Movie-St. Elmo's Fire

Yes...I am re-living the days of the Brat Pack. St. Elmo's Fire (1985) was a touchstone for people coming of age in the 80's and it still holds some nostalgia and some nice touches to it, though I have to say to those characters, "Kid's, if you think life is tough so far, you ain't seen nothing yet!"

In case you have forgotten the concept of the flick, 7 college friends from Georgetown, a year out of college are having trouble adjusting to real life. They are played by Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy and others of Brat Pack fame. They think they will be friends forever and they hang out together and still go to their college bar St. Elmo's for beer and bites.

But real life is closing in on them, and tearing the friendships apart. By the end of the movie, one of them has left, another is going, and they realize they all may not stay friends forever...life has ways of sneaking up on us, and kicking us in the ass.

Now these are are pretty self absorbed individuals, I will admit. And while somewhat likable, the distance of years has made me less sympathetic to their plights. But the truest thing that the movie portrays is the change that life presents...not only after college, but throughout life. It is not one long strand, but a series of interlocking links that connects parts of a life to other parts. And change is sure to happen...and is sometimes difficult.

And watching this movie I felt my own year, where there has been some considerable change. Good friends leaving, not only from working with me, but from San Diego, changing my job status and situation, changing in other friends lives, gaining significant others, gaining babies. Nothing stays the same, and the more you try to make it, the more it knocks you on your ass when it does change. That is not to say you always like it...you don't miss your friends...but it will still happen.

Anyway, that is what St. Elmo's Fire does right, what it can still evoke after 20 some odd years. Is it still a very 80's movie? Oh yeah...Jules (Demi's character) and her pink walls with the mural of Billy Idol and his neon light earring will attest to that! But, it surprised me but what it had that transcended the 80's. It was worth the time to revisit and old friend.