‘St. Elmo’s Fire: 40th Anniversary Edition’ 4K UHD Blu-ray (review)

Sony Pictures

Whew.

This movie is A LOT.

Before he gave us bat nipples or the greatest incel, white privilege movie of the 90s, Falling Down, the late Joel Schumacher, yes, that Joel Schumacher, co-wrote and directed the quintessential Brat Pack movie, St. Elmo’s Fire.

Sure, The Breakfast Club preceded it by 4 months and got the initial Pack together, but come on, St. Elmo’s Fire is THE Brat Pack film.

Drugs, interdating, bitter rivalries, chaos, and DRAMA abound, and that isn’t even talking about the movie. See the 2024 documentary Brats, directed by Brat Pack alum Andrew McCarthy, based on his tell-all book of the same name, for more info on what I speak of.

I love and hate this film.

I was 12 when St. Elmo’s Fire was originally released in the theaters. Definitely too young to truly understand this movie when I saw it. I had seen The Breakfast Club earlier that year, and absolutely loved that film. So, my parents let me and some friends go with my older cousins to see it.

I obviously didn’t get what the movie was about. I just knew that all my favorite actors at the time were in it, and that was good enough. Later, in high school, I understood the plot and most of the “complexities” of the characters. I may or may not have agreed with all their actions, but I enjoyed it overall. During the myriad subsequent viewings on cable when I was older, in high school I would always watch it and go from enjoying it, to slowly having the characters annoy the crap out of me.

I haven’t watched St. Elmo’s Fire for probably a quarter of a century. I was just out of college the last time I watched it. During that viewing of the adventures of Jules (Demi Moore), Billy (Rob Lowe), Kevin (Andrew McCarthy), Kirby (Emilio Estevez), Wendy (Mare Winningham), Alec (Judd Nelson) & Leslie (Ally Sheedy), I decided that I didn’t really like this film. My opinion hasn’t changed much since then, for the most part.

With my most recent viewing, I despise almost all of the characters. I have a difficult time finding anything redeeming about any of them. I say almost because I still love Wendy and her big heart. Mare Winningham’s Wendy is the only redeeming character. Her hopefulness that everyone has good in their hearts, deep down inside, makes her the most likable character in the entire film. Her resilient determination to not let shit break her spirit was and, as it so happens still is the only bright light in a group of narcissistic, self-serving, soon-to-be yuppies and insufferable artists.

However, St. Elmo’s Fire is a brilliant study of toxic masculinity, broken women, and lost souls.

The film is set against the backdrop of a mid-eighties Georgetown. Seven best friends and recent graduates of Georgetown University are finding their way, some with more difficulty, in the real world. While some seem to be more prepared for what the world has to offer, others are not.

We discover through the course of the film that literally none of them are. Some are just better at hiding it than others. The ones that seem to have their shit together are just as fucked up as the ones who dont. And they don’t seem to give a shit who they take with them when they go down. Others just don’t seem to give a crap. Carpe diem, amiright? Messy lives in a seemingly perfect world. All in all, by the end, no matter how fucked things get it seems their friendships will persevere and, though strained, will endure. They seem to all be trepidatiously content with that.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, then by all means, watch to your heart’s content.

Keep in mind, St. Elmo’s Fire was released in the nineteen-eighties, the heart of the Reagan years, and it shows. Progressive was telling someone that it is “okay to be gay, there is nothing wrong with it,” then trying to hook them up with their other gay friend. When stalking someone was seen as one of the most romantic gestures a person (read: dudes) could do. Just look at the music from the same period. See songs of the times like The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, Rick Springfield’s “Jesse’s Girl”, “Don’t You Want Me” from Human League, and of course Animotion’s “Obsession”.

Many aspects, as you can imagine, do not age well in this film. And yet some parts are just as topical today as they were 40 years ago… 40 years. Jesus. I’m old.

Extras are plentiful including commentary from director Joel Schumacher, making of, vintage featurette, deleted scenes, music video and trailer.

Anyway, the sound and picture on this new 4K 40th Anniversary release look better than they did when it was released, even if the film itself hasn’t held up.