Reckless (1984)

Absolutely Fantastic

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Reckless is a 1984 romance drama, and stars Daryl Hannnah with Aidan Quinn. Aidan Quinn stars as Johnny, who has eyes for one of the cheerleaders, Tracy. Tracy already has a boyfriend, but he doesn't treat her very well. She's from a, well, not exactly rich family, but a well off family. Johnny, on the other hand, is piss poor broke, and lives alone with his father in a rundown apartment. They're relationship is a little less then harmonious. Johnny is a bit of a risk taker, almost even seems to have a death wish, so it doesn't take much of his impulses to try to steal the girl of his dreams. Question is, what do these two possibly have in common? And will she allow him to win her over? To answer the first question, they actually have a little bit in common. He doesn't have a care in the world. Neither does she. They quickly absorb into a strange bond. By strange, I mean that he's doing everything he can to win her over, but she just seems a bit stand offish. She tries to stand her ground, but its unclear weather its because she's already in a relationship, or if she's afraid of getting hurt again. She draws several lines in the sand, as if telling him, this is as far as you're going with me. Each line, Johnny steps over, and it becomes clear that every wall that she tries to build, he's just tearing them down for her. Someone is showing Tracy that they care? She's not used to that, the only attention she seems to get is being a cheerleader. And after getting kicked off the football team, and getting into an ugly fight with his own father, it sends Johnny further into the downward spiral, and he realizes the only thing he has to live for now...is her. And if he can't have her, why live? The tones in the film are spot on, even if a little dated. Johnnys motorcycle is pretty symbolic in the film, meaning, he can take himself places, he can take her places on it, or he can take himself out by riding off the edge of a nearby cliff at anytime if he wants to. A good movie, but the fact that these two characters have solid character depth in the film, and nobody else does, it just feels like there's something missing in the mix. The rest of the characters are dull, 2 dimensional, I mean, you may as well not even have them in there. Oh well. A great piece from director James Foley. PS: The ending is cliche as you can get!

I was a teenager working at the Cineplex when I saw this movie for the first time. It doesn't take much to stir teenage angst, and longing. I was an easy target for this movie. You see, at the time, I too was in a doomed relationship with a girl that was all wrong for me (or so it seemed to the myopic teenage eye). She was a drill team princess and I was a nobody from the wrong side of the tracks. I had an immediate emotional response to Johnny and Tracey's dilemma. It resonated with me powerfully at the time. "Reckless" has lingered in my memory along with all the other sweet nostalgia from my youth. Time and distance grant you clarity. So now, twenty four years later, I think I can review this movie with a much more critical eye. After seeing it again recently on a fairly good VHS copy, some of the strengths that I remember are still there. The beautiful cinematography that is reminiscent of "The Dear Hunter" is still there. Many of the shots in the film give the Pennsylvania mill town a bleak and forlorn look that matches Johnny's life. The editing is dead-on and lends this film an urgency that matches the story. The music is used effectively throughout. Inxs, Romeo Void, and Kim Wilde, just to name a few, give each scene the 'feel' it needs to enhance the story. The home coming dance scene where Johnny punks out to 'Never Say Never' is a great example of how bringing together great acting, editing, music, and energetic camera-work into a scene can get an audience's heart rate going. The scene still holds up after all these years. Fresh faced earnestness of the performances from Quinn and Hannah also make this movie very watchable. Despite all of it's strengths, I couldn't ignore the glaring shortcomings. First off, Quinn's character, Johnny, is not really very believable. To be more precise, the way girls react to him in the film (with the notable exception of Tracey) is not really believable. Look at some of the opening scenes where some of Tracey's fellow cheerleaders treat him like a leper and call him a weirdo. Who are we kidding? Let's face it, as far back as James Dean, good looking, brooding guys on motorcycles have been babe magnets. Had I known this back then, I would have saved my money for a bike instead of blowing it on beer and fast food every weekend. I will pause this review briefly to kick myself…. Okay, I'm back. On with my review. Johnny's relationship with the older lady at the bowling alley is never developed although it seems to hold promise for further developments. Perhaps a love triangle? I dunno, it just seems kinda weird how it is given attention, and then dropped. Aside from Quinn's character, all other characters are fairly two dimensional. Tracey feels underwritten. She's a perfect princess that decides to rebel just because her life is too perfect? Really? Huh. At least that's what a brief two minute scene tries to sell us on for her motivation for ending up with Johnny on her first night. Did I miss something? I attribute these anemic characters to an underdeveloped script that comes across as clichéd and formulaic.In most instances, this would be the death of any film. At least for me it would be. But because of all it's other strengths, it actually turns out to be a pretty engaging little movie, even after all these years. "Reckless" is a fine example of how style, and shameless pandering to the teenage psyche, can sometimes triumph over a substandard script.

First, how can you hate a film that utilizes both INXS and Romeo Void on its soundtrack? It's so '80s, but in the best way. That was the New Wave in music, and it fits, it fits with the story. The story is an old one, the poor little rich girl, so intrigued by the bad boy, the one with the troubled history, the unsettled home life, the one with the intense blue eyes, the boy who is obviously more of a "man" than her own boyfriend. She has to know about him, and she gets the chance when they are selected to attend the high school dance as a couple, much to her boyfriend's dismay.His desire to leave their sleepy steel town, the little depressed, economically, hellhole with nowhere to go but down, is a catalyst for her, along with his seductive charms. He "wants" her, he tells her, and she wants him, but can't bear to let him know, without him forcing it out of her. He opens her up, sexually, mentally, he challenges her, and there are some really erotic scenes to show all of this.Don't dismiss this film as fluff, or "plotless", there is a definite plot, it's an old one, used many times, but never quite to this effect, with these actors, with people this lovely to look at, this talented, with a soundtrack so perfectly fitting. It's a good movie, and has some really nice, creative camera work - the high school dance scene, camera swirling around Darryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn, is classic. A perfect little movie moment.I recommend this movie, to anyone who likes erotic romances, or who wants to see a good example of why Aidan Quinn got so many parts in movies, or why Darryl Hannah was once so popular. These two light up the screen. The soundtrack is pure '80s, the tail end of the New Wave movement in music, and it's well preserved today.

Just another typical 80's youth film with two actors in their late twenties playing teenagers. Besides all that, you got yourself a sexy poolside scene where you have to wait through half the film to see it. You fot Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah doing a dare strip tease at their high school pool in the middle of the night. It's great. You got to admit it's one of the only reasons why people rent this movie in the first place. A decent story, decent acting, an overall worth see movie. Check it out!