The Last Days of Paradise

Although it might not seem, it's a picture of what happens, at least once, in our lives... As the countdown begins for the demolition of Pop's Paradise, great friends get closer and closer to separation, as they will start heading for their own lives, following their "objectives", their dreams, after finishing high school. It all happens in the mid 60s, among social and political tension, which characterized the problems in the U.S.A. during those times. Full of spirit, it will show you courage, friend and leadership, and make you feel somehow nostalgic. The soundtrack couldn't be better, as it gathers some of the greatest hits of that decade, like The Drifters or Beach Boys.

I look at this movie, which tries to collect all of this rebel youth spirit and embody it within a six or seven characters, as most movies about the 60s often seem to do. The result is often clichéd and I'm wondering whether, in the end, these movies are encouraging a sort of myth. Yes, there was the civil strife that lasted at least twenty years, starting with the culmination of the civil rights movement in the mid fifties and continuing to the end of the Vietnam War. That's a long time for a lot of anger, confusion, and energy to come out. And, of course, it did. But how much of it was done in this sort of way, this almost ritual arrangement of characters and themes? This movie made it look like, first, that all of the youth (at least in this town) were in favor of simply one side of questioning their parents or teachers (or other's) judgments and rebelling non-stop against that. Is that the way things went on after being saturated in this struggle for change on so many fronts (civil rights, the war, the feminist movement, etc)? Movies like this tend to be less realistic in their efforts to mark a particular decade, or a particular era, with this desired representation. And "There Goes My Baby" does with particularly little, if any, relent.

This is the story of six friends on the eve of their high school graduation in 1965. Post high-school plans for one involves going into the Army, after having enlisted. For two others, it means hitting the road and "discovering this Country" and sort of getting lost in that hippie culture (at least as embraced by the character, Sunshine). For two of them, it's off to college. And for yet another, it means trying to get famous (an odd one out in this particular mix of characters). But, things suddenly change when, in such a short span of time, they each seem to have their little flirtations with the bigger restlessness of the decade (riots, protests, and so forth) that cause them to rethink things (although, some already realize what's what). It just seems to easily, and done with an abundance of corniness that should have been held at bay if this movie was to be as effective as the filmmakers anticipated. There are far too many ultra-patriotic speeches that seem more laughable than dramatic. And as such, it makes the entire film even more ridiculous.

As others may be attracted to the film for the same reason I was, you do get to see a number of well-known actors in their early days. Look for then-unknown Mark Ruffalo talking to "Stick" (Ricky Schroeder) in one scene where he talks about having found someone to buy Stick's Woody (yeah, that sounds funny).

It certainly would help if you, (as I was) a teenager during the mid to late 60's to enjoy this movie. The writer and director skillfully encapsulated all the issues of the time into a two hour movie that chronicled one graduation day/eve in 1965. All the emotions, political troubles, moral issues, family belief structures and youthful life styles and were portrayed through the friendship of these few individuals. This movie was one of the most nostalgic films I have ever watched.

I can understand people disliking this movie who were not of age to remember the year 1965. It looks and seems really corny.... And yeah, the movie is a drop of a caricature and corny. But, I was 10 years old in 1965, and if you're using today's society as the measuring rod, those times were certainly corny. But the movie isn't that far off from the way it was. Things were so, so different, and this movie does capture the look, dialog, and general mood of society at that time. It was a definite turning point in American society. The fight at the beginning between the teacher and student was definitely something that would have occurred in 1965. People calling this movie silly are way off.... Somebody said much of the cast was embarrassed to have made this movie. Well, most of the cast had no way of knowing what 1965 was like, they are wrong for panning their own movie. The fact is, this movie is entertaining and not all that inaccurate as far as portraying the year 1965. Certainly anybody my age and older would thoroughly enjoy this movie.

i love this movie for many reasons....but one of the major reasons,is it gives 2 character actors a chance to play opposite there usual bad guy/heavy personas. actor paul gleason,known primarily,as the asshole principal in 'the breakfast club' and the slithery badguy,clarence beeks,in the eddie murphy/dan ackroyd comedy 'trading places',plays one of the girls parents in the film 'there goes my baby',as a meloncholic tender father figure. whereas,actor j.e. freeman,better known as the homicidal homosexual hit-man,'the dane' in the coen brothers,'millers crossing' and the volatile dangerous,'marcelus santos'[sp?],in David lynch's 'wild at heart',played in 'there goes my baby',ricky scroeder's thoughtful compassionette working class father. p.s. to whoever said,that 'there goes my baby' was a 1965 song,they were wrong,it was a 1959 song by 'the drifters'. sincerely and without to much pomposity i hope,the surly greaser.