Zum Sterben viel zu jung

Too Young To Die is an above average television movie starring Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis as a pair of young killers and Michael Tucker as the lawyer for Lewis. Tucker is desperately trying to keep her out of the gas chamber and the film is mostly in flashback as she tells her story.

The film really does belong to Juliette Lewis in a stunning portrayal of a pathetic life. She's 14, repeatedly raped by her stepfather, abandoned by her mother and living on the streets until she meets street hustler Brad Pitt.

Later on she develops a relationship with an army sergeant, Michael O'Keefe who has two small children. When their relationship is discovered by the army, Lewis is forced to go back to Pitt. She's full of hate for the world now and acts accordingly.

Michael Tucker who was playing lawyer Stuart Markowitz on L.A. Law at the time gets to play another attorney. He wants to help her, but Lewis is too dumb to get out of her own way.

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis got good notices for Too Young To Die and later played the same kind of parts in the theatrical film, Kalifornia.

I'm not a reflexive opponent of the death penalty, but applying to a minor and one like this seemed unjust. I think even some of the most hard hearted proponents of capital punishment would think twice about the state executing Lewis.

Too Young To Die is a fine film showcasing the talents of up and coming stars Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. See them in their salad days.

"Too Young to Die" tells of an attractive young woman of low intelligence who's raised by a degenerate mother in a low class environment and sexually abused by men resulting in tragedy. This unfortunate flick has a story of some social significance but fails to bring it to the screen with the bitter reality, heart and compassion is deserves. Lewis and Pitt offer good performances but the film suffers from melodrama, stereotypical clichés, poor directing, and a mediocre screen play with an obvious made-for-tv presentation. Recommended only for those interested in the early work of Lewis and Pitt.

At the beginning of the movie, Amanda is being arrested for murder. Through flashbacks we learn of the circumstances, and the movie goes back and forth between the present and the past. Amanda tells her lawyer she didn't do it, but she is not very helpful in keeping herself out of prison--or possibly death row.

Amanda was only 14 when her stepfather asked her to do something she didn't want to do, and when her mother blamed her, she soon felt her only option was to run away. Once she ended up broke and alone in another town, Billy came to her rescue with a job no 14-year-old should have. Soon Amanda needed rescuing again, and Mark, divorced with children, proved to be her knight in shining armor. But things did not improve for Amanda, and we know something terrible eventually happened.

Juliette Lewis did a better than average job, showing a range of emotions and dimensions to the troubled Amanda character. I don't know that I saw the potential for the respected actor Brad Pitt became, but maybe there was something there.

It's a real shame this was based on a true story. No teen should have to go through what Amanda did. Still, maybe showing the circumstances of her life will help others in her situation.

I saw this movie on TV when it was originally released (i was 11 i think) and I never saw it again, but I fairly certain that it scarred me for life. Some of the visuals were so... disturbing. I think one sign of a well-done movie is when it's viewers can recall the images over a decade later when they are busy doing something else. I'm not sure what it was about it that stuck with me so, the hopelessness or futility? This movie really showcases Juliette Lewis's impressive acting ability, it was the first time I had ever seen her, the next time I saw her was "Natural Born Killers." I was surprised to learn that This movie was based on a true story, that's even more disturbing. I was also surprised to see that Brad Pitt was in it, I guess it's back when he was a bit less famous :). To make a long opinion about a made-for-TV movie short, not everything has a happy silver lining, and sometimes you have to be smacked in the face by cold harsh reality to appreciate the good things.

When I first saw this film in 1990, I as deeply disturbed but also incredibly impressed by the convincingly believable and powerful portrayal of Amanda Sue Bradley by Juliette Lewis. She was virtually unknown at the time, and I was impressed; I remember noting her name in the credits and expecting her to become a celebrity based solely on the talent she conveyed in that role. I recently saw this film again (2005), and I was even more impressed by her ability to tap into the mentality of the character and portray such desperation.

Other than her performance, the movie is nothing to rave about; in fact, I'd call it cheesy, and I would expect better of Brad Pitt. If you are a Juliette Lewis fan, however, it is a MUST SEE! Your respect for her will only grow greater. She is the only thing making the film memorable.