Lucas

Lucas was released with little fanfare in 1986, and many think it is one of the greatest "teen" movies ever made. I would agree, for the simple reason that this particular film has realistic, sympathetic and likeable characters and, with the exception of all the football heroic antics towards the end, it's just full of sweetness and charm.

Looking back, it's one of those films with a very interesting cast...

Corey Haim (Lucas Blye) - this was Haim's finest hour, giving a really excellent performance as the title character, a misfit who listens to classical music and collects bugs in lieu of rock 'n' roll and partying. He followed this up with The Lost Boys the following year, but then WHAT happened?!!?...

Kerri Green (Maggie) - everyone loved this sweetly appealing, auburn haired actress in The Goonies (1985) and Lucas - she was lovely in both films. However, Kerri sadly chose not to persue an active film career, which is a disappointment as she would certainly have become a big movie star had she wanted to be...

Winona Ryder (Rena) - even in such a small supporting role, not to mention a debut performance, Winona indicated that she had an extraordinary acting talent. Even though her Lucas co-stars had the bigger roles, it was Winona who has become a major movie star with a huge array of films to her credit, plus two Oscar nominations for her work in The Age of Innocence (1993) and Little Women (1994)...

Charlie Sheen (Cappie) - 1986 was a great year for Martin Sheen's son. In Lucas and Platoon, Sheen did some great work. But like Corey Haim, what on earth went wrong?!...

Courtney Thorne-Smith (Alise) - who would have thought over a decade later this actress would do such a good job as Georgia Thomas in the hugely successful TV series Ally McBeal?!...

Despite its almost universal acclaim and brilliant young cast, Lucas is not as well-known to movie lovers as, say, Pretty in Pink or any other teen movie of that era. Well, all I can say is that those who have not seen Lucas are sadly missing out on something incredibly special.

This film is becoming a classic because of the fine, early performances from Winona Ryder, Charlie Sheen, Corey Haim, even Courtney Thorne-Smith of "Ally McBeal".

It is a unique movie with a love triangle where the viewer wants both guys (Sheen and Haim) to get the girl. But of course both can not.

"Lucas" is about the truths of life and relationships, and how the teenage years bring them to the surface. Another interesting element is the use of insects for symbolism.

High school freshman Corey Haim (in the titled role) falls in love quickly with the new girl in town (Kerri Green). She is a couple of years older, but that is no big deal. She is a good soul herself, but she only thinks of Haim as a friend and nothing more. It appears that football star Charlie Sheen is the one that Green has her eyes on. Sheen's current girlfriend (Courtney Thorne-Smith) does not care for this development as it is obvious to her what is happening. Band member Winona Ryder likes Haim, but Haim is oblivious to her completely. Haim will do most anything to get Green so he decides to quit band and play football instead, thinking that will be the way to win her heart for good. A good teen film overall that plays more like a soap opera than anything else. Really funny at times, but also highly dramatic as well. All this makes the film uneven to an extent, but the messages it tries to go for make it a competent work anyway. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

This is a great, great film. Quite possibly one of the most accurate depictions of high school life I've ever seen. Lucas is funny, touching, and insightful. Corey Haim gives a truly winning performance as the tormented title character and makes the audience sympathetic towards him. Charlie Sheen, Kerri Green, and Winona Ryder all leave their mark in this film as his few friends and the rest of the cast works nicely. The great thing about this movie is that, although billed as a romantic comedy, it is more of a drama that explores the difficulty of being an outsider, this film doesn't give in to teen-flick cliches, it is almost relentless in terms of causing the audience to feel sorry for Lucas and at times it's downright scary. This film really made me think about how stupid high school social structures can be, it really is that bad for some people, in fact it's worse. I think this film is an emotional, moral masterpiece. I hate high school, I love Lucas. If you want to see high school for what it really is...skip "Ferris Bueller" or "10 things I hate about you", see Lucas, good stuff.

What ever happened to the adorable female co-star of this film? She's quite lovely in this film, but she seems to have disappeared. Anyway, this is a fun teenage comedy-romance that features Corey Haim, before he got annoying, in a role where he showed great potential as an actor. My guess, he didn't know Corey Feldman yet? Charlie Sheen mumbles his way through the role of the jock with a heart. Winona Ryder, Jeremy Piven, Courtney-Thorne Smith also co-star in this...a cute film.