This movie kind of sneaks up on you. The performances are mostly excellent and the recreation of the late 50's is superb for a low-budget film. It seems as if the filmmakers are trying to tip their hat to American Graffiti by casting some of the same actors and by using the same kinds of cars - especially the hot-rods. But this film, while not quite as clever as Graffiti, actually has more emotional weight. And the younger brother of Dermot Mulroney, Kieran, is especially good as younger brother Eddie, looking for the love of the town Hettie and the approbation of his older brother, excellently played by Brian Bloom (from Once Upon a Time in America, among others). The weakest performance is turned in by Danielle Von Zerneck, who was Donna in La Bamba, but she doesn't hurt the movie because her character is kind of a archetype anyway and we get it. The opening and closing of the movie bookends the main story and packs a wallop, with an unexpected twist involving characters you have really come to care about.
STARS: Kieran Mulroney, Brian Bloom, Danielle von Zerneck
106 min | Drama, Romance, Sport | 1992 | Color
