Plot
Chicago crime kid Mick O'Brien is sent to reform school after accidentally killing Paco Moreno's kid brother.
Release Year: 1983
Rating: 7.0/10 (6,390 voted)
Director:
Rick Rosenthal
Stars: Sean Penn, Reni Santoni, Jim Moody
Storyline A delinquent held in juvenile detention for the murder of a noted youth gang member awaits a showdown with the dead man's vengeful brother in the deadly prison environment.
Cast: Sean Penn
-
Mick O'Brien
Reni Santoni
-
Ramon Herrera
Jim Moody
-
Gene Daniels
Eric Gurry
-
Horowitz
Esai Morales
-
Paco Moreno
Ally Sheedy
-
J. C. Walenski
Clancy Brown
-
Viking Lofgren
Robert Lee Rush
-
Tweety
John Zenda
-
Wagner
Alan Ruck
-
Carl Brennan
Tony Mockus Jr.
-
Warden Bendix
(as Tony Mockus)
Erik Barefield
-
Terrell
Dean Fortunato
-
Perretti
Lawrence Mah
-
Ricky Lee
Jorge Noa
-
Carlos
Taglines:
Life Has Pushed Him Into A Corner... And He's Comin' Out Fighting.
Release Date: 25 March 1983
Filming Locations: 1831 S Racine Ave, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Opening Weekend: $2,171,197
(USA)
(27 March 1983)
(468 Screens)
Trivia: Sean Penn insisted on being called the name of his character, Mick O'Brien, during production of the movie.
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes:
Position of Paco when leaning up against the locker.
Quotes:
[to Lofgren]
Paco Moreno:
I lost my brother. All you lost was some skin.
User Review
Not your ordinary teen movie
Rating:
I recently saw this movie again (on video, not the uncut DVD). I hadn't
seen it in about twenty years, but it affected me the same at 35 as it
did when I saw it on cable at 14. It is one of the grittiest, rawest
movies I have ever seen, and it works on a visceral level. The
performances of Sean Penn and Esai Morales in this film go to show why
they have both continued to be two of the hardest working actors in
Hollywood. After seeing Penn as Jeff Spiccolli in "Fast Times at
Ridgemont High," I was amazed by his range in this film (although he
was excellent in "Racing With the Moon," which if memory serves me
right also came out around this time). Morales took what could have
been a one-note role and turned it into a caricature of a revenge-bent
punk, but his talent even back then was clear that he was up to the
challenge of putting emotion into the role and bringing some sympathy
to Paco's plight. Clancy Brown and Ally Sheedy were excellent in their
roles as well.
The movie worked not just because the acting was great, but because the
story moved along at an exciting pace. It was suspenseful and was not
overly cliché or pat. Overall, it was an unforgettable movie
experience, a strong cautionary tale that still makes people think.
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