‘Brats’: A Reminder That The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

Brats has been getting a lot of press in the lead-up to its premiere on Hulu, and rightfully so. There have been many looks and examinations of the “Brat Pack” – both of the pack’s members themselves and their films. This time around, though, is significantly different.

Andrew McCarthy directs this documentary, which has him sitting down and talking with his acting peers who also got labeled with the now-infamous term coined by David Blum in a 1985 profile for New York Magazine. The profile initially began as a piece just about Emilio Estevez, but it evolved and also featured Rob Lowe and Judd Nelson as a glimpse at the young actors of Hollywood at the time.

Upon its release, and even revisiting the profile now, most readers would admit that Estevez, Lowe, and especially Nelson weren’t depicted in the fondest of lights. In fact, when running down the members of the “Brat Pack,” Blum refers to Nelson as “The Overrated One.” There have been far worse hit-jobs in media, but few had as catchy of a title that really stuck.

Over the course of the 90+ minute documentary, McCarthy sits down with Estevez, Lowe, Ally Sheedy and Demi Moore and talks to them about how the term “Brat Pack” impacted them personally and professionally. McCarthy also sits down with other actors who were in the Brat Pack’s orbit but weren’t necessarily “members” of this unique club. One of those actors was Jon Cryer, who famously starred alongside McCarthy and Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink. Cryer, perhaps, has one of the most profound soundbites in the entire documentary.

“When that article came out, I recall being really taken aback by it,” Cryer began. “Because there had been so much excitement about all of the young actors that were showing up.”

He continued, “Because there was this startling group of really talented young people, and that was the first time that it felt like that had curdled, that people were going, ‘You know what? They need to be knocked down a peg.’ And I also felt a little weird because there was some sort of effort because Pretty in Pink came out to – it was like you have to decide. Are you part of that or not?”

Cryer concluded by saying, “Writers are addicted to narrative. ‘Brat Pack’ allowed a new narrative to take shape.”

A new narrative certainly took shape following the article’s release, and in the documentary, Estevez, Lowe, Sheedy, Moore and McCarthy peel back those layers of how the article impacted them, and nearly all of them wished they had the foresight to spin the article a different way and shake it off. Then again, age has a way of making you realize things with a clearer perspective.

The “new narrative” Cryer spoke of isn’t exactly new. Society seems to really enjoy and celebrate successful youth with the same intensity with which it enjoys tearing that youth down. When watching Brats, Britney Spears and her treatment in the press immediately came to mind. The same can also be applied to Justin Bieber. Build them up…and then tear them down.

One of the most interesting parts of Brats comes towards the end when McCarthy sits down with Blum and talks about his article. Blum says of the article and its general tone, “It honestly didn’t cross my mind, really, that it was all that big a deal … Well, one or two people were like, ‘Wow, that’s like really mean.’”

Blum and McCarthy’s entire exchange is a fascinating watch, and I certainly won’t spoil the whole thing for you. But Blum says at one point, “ … There were a couple of things in the article that were just plain-old not nice, and I’m sure I should have been scolded by somebody, and I was. I was just trying to be funny. And I actually think I may – I hope I won’t sound too arrogant by thinking that I might have succeeded.”

It’s a sentiment that dovetails poetically with one of Moore’s final comments in the film: “We all made it mean something and in varying degrees. And it actually wasn’t even about really any of us. It was about the person who wrote it trying to be clever and get their next job.”

Not to sound too arrogant, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think about my past work and think twice about whether I was actually cruel when I was trying to be clever. Maybe the target audience of Brats wasn't supposed to be writers and journalists, but it’s a documentary everyone in that profession should watch, if only to get some perspective now instead of waiting to age and see things clearer.

The smell of summer and the end of allergy season is so close, we can almost taste it (and breathe again). Whether it is to cool down from the rising temperatures or to escape those dreaded allergies, streaming services are gearing up with some hot titles this summer.

Streaming giant Netflix is keeping passions hot with two dating reality shows this month. First up is Love Is Blind, this time taking place in Brazil. The popular global show is an experiment where prospective singles are paired up with blind dates and don't get to see each other until they accept a marriage proposal. Last season's Love Is Blind was full of drama, and it is to be expected with the South American hotties from the looks of the trailer. The season premieres on June 19th.

Another popular reality dating show is Perfect Match, with the show's second season airing on Netflix on June 7th. This show is a lot steamier and sleazier than Love Is Blind, so for those looking for that extra spice, you should check it out. Former Love Is Blind contestants are also participating in Perfect Match season two, including Jessica, Trevor, Izzy, and Micah.

Another highly-anticipated series lands on Max this month with the second season of the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. The show is set nearly 200 years before the events of GoT, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys I Targaryen's children battling for control of the Iron Throne. The cast includes Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon, Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen, Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen, and Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen. The season premiere is on June 16th, with subsequent episodes dropping every Sunday.

Over on Amazon Prime Video, The Boys returns for the show's fourth season. On June 13th, our favorite band of misfits will reunite for the first three episodes of the new season. In season four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the super-powered thumb of Homelander (Antony Starr), who is consolidating his power. Butcher (Karl Urban), with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son (Cameron Crovetti) and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team is fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late. The rest of the cast includes Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, and Colby Minifie. Season four will welcome newcomers to the series Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

For Star Wars fans, Disney+ has a new series called The Acolyte, premiering with the first two episodes on June 4th. In the series, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….The series also stars Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Inspired by the unbelievable true story, a straight-laced professor (Glen Powell) uncovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man in undercover police stings. He meets his match in a client (Adria Arjona) who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities. The film was inspired by a Texas Monthly story by Skip Hollandsworth. Powell’s character, the now-deceased Gary Johnson, was a real guy who worked as a fake contract killer for the police, but the film makes sure to clarify that its bigger plot twists are completely fictional. The noir comedy premieres on Netflix on June 7th.

In this A24 comedy film, the story follows Alejandro (Julio Torres), an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who's struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast named Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton) becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. The rest of Problemista's cast include RZA, Greta Lee, Catalina Saavedra, James Scully, and Laith Kakli. The film drops on Max on June 7th.

Jessica Alba makes her return to television in a new action thriller film called Trigger Warning. The Honey star plays a skilled Special Forces commando named Parker, who takes ownership of her father's bar after he suddenly dies and soon finds herself at odds with a violent gang running rampant in her hometown. Trigger Warning also stars Mark Webber, Tone Bell, Jake Weary, Gabriel Basso, and Anthony Michael Hall and premieres on June 21 on Netflix.

In this romanc/thriller, Stranger Things star Joe Keery plays the role of recently-incarcerated Baron. He strikes up a friendship with his new cellmate, Otis (Aldis Hodge), a man with a history of prison breaks. As they hatch a plan to escape, Baron recalls how he met the love of his life, Marmalade (Camila Morrone), and how they came up with a scheme to rob a bank. Marmalade is available to stream on Hulu on June 21st.

In another action-thriller, Orlando Bloom stars as Cash, a man trying to live an honest and quiet life taking care of his recently orphaned niece Savannah (Chapel Oaks) in the Appalachian town of Odim County. When the sadistic kingpin Big Cat, (Andie MacDowell) who runs the town, forces him back into her services, Cash learns he’s capable of anything – even killing – to protect the town and the only family he has left. As the journey gets harder, Cash is drawn into a nightmare that blurs the lines between good and evil. The film streams on Hulu on June 28th.

A surprising romance kicks off comic consequences for a young woman named Zara (Joey King), her mother Brooke Harwood (Nicole Kidman) and her former movie star boss Chris Cole (Zac Efron) as they face the complications of love, sex, and identity. Zara finds herself in a horribly awkward position when Chris Cole falls in love with her mother, and she does everything she can to protect her from him. Kathy Bates is also part of the cast, playing Leila, Brooke’s wisecracking mother-in-law and a voice of wisdom in Brooke and Zara’s lives. A Family Affair debuts June 28 on Netflix.