During the 1980’s an up and coming group of actors were labelled “The Brat Pack” by a journalist named David Blum in New York Magazine. The name stuck and for Andrew McCarthy, who was one of those actors, it had a profound impact on his life. Thirty-nine years since that publication McCarthy reflects on that impact and interviews fellow Brat Pack members to get their insight before finally meeting Blum himself for the first time. 

My overriding feeling as this ninety-two minute documentary ended was that McCarthy has been incredibly brave to share it with the world. This is because my overriding feeling whilst watching the documentary is that this film is about an incredibly bitter man who feels that this article ruined his career finding out that it was in fact his reaction to the article that ruined his career. 

As McCarthy speaks to peers, the majority of whom he has not seen since the 1980’s we get an overwhelming sense that these are therapy sessions. 

He begins by seeking out Emilio Estevez, the man whom the original article was initially meant to be a profile of. The conversation begins well but turns increasingly awkward as McCarthy lets loose with his personal experience of the events. Later in the film he speaks to Demi Moore who genuinely offers therapy advice on how to move forward. Whilst my interpretation of Rob Lowe’s advice and guidance was essentially, “get over it”. McCarthy speaks to other members of The Brat Pack or people adjacent to it and their interpretations seem to be variations on these themes. Whilst some actors contacted choose to “look forward” and not take part. 

But ignoring my paraphrasing and interpretation of actors candid filmed advice to someone they knew decades ago there is no getting away from how raw and open McCarthy has been prepared to be in his seeking closure. To then go on to finally meet the journalist who began it all feels like the final boss on a journey that has taken him decades to get to. Their conversation feels like it rests on a knife edge of civility. 

It is an intriguing film and not what I anticipated at all. As someone who is too young to have lived through “The Brat Pack” era I do not feel as though I learnt much about the cultural impact. But as an exercise in watching someone expose their pain fully to the world it was fascinating.