That Was Then... This is Now

Don't expect the book. A decent coming-of-age film.
This film was inspired and is partly based on the S.E. Hinton novel of the same title. However, a modicum of research will tell you that Emilio Estevez wrote the screenplay, not Hinton. Ergo, do NOT expect it to be exactly like the book. Film is one medium, literature is another. To compare them is odious and unfair to both.
Estevez and Sheffer both do a decent job in this emotional story of two young men who go from inseparable to at odds with one another as they begin to drift apart. Estevez wants everything to stay the same: hanging out, slacking off and committing petty crime. The bad boy image and ways will take them nowhere good, and the film's tension comes from Brian (Sheffer)learning this with help from his new girlfriend (Kim Delaney) and trying to leave it behind while Mark fights the idea only to end up a drug-damaged reprobate with a dismal future.

TALK ABOUT NOT FOLLOWING THE NOVEL......GEEZ!
Well,I was disappointed to say the least. I bought this movie because I had read the book with my 7th grade reading class. There was NO WAY I could show this movie to them. I knew it had a R rating but figured I would take the chance. Besides all the profanity, the movie DID NOT follow S.E. Hinton's story line. Emilio Estevez (he wrote the screen play ) defiated from it in so many ways. There are too many to list now. Even the ending was totally NOT the book. The character of Mark was played by Emilio and he "over acted" big time. I was not impressed by him. Kim Delaney is a great actress but the character of "Cathy" was NOT as protrayed in the book. The character of Bryon was by far the closest of all of the characters. Oh, and the character of Charlie....it was played by Morgan Freeman. Need I say more? This is definitely the movie that upholds the cliche'....THE BOOK IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!!!!!!! I say...don't waste the [money], like I did!

This movie is great!
I rented this movie out of curiousity one day and thought it was great. It deals with many issues that face teens and the ending will leave you thinking.

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