A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon

William Richert directed and wrote the novel as a youngster on which A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon is based. Sad to say he failed to capture whatever charm there was in the book for his lead character. As River Phoenix plays him, Jimmy is spoiled, hedonistic, self-indulgent, and a liar. Maybe he should have gone into politics.

Richert wrote the book in the Sixties and that's where the film is set, a rich suburb of Chicago. Phoenix as Jimmy Reardon is spoiled kid who has sex more on his mind than anything else, not atypical for someone his age. He's a chick magnet even when he's not trying.

What this one wants to do is somehow get an airline ticket to Hawaii where he believes he can be a beachcomber and live off tourists. His father, Paul Koslo, wants him to go to school or get a job, the nerve of the man. So Phoenix hatches this scheme to somehow get enough money in the next 24 hours to fly to Hawaii or its either, the street, a job, or school. That is if the women can leave him alone, which apparently they can't.

Including one cougar who is deliciously played by Ann Magnuson, she's the best thing in the film.

River Phoenix's fans usually consider this one of, if not the worst film of his short career. I'm inclined to agree with them. River is certainly sexy enough in this film, but he's so incredibly dislikeable in this part.

I only tuned into this film to see Ione Skye. Denise (Ione Skye) and Jimmy (River Phoenix) had an interesting thing going on. Outside of her, I am really not sure what was going on.

Jimmy seemed to be trying to find his own way and not follow what others wanted him to do. Sort of a slacker, he was in constant turmoil with his father until they managed to find something in common to bind them together. :-) He totally screwed things up with his girlfriend, but one suspects that he might have decided to try again as the movie ends. Who Knows?

I really was hoping for a film that would give me an idea of what River was like as an actor. This wasn't it. It really didn't have much going for it except Ione.

I miss movies like these. strong and poetic writing with intense narration by Phoenix. the story is at the same time simple but influent and memorable to our common lives of all days.

the scene when Phoenix rides the car through the alleys and talking about cigars is hardly forgotten.

we all, not even for once, have lived like this, we all have been a teen like this, we all have had our small and big frustrations like these, and we all have had surprises... ...and there's always a new day to come.

;)RIC

A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988) was another starring vehicle for River Phoenix. The film is filled with a lot of teen stars that paraded around on the silver screen during the eighties. But unlike the teen comedies of today, these were rated R are just rated that way to get more of their core viewers. This was a great era for River Phoenix. He was starring like in every other big production that came out of Hollywood. But like all the stars, they eventually come down hard and River Phoenix was no exception.

The movie is about the life of a wild teen. He has all sorts of adventures and conquests. His home life is also a battlefield. Dealing with his absent father and girlfriend take a toll on his personal life as well as his school life. That is also a problem. At his age many kids are at a crossroads on what to do with their adult life. Go to school or get a job like his old man. What is a rapscallion like Jimmy going to do? Until that one wild night comes and passes.

Just another run-of-the-mill teen comedy from the eighties. Except this one's a River Phoenix starring vehicle. Nothing more, nothing less.

Recommended for fans of eighties films.

I kept avoiding seeing "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" for a while after a disastrous bad impression over its first minutes, can't tell for sure what happened in that first attempt years ago. But without any more River Phoenix films to watch, this was the one missing and I wish I could go without. Almost pointless in what's trying to do, unfunny and presenting what could be one of the most unlikeable and detestable lead characters in a comedy - one cannot do that in a comedy. William Richert's adaptation of his own novel "Aren't You Even Going To Kiss Me Goodbye?" was sufferable through nearly its entirety, with some interesting moments and a decent acting from the cast, but it's beyond salvation.

Deep down in "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" there's a valid (and cliched) criticism on the final years of the American dream of the 1950's and the loss of innocence of the 1960's. Here, the young title character (Phoenix) is completely lost with a decision he has to make: to enter the college his dad attended (which the kid hates the idea) or join a college he wants with the artful studies he likes. The dad, played by Paul Koslo, is one of those formulaic characters made to yell and scream at wife and kids throughout the movie, but based on the film bookends he changes drastically (with a given reason).

The problem with Jimmy is that he's still trying to understand life, relationships, as he's also a ladies man but also romantically involved with a rich girl (Meredith Salenger) who refuses to go to bed with him - her parents disapproves of the poor young stud, and he's basically used as a boytoy to please the girl's whims (as I kept watching their moments I couldn't help but thinking of a dull song that I like that had such description). The challenge is to get money from all sources possible to have a trip to Hawaii with the girl and countless situations ensues, none of them funny or interesting - except for affair with an older woman (Ann Magnuson).

Had it used the more serious underlined themes and removing the comedy altogether, this might have been a more interesting film. By the time Reardon finds out about the hypocrisy of the adult world and some sense comes to his head, we almost feel sorry for all the troubles he was put. Almost, since he's a completely obnoxious character who makes all the poor decisions possible despite being a smart guy who knows how to get out of situations. The typical teen with countless things over his head, Jimmy Reardon is someone who doesn't know that the word priority must not be used as a plural - the moment you define "priorities" you lose the essence of what really is a priority to be done/solved. But honestly, I couldn't care about the trip, the money, the college or his attempts in fixing a date for his best buddy (Matthew Perry, on his film debut) since Reardon becomes a total annoyance.

Richert's idea in making of River Phoenix a teen hearthrob was a total miss and a major problem. Phoenix could fit such description as he was a great looking young man. But there was more to it. A sensible and talented young actor who could disappear in his roles, with a great complexity and charisma. To have him reduced in being 'what the girls dream and want' didn't help him and he felt that. To the fans, skip this without worry. 5/10.