iReview | ST. ELMO’S FIRE 40th Anniversary

Available on 4K Ultra HD.

Hollywood’s Brat Pack comes together in a newly restored 4K edition of the ‘80s film that made them legends, ST. ELMO’S FIRE celebrates 40 years, but does the classic stand the test of time?

The 1980s are unabashedly one of the most defining eras in history, wrought with political discord and social turmoil that has registered deep into the DNA of the culture with consequences that are still today proving relevant. With a society moving at light speed, to keep up with the growing technology of the coming digital age, the average Gen Xer found themselves in a daring race to keep up and live their American dream. Made even further enigmatic, Hollywood cultivated that fanciful ideal and encouraged an entitlement that was hoarded by privilege.

The films of the time, especially those made popular by filmmaker John Hughes, often illustrated the struggles of the “have-alls” and the handicap of the “have-nots,” comically finding a sense of parallel between these two sides of the coin. It was a formula that was replicated and re-examined. It cast a series of young, rising actors like Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall, who would become the avatars indicative of the angst felt by the youth of the time. In 1985, filmmaker Joel Schumacher brought a group of actors together, all from the crop that the media had dubbed Hollywood’s “Brat Pack,” and thus created one of the most defining films of the 1980s.

St. Elmo’s Fire brought together Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Mare Winningham, and Andrew McCarthy as a group of recent college graduates who find their lives wondering what life has in store for them now that they’ve graduated from Georgetown University. They often gather and discuss the chores of their uncertainty at the popular, local watering hole, St. Elmo’s Bar. The film is credited with being released at the height of the “Brat Pack” era, so, surprisingly, Schumacher admitted that many people turned down the script. A studio head even cited how loathsome the seven lead characters were on the page.

With their whole lives and the entire world laid out at their feet (really), the group of friends appear to tumble about in a tornado of their own making, many of them trapped by their ill-gotten entitlement and privilege. Rob Lowe plays Billy, who is a lusty musician trapped in a “frat boy” mentality and ignores all forms of responsibility. Mare Winningham is Wendy, and she’s long held a torch for Billy, but even that has its limits. She’s pressured by her girlfriends Jules (Demi Moore) and Leslie (Ally Sheedy), to wise up and move on, even though neither one of them appears able to let loose the shackles of social conformity that are expected of them.

Jules is a banker and hedge-fund baby who is promiscuous in her pursuit of success, sleeping with her boss (who is married) and doing drugs to get through the rigors of the day. Leslie is chasing a career, but her creativity is stifled by her trifling boyfriend, Alec, played by Judd Nelson, who is unfaithful yet wants to settle down with Leslie and is hungry for political power. Emilio Estevez is Kirby, a love-lorn law student who is stalking the object of his affections, and Andrew McCarthy is Kevin, an aspiring writer who is chronicling it all, seeking a cynical truth along the way, while exploring what options are available to him in life.

The film was a blockbuster and resonated with audiences upon its release, despite receiving scathing reviews. Many criticized the script for being so thin, the acting somewhat stale, but mostly everyone agreed that the characters just weren’t the most likable of individuals, and who wants to root for a bunch of losers? No doubt, the pop-culture relevance of St. Elmo’s Fire is likely its most significant contribution to cinema, cementing the star trajectory of its lead cast, a hit single with John Parr’s performance of “Man In Motion,” which dominated on the radio, and capturing the 80s chill, frills and all.

The Theme Of It All

For the 40th Anniversary, St. Elmo’s Fire gets a proper and very dramatic uprez to 4K. The picture quality perfectly captures the fashion and the flawless youth of the Brat Pack cast, many of whom have only been known to a generation as the modern stars of Hollywood. Rob Lowe and Demi Moore, in their youth, appear untainted here by the celebrity that would continue for decades. It is exciting to see these talented actors at this stage of their careers, but, unfortunately, the film itself suffers a pitfall that will likely keep it from registering with today’s movie enthusiasts.

It may have survived a high-definition restoration to 4K Ultra HD, but the 80s, specifically, the decadence of the era, are an entirely different story. It’s hard to imagine that a contemporary audience will identify with the cast, or even want to. Millennials will likely comprehend the references (it’s still part of their genetic makeup). Still, Gen Zers may struggle to connect with the nuanced experiences of the characters in the story. At the same time, Generation Alpha will likely find this lot largely unappealing. It makes it even more challenging for Generation X to explain the film’s overall interpretation, as it skews mainly toward a subset of the stewards of the era that were ultimately not all that popular.

Still, St. Elmo’s Fire and the era in which it hit have an undeniable influence. It can still be felt today across various media, including music and, especially, fashion, and has given rise to more complex character explorations in the generations that followed. The trials and tribulations of these seven young people gave relevance to the journeys and narratives that have followed. The story of the human struggle, pondering the question: “Why am I here?” is one that is universal and one that is explored best through the friends we end up calling family, the friends who we meet along the way and meet for a drink in all of our very own St. Elmo’s Bar.

The cast recently reunited for the documentary “Brats,” which follows Andrew McCarthy in a pursuit to understand the influence the film had on the culture and how it shaped him and the cast, preparing them, or not, for celebrity.

Get your #FanzEyeView of John Parr’s “Man in Motion” Music Video from St. Elmo’s Fire:

ST. ELMO’S FIRE 40th Anniversary | is available now in 4K Ultra HD for $30.99. The disc includes previously released Special Features, featuring deleted scenes and Commentary from Joel Schumacher, and John Parr’s music video for “Man in Motion”.

<<Spoiler Alert!>> The HQ.Remixed may be going away, but you can continue to get your dose of entertainment and pop-culture coverage at the central HQ, the OG ThrillseekerHQ site here. Also, visit our sister site TheFanzite.com (available on Apple News).