
These guys are basically trying to get by as best they can. Putting on a brave face, putting up their defences and essentially turning themselves into clichés and stereotypes along the way.
As Billy puts it:
quote: "Jules, y'know, honey... this isn't real. You know what it is? It's St. Elmo's Fire. Electric flashes of light that appear in dark skies out of nowhere. Sailors would guide entire journeys by it, but the joke was on them... there was no fire. There wasn't even a St. Elmo. They made it up. They made it up because they thought they needed it to keep them going when times got tough, just like you're making up all of this. We're all going through this. It's our time at the edge."
Posts: 2041 | From: The Ice Planet Hoth | Registered: Jul 2001 | Site Updates: 0
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posted
I completely missed "St. Elmo's Fire" when it came out in 1985. Not sure why, but I guess part of this was because the film was about post-college students, and I didn't feel I could relate to this - being a H.S. kid at the time.
I did watch film years later for the first time, circa 2004-ish - when I was in my 30's. And, I could definitely relate to the film a lot more at the time, since I could easily remember the feelings of angst/uncertainty associated with graduating college, not being sure what you wanted to do with the rest of your life, etc. I actually think the film is one of the best movies about this time in many people's lives.
I could also really relate to the fact that friendships you have in college aren't necessarily the friendships you'll have forever. The film starts out with a very close-knit group of friends hanging out, commiserating, etc. However, it ends with the group obviously drifting apart - which is somewhat sad, but realistic. After you graduate college, you will sometimes move to another part of the state/country for work - or - even if you live in the same area as your friends, people will start focusing on their careers/families & not spend as much time on friendships. This occurs even moreso when you get into your 30's (and beyond).
So, SEF is an especially bittersweet film about growing up and having to embrace adult responsibilities - even if you don't want to
I also like the locale - it's filmed (and set) in D.C.'s ritzy Georgetown area. I never lived there, but did grow up in Baltimore/D.C. back in the '80's, and do remember that area to some extent. Very nostalgic.
All in all, SEF is a great film that I appreciated a lot more when watching it as an older adult - than I would have seeing it as a kid.
[ 31. October 2016, 17:07: Message edited by: Nostalgic for the '80's ]
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posted
I guess I'm the only one who really likes this movie more than anyone! Of course, the nostalgic feeling of that time is there. I was a freshman in college when it came out. I saw it then and liked it.
It's not without flaws though. I thought that Judd Nelson and Rob Lowe should have swapped character roles. Kirby was a borderline psycho, stalker who would have been slapped with a restraining order and arrested at some point with his insane obsession of Dale.
I knew these people like all these characters at school too. I too was completely self absorbed in those years and after for a long time. My life, wants and needs was the most important thing in the world! I grew out of it eventually. Now, many, many years later I realize how shallow I was and had no thoughts of anything other than good times and H-U-M-O-R...
I still watch it frequently and long for those basically carefree days before career stuff, family and responsibilities came to the forefront.
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