#2,955. Desperate Lives (1982) - 1980s Made for Television

 

Originally broadcast on American network CBS in March of 1982, Desperate Lives is the kind of “morality movie” that could easily take things a bit too far. It could over-dramatize, deliver its message with a heavy hand, and feature scenes so exaggerated that it’s good intentions would be lost in the process.

I’m not gonna lie… there are moments when the film does just that. But there’s also enough here to ensure its anti-drug agenda doesn’t get completely lost in the histrionics.

It’s the first day of school, and Eileen Phillips (Diana Scarwid), the new counselor, meets Freshman Scott Cameron (Doug McKean) in the parking lot. Just by looking at him, Eileen can tell Scott is high, and brings him into her office for a chat, hoping to steer him away from drugs.

Scott’s older sister, Sandy (Helen Hunt), who has experimented with drugs herself , also tries to help Scott. But peer pressure as well as his turbulent relationship with his parents (Diane Ladd and Tom Atkins) send Scott deeper into his downward spiral.

He befriends the local dealer, Ken (Sam Bottoms), and even starts selling drugs for him, all the while using harder and harder stuff himself. Try as she might, Eileen can’t convince her fellow teachers or the administrator, Dr. Jarvis (William Windom), to get involved. Nor can she reach Scott, who may already be a lost cause.

First and foremost, Desperate lives is a very “80s” movie, from The opening theme, written and performed by Rock Springfield, to the obligatory montages scattered throughout (in one, Eileen and her boyfriend Stab, played by Art Hindle, take Scott on an afternoon biking trip, hoping to show him there’s more to life than getting high). As for its anti-drug message, the movie is rarely subtle. The students proclaim that “everyone is doing it” while the teachers and faculty turn a blind eye for the same reason, feeling overwhelmed by it all. And, in what is undoubtedly the film’s most over-the-top moment, Helen Hunt’s Sandy is convinced by her boyfriend Steve (Grant Cramer) to try some homemade PCP he just cooked up in the school lab, and has such a “bad trip” that she leaps out of a second-story window!

There are plenty of cliches throughout, from the parents saying “Not my kid” to the character of Julie (Michele Greene), a friend of Sandy’s who trades sex for drugs and almost drowns during swim practice because she is so high.

Desperate Lives, however, proves to be a bit more than the Reefer Madness of the ‘80s (as it’s been called). For one, unlike a few reviewers, I thought Doug McKean gave a solid performance as Scott. The first exchange between him and Scarwid’s Eileen is handled well by both. In addition, Sam Bottoms plays the drug dealer Ken as just smooth enough to lure kids in (the scene where he convinces Scott to deal for him features some of the movie’s most impressive dialogue), and just sleazy enough that we want to see him taken down. Helen Hunt, despite her “stunt work”, is also likable as the sister trying to help, and her scenes with McKean resonate.

As for the ending, well… it’s even more over-the-top than anything that came before it, and seen through modern eyes, it may have viewers laughing out loud. But hey, I got a little choked up as well.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10

#855. A Christmas Carol (1984) - 1980s Made for Television

Directed By: Clive Donner

Starring: George C. Scott, Frank Finlay, Angela Pleasence




Tag line: "A new powerful presentation of the most loved ghost story of all time!"

Trivia: Scrooge's grave can still be visited at St Chad's Church graveyard, Shrewsbury, where the churchyard sequence was shot - the production team left the gravestone in place once filming was completed




There have been several film versions of Charles Dickens’ classic 19th century holiday tale, A Christmas Carol, from the Thomas Edison-produced adaptation in 1908 all the way up to Disney’s 2009 animated offering. 

One of the most beloved cinematic takes on the story came in 1951, with Alistair Sim playing the part of Scrooge, but for me, this U.S. made-for-TV rendition of A Christmas Carol, starring George G. Scott, will always be my favorite. I watched it the night it debuted on CBS in 1984, and since that time, It’s become a staple in my Holiday rotation.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott) is the nastiest, stingiest man in all of London. As the city happily prepares for the upcoming Christmas season, old Scrooge is tending to business inside his tiny office with his assistant, Bob Cratchit (David Warner), who works long hours for very little pay. 

As far as family is concerned, the only person Scrooge has is his nephew, Fred (Roger Rees), who, every year, invites his uncle over for Christmas Dinner, an invitation that Scrooge regularly declines.

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is haunted by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), who warns his old colleague that he must accept Christmas into his heart. To help him see the error of his ways, Marley tells Scrooge he’ll be visited that evening by three spirits: the ghosts of Christmas Past (Angela Pleasance), Christmas Present (Edward Woodward) and Christmas Yet to Come. With these spirits to guide him, Scrooge will hopefully discover the true meaning of Christmas, and live by its standards not only in December, but all year long.

Having made a career out of playing gruff characters, George C. Scott seemed the natural choice to portray the mean-spirited Scrooge, and true to form, he’s a real son-of-a-bitch at the film’s outset, angrily pushing street carolers out of his way and refusing to contribute money to assist the poor. He even tries to drive off Tiny Tim Cratchit (Anthony Walters), who is standing on the corner, waiting for his father to finish work. 

Yet what’s truly remarkable about Scott's turn in A Christmas Carol is how he pulls off the later scenes, when Scrooge, after glimpsing his sad future, becomes a changed man. Having so convincingly portrayed a bastard for most of the movie, Scott’s transformation into a kind, caring individual is just as believable. The scene where the actor is giddily jumping up and down on his bed, overjoyed that he hasn’t missed Christmas, is itself reason enough to see it.

Directed by Clive Donner, A Christmas Carol is awash in period costumes and settings, all of which look wonderful, and there are plenty of memorable moments as well, from Jacob Marley’s creepy visit to the boisterous sequences featuring Edward Woodward’s Ghost of Christmas Present. A mostly faithful adaptation of the classic Dickens tale, 1984’s A Christmas Carol is also a beautiful motion picture, with George C. Scott delivering one hell of a performance.