LOST ANGELS (1989)

Directed By: Hugh Hudson 
Written By: Michael Weller 
Cinematography By: Juan Ruiz Anchia 
Editor: David Gladwell 


Cast: Adam Horovitz, Donald Sutherland, Amy Locane, Kevin Corrigan, Celia Weston, Graham Beckel, Nina Siemaszko, Gary Riley, Patricia Richardson, William O’Leary, David Herman, Max Perlich, Kevin Tighe, John C. McGinley, Frances Fisher, Park Overall, Pauly Shore 


A troubled youth from a split Los Angeles family is sent to a private psychiatric hospital after a violent scrape with the police. In the hospital, he makes a connection with one of the doctors who has his own problems.

This was a movie that it took me a while to catch up with. As I remember the TV advertisements and posters vividly when the film came out. That made the film seem dangerous and probably over my head. Yet had teen protagonists.

What was also most noteworthy was that is starred Adam Horovitz Of the Beastie boys. Who actually gives a decent believable performance. Though some of his lines and the script in general seems forced.

This film is very much of it’s time period and rather simple. While it dissects the main characters problems pretty much. Though it also shines a light of young men in an attempt of trying to fit in. Acclimating a culture and warring against that cultures natural inhabitants while they themselves are just trying it on and playing dangerous to defend their way of life and playing the role. Except they know they can and probably will grow up and drop it while for now claiming it as a way of life.

The film is pretty straightforward and while aimed at a younger audience. It seems like it would play better with an older one. As strangely it is rather bland.

For a juvenile detention story it’s pretty sensitive and not as hard as it seems it will be. What seems to be the more shocking aspect and generally the root of problems is the parental neglect and it’s extreme damage.

This was director Hugh Hudson’s next picture after REVOLUTION, his previous film before that one was GREYSTROKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN and the classic CHARIOTS OF FIRE. So this seems like a more smaller scale film for him than in the past and a bit of a downfall even as this seemed to be more character based then some of the epics he was used to making.

Donald Sutherland as the main psychiatrist seems so beaten down that he gives and comes off as the most natural performance in the film. As he is pretty much married to his job trying to help these teens that he is neglecting his own and might be causing his kids the problems he is trying to stop for others.

Amy Locane gives a memorable performance as the ingenue that the main character has a crush on and seems to be at the center of his problems and bad decisions. It’s the type of character you have seen before, but she is so obviously damaged and doomed that it seems her beauty is what keeps her safe and a kind of weapon as she seems to not know any better.

When i finally caught up with this film. It already felt familiar as i saw it in my late teens In 1996. I was only slightly disappointed with what I envisioned in my head all those years and after reading numerous review guides. The film comes off as a very mannered clean movie for one dealing with so much disaffected youth and punk rock. As this came at a time when it seemed teen culture was being commodified in teen films but it went so many different ways that here was no exact style to stereotype. The youth seemed lost themselves when it came to style and identity.

It also is an example of when teen culture as far as trends and style started to change from the 1980’s where it seemed easily defined and stereotyped and this new decade was on the precipice that 80’s style was dwindling and as the 90’s came in there were no obvious innovations or knowledge of what we to come.

So it seemed more in chaos and that many were either making it up or grabbing many different styles and combining them like a grab bag. Though it did lead to more embracing the new which could be seen as a bit colorful and embarrassing and saying goodbye to the old. So that there was progress even during a fashion apocalypse that could go either way. Where it seems like you were meant to go with what you felt. Which is why you watch a film like TEEN WITCH where it seems sweet yet the attitude seems to be baggy clothes and anything goes.

In this film it seems rather basic yet striving to feel a part of something. Yet comes off as more a fad that can easily be dropped yet take it too seriously. Which is also how the film and it’s characters form across.

The film definitely feels like a late 1980’s artifact. That almost feels like it belongs in a time capsule. That plays almost like a well done 21 Jump street episode without the undercover cop element. As in the end the film Feels like it comes off as suburban teen angst. It tries but doesn’t really introduce, showcase or even tell us anything new. 

Grade: C+