Permanent Record (1988)

Touches You

How sad is this?

Admirable film.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I have to confess that when I saw the title Permanent Record I thought I would be in for a John Hughes type movie about that old shibboleth of my school days the Permanent Record. But if the movie was so named to get an audience to see a film about teen suicide than a bit of deception was worth it.Keanu Reeves stars and for the first third he's channeling Theodore 'Ted' Logan into his performance. That same goofball charm is there for a third of the film then it gets deadly serious when his best friend and fellow musician Alan Boyce commits suicide by jumping off a cliff. How Boyce's demise effects the rest of the cast is the rest of the film.Thirty years after Permanent Record was made there are still no real answers. There were hints in Boyce's statements to those around, but how do you tell teenage angst and jitters at that stage you are entering the adult world. But we all feel that, I sure did. Permanent Record is a most worthwhile film, one for eternity. And this goes out to those who died young for whatever reason leaving songs left unsung.

Permanent Record is one of my favorite movies starring Keanu Reeves. He plays Chris Townsend. I always loved that name. He's a high- schooler whose best friend named David kills himself. What follows is how it impacts the people in David's life. I think however that Chris is the most complex character. He evokes much of the film's emotional weight. There is a good balance in his performance in being between light and introspective. It is an affecting and heartfelt story. I think there were some reasons why it didn't sell when it was released back in 1988 and it really had nothing to do with whether it's a good movie because it is; don't get me wrong. It is one of the most underrated films of that year, or any other year. And it didn't help much at the time being up against Beetle Juice and Colors, although I think that was a minor issue. It did bad at the box office because of the subject matter; teen suicide, which is a touchy subject, no matter what year. Also at the time there were no big names in it. The marketing didn't help either. I remember the trailer being advertised on t.v. months before its release and it basically was a psa. There weren't any scenes shown from the movie. Basically, it showed some kids/young adults talking about being affected by it. While that may be an informative way of marketing; from that perspective, I think it hurt its chances of becoming a hit. Sometimes not showing any footage from the actual movie in trailers isn't necessarily a good thing.I have seen this film quite a few times and I hardly find fault with it. I think it is effective that basically David gets about only the first twenty minutes or so of screen time early on. There may not be much explored with his character but what is presented is all one really needs to know. He is charming, evidently smart and musically oriented. There is a glimpse into what is possibly making him tick. His character carries a lot of weight of the responsibilities that are given to him. It is more about the ones closest to him that are effected by the consequences. I have heard criticisms of the film's ending; that it is reminiscent of an after school special. I disagree. I like the way it all comes together; the school's remembrance of him in the end. It is a heavy film overall, but I think it is well done.

This film was way ahead of its time. In this day and age, teenage suicides happen often, and appear in the press. This is a movie, set in the 80s, and really has a powerful effect on you. To start with, I was trying to figure out why the main character decided to kill himself. It never really says. But the movie concentrates more on what David's close friends feel on his suicide. The film focuses heavily on Keanu Reeves character, Chris. He features in some of the film's most powerful scenes, and although he plays his Ted character, goofy and gangly, he really acts his socks off. He also features in an almost painful crying scene.There's a terrific song, which unfortunately isn't available. It's worked on throughout the film, but it really comes to light towards the end. It's called "Wishing On Another Lucky Star", performed by J.D. Souther.This is a very powerful movie, although it didn't leave much of an effect on me. I was expecting it to leave me with something at the end of the movie, but this kinda movie has been done better in recent years - The Virgin Suicides for example.

I caught this film off cable a couple years ago. It isn't as horrible as the other review states. Some of the music is good, one song, though overly melodramatic "Wishing on Another Lucky Star" performed near the end, was good. It's just a little cheesy. But hey, it was the 80s, Keanu Reeves is in the movie playing a dumbass (huge surprise), what do you expect? Basically, it is a very polished (in that 80s way which is barely) after school special. Don't expext any emotional revelations from it. If you're looking for a touching movie about grief, see "Ordinary People" but if you just want to see a watchable movie with a few cute, sappy moments, this flick is for you!