I think Andrew realizes during the documentary that nobody gave a rat's ass about the label besides himself. He keeps digging and asking questions like, " but wasn't that hurtful?" "Did it bother you?" Demi said it best, you make of it what you will and you will keep perpetuating this behavior. Yeah, Andrew, get over it and move on. The Brat Pack was a cultural moment, and it's over just like most pop culture is. If any of the members of the pack continued to act, it was for pure luck or looks, nothing more. None of these guys were super good actors anyway. Save the time.

A privileged actor whines about a magazine article not written about himself from forty years ago. Imagine being that self involved. Andrew, it's all in your head and it's time to move on and gain some life perspective. This documentary is not about the Brat Pack or those in it, this is about Andrew McCarthy trying to come to terms with something within himself that he has imagined was more important than it actually was. I could not imagine being that out of touch with reality. Molly Ringwald and others were very, very wise not to appear in this and inflate McCarthy's ego any further. By the end of the documentary, I pitied his amount of self delusion.

The Brat Pack was on the rise in the 1980s thanks to many rising teenagers in cinema A lot it them centered around John Hughes’ films mainly Breakfast Club which gained such popularity in the pop culture Loads of popular teen actors from Kevin Bacon to Jennifer Grey to Matthew Broderick to John Cusack to Brooke Shields to Michael J Fox to Lea Thompson got their noteriety during the 1980s But other teen stars like Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Lee Thompson, and John Cryer have different views on the subject saying it was false, stereotypical, incorrectly branded, condescending Here director Andrew McCarthy makes a documentary presented by Hulu digging deep into the fascination However many actors and actresses are pretty displeased with the term since not all of them were associated with it It’s truly not what they’re lives are like in real life and the media took it as a meaning of its own affecting the zeitgeist It’s an alright documentary but really could’ve used more pizazz from the stars being interviewed

BRATS is not really a docu about the bygone Hollywood era. Instead it's a self-indulgent personal journey for director Andrew McCarthy, who has long felt haunted by the label Brat Pack, despite everything positive the short-lived term has come to signify. Though largely tedious and rather sad, there are insights to be found here, as the film becomes a study in how people involved in the same events can perceive things so differently. Listen to how Rob Lowe explains his view, full of appreciation and gratitude, versus McCarthy's wounded hang-wringing. That's almost worth the price of admission, though at feature-length, this docu is still quite a drag overall.

Few actors get to be in iconic movies that are timeless. Few actors see the type of success they achieved at such a young age. Yes, the article was relatively mean and I am sure it derailed their careers in several ways but the amazing experiences they had outweigh any negative press. Sadly, as much as I admire Andrew McCarthy's acting, it was so self-indulgent and whiny. Okay, your career suffered.... hard to feel sorry for a group of AMAZING actors who were all good looking, talented and very blessed. I applaud Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelsom for NOT participating and I applaud Rob Lowe's attempt to tell Andrew to be grateful for being one of a few per generation.

Members of the ‘80s Brat Pack are tracked by Pack member Andrew McCarthy to reassess. Was Pack membership a career killer or a gift? There is an excellent life lesson in this exploration: it’s all in how events are interpreted. Wisdom and transformation are found in resilience, optimism and a long view.

I graduated from high school in the mid-80's so this was primarily a nostalgic experience. Can't over exemplify how big those movies were and the actors and actresses were to our generation. Some continued on to big careers and others faded away. But I think this documentary captured what a special time it was for a generation and the lasting impact the Brat Pack had.

This reminded me of the Episode in Loudermilk where he meets Lizzie the artist who's career he ruined by writing a terrible review. Only on a much bigger scale. The brat pack movies passed me by the time, wrong country, wrong age. But obviously subsequently I've come to appreciate the Breakfast Club amongst others. The most interesting thing is having watched over the decades how the pack's careers progressed or didn't - seeing and hearing how everyone felt or still feels. Some recovered, or claimed they were never part of the brat pack - Notably Jon Cryer. Others have imploded. Some made their peace with it - others never have. It's taken Demi Moore 40 years to make her best film, in the Substance. And Brats could be Andrew McCarthy's most meaningful & best ever work. The impact of a two word throw away comment echoes on and on. Unsurprisingly the professional reviewers have been more than usually thoughtful about their reviews.

why? The least famous member of this random club no one has given two cents about until a documentary came out to comfort this random nobody. I don't get it. lol and the us of "us" throughout....who are you??

I'm not as cynical or dismissive of what Andrew McCarthy's modus operandi was for creating this documentary. I believe it was a true reflection of one man's genuine effort to make sense of an event that happened to him and his peers - and how each of them dealt with it, for better or worse. We listen to the wisdom of ages expressed in their current selves, and appreciate the intelligence that these actors displayed in their youth. It was a warm, fuzzy walk down memory lane for those of us who grew up with them. I hope it brought some kind of closure to Andrew and the others who were negatively affected by it, as well as a belated self-pat on the back for having endured that intense spotlight. Good for Andrew to finally come face to face with his accuser - like watching a HS reunion, when the former geek/nerd confronts the bullies and tells them how what they did and said to his younger self really hurt him. So I was disappointed in David Blum's response and his lack of accountability and/or empathy for his past actions. Demi Moore accurately distilled it as a "career move" to ensure job continuity and self promotion. His refusal to apologize for his actions comes off as borderline sociopathic or, perhaps, just downright arrogant. It's a must watch, as a precursor to binge watching John Hughes movies.

I started out watching this in hopes it was a dive into the “where are they know” kind of documentary! It is not. I’m going to join in on the bandwagon of this is a “therapy session” for Andrew McCarthy! Ohh Blane, you need to heal from that article and that time in your life! It was hard to get through this movie. But I wanted to be supportive..it’s cringy…it’s awkward, it’s uncomfortable, I felt like Emilo Estevez at the start of the session. The thing is, I don’t think Andrew is ever going to heal from this..it truly affected him and we witnessed this.

Excellent work growing up up in the 80s I literally thought the Brat Pack was the end all be all!! I would have given anything at 16 yrs to be included in that grouping. I was shocked to see how it negatively effected Them. One thing I want to mention Emilio E. Hutton, and even Rob Lowe definitely earned my respect for having the character to take part in a documentary I hope it helped them heal old wounds

It was so obvious this was an attempt by the “Nap Pack” to make one last stab at reviving their careers. McCarthy forgets that viewers watch people suffering all over the world and his asking us to spare sympathy for him, and a group of aged-out actors, is nothing less than absurd.

I haven’t watched St Elmo’s fire or Pretty In Pink but i’ve seen enough to know how ridiculous this ‘documentary’ is. Did it ever occur to Andrew McCarthy that he was just never really a good actor and was typecast as the cute nerd but then got too old to play the role?He also keeps talking about it being 30 years ago when it was 40 years ago, the dude is ten years out of touch with reality. Judd Nelson was a 26 year ol playing a high schooler in The Breakfast club and was also not very good. Rob Lowe owes his fame to his looks, Emilio is successful due to being good, landing some really good roles and nepotism, Molly is not very good looking or acting Demi Moore is a has been most famous for the last twenty years for being a cougar but Alley Sheedy and Lea Thompsoni arestill gorgeous. I have never understood the appeal of John Cryer John Hughes has been dead a long time and he was basically the puppet master for a bunch of cloying and cringey ‘coming of age’ movies, he was only good when he did mostly straight comedy like Ferris and Vacation movies. Anthony Michael Hall chose not to be involved and this was the only thing smart about this fiasco.

Excellent insight to one of the best times in film making. The “brat pack” inspired the lives of young people in the 80’s. I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

I was looking forward to watching this as I was close to the same age as many of them in the '80s. However, I found it rather boring. The actors themselves weren't interesting nor were their lives very interesting outside of their work and there was nothing revelatory. I stopped watching at the point where the pretentious Malcolm Gladwell prattles on about "desegregation." What does that have to do with a bunch of kids who made movies in the '80s? If anything the documentary is disappointing in that it reveals that the Brat Pack wasn't particularly special at all.

A nostalgic trip down memory lane and a harsh reminder that we must not be boxed in by the criticism of others. Perception is just that. I found the character evolution of Andrew McCarthy so interesting. It's almost as though he was the protagonist in a movie, bringing everyone together for a life changing moment, rather than being the champion of a documentary about the entertainment industry and its chronic cruelty. Sadly, I doubt the plot will change. Negative and nasty sells. Heart-warming is for paupers. Lots of positive feelings and reflections for me. I will tell my high school pals to watch it.

Nice to see other actors & behind the scenes people during that time. Wasn't to crazy about all the camera angles.

God I wanted to love this. As a child born in the 80's I didn't experience the bratpack in "real time" but watched the movies in the 90's when my parents shared them with me. They became important memories in childhood and nostalgia I still turn to, so I was excited to see the actors catch up with each other and hear how this affected them. Unfortunately, Andrew McCarthy seemed to want to use this film as a vehicle for HIM to work out all of his issues around it, instead of listening to his documentary subjects he said he so eagerly wanted to hear from. His constant interruptions and navel gazing made the interviews choppy and made me as uncomfortable as his subjects often appeared, and which he did not seem to pick up on, continuing to talk over them with his own drivel. Listening is a skill and one that McCarthy does not possess, much to the detriment of the documentary as a whole.

Really enjoyed it. What a nice group of people who went through a crazy time. Hope this encourages them to keep in touch. Movies were really well done and they should be proud of their work. The reporter, not so much.