Break Out

It bears repeating, I absolutely loved this movie! It is one of my favorite movies of all time! I admit that initially I only wanted to see it because of Balthazar Getty, but it has so many great stars! Everyone does a fabulous job. Great story and characters. I have nothing to base this on, but it seems really realistic. There is some humor and some really sad parts. The director and writer Marc Rocco gives them a lot to work with. I don't see how anyone could not like this movie. Dermot Mulroney, Balthazar Getty, Sean Astin and Lara Flynn Boyle give fantastic performances! I highly recommend this movie! It does make you appreciate what you have and makes you realize how some people, kids, can end up and what can happen to them. Awesome flick!

This overlooked film about teens surviving on the streets of Los Angeles came and went pretty quickly when initially released. Pity, because it's a film that deserves a wider audience. Within the device of a journalist doing interviews as research for an article on runaways, we're introduced to a band of teens who have formed a defacto family and the various situations they encounter on the street. King(Durmont Mulroney)is the leader and protector of an assortment of kids that include druggie Greg(Sean Astin), Little J(Balthasar Getty), smart-mouthed Brenda(Ricki Lake), and newcomer Heather(Lara Flynn Boyle), whom King takes a shine to. The film follows then through their days of riding boxcars, sleeping under overpasses, and hanging out in public places while avoiding cops, drug dealers, and pimps. While the film downplays some aspects of the streets( the violence and emotional devastation of child prostitution is acknowledged but not conveyed directly), others are show with uncomfortable intensity. For some of these kids, it's a one-way trip down. Sean Austin's fate as the speed-freak Greg is disturbing; the final shot of his character in the film haunted me for days.

A social worker (Laura San Giacomo) interviews King (Dermot Mulroney) about his life on the Hollywood streets as a part of a program for his parole. It's a world of drugs, prostitution, petty crimes, and outright violence. Greg (Sean Astin), Little J (Balthazar Getty), crippled Manny (Will Smith), Crasher, and Brenda (Ricki Lake) are some of his street friends. Brenda brings along new girl Heather (Lara Flynn Boyle). King is out of county looking for his girlfriend Devon who has gone missing. Ted (Kyle MacLachlan) is Greg's drug dealer.

There are a lot of big names from the 90's and beyond. There is also Alyssa Milano, David Arquette, Christian Slater among others. I'm surprised that I've never heard of this movie but these old indies can slip by. It's hard to be ultra-realism when there are so many named actors but this has the simple grim reality. It's not too flashy. The plot is a bit scattered with a lot of different characters. I would like a story with a more distinct direction and more agency. I would make Tommy Ray a more concentration of King's attention and he could be the central target of the plot. Overall, it's interesting to see some of these actors pop up in this indie.

The truth in Hollywood's dark-side is unveiled in this story. Awesome acting combined with a Special FX that combines into a chilling truthful movie. DONT Miss this one !

"Where The Day Takes You" is about the homeless youth who come from all over the country to escape their dysfunctional families to live on the streets of Hollywood.It is here that this youth form surrogate families with other homeless youth.

This film chronicles one such family of homeless youth headed by King who is the father figure.A violent confrontation with another homeless leader turns for the worse and King finds himself desperately trying to keep his family together while avoiding the law.

The movie is surprisingly honest about dangers of living on the street and yet portrays the real sense of community that this homeless youth shares with each other.

My only issue with this film was perhaps the Melissa Etheridge music which distracted me.It got more tolerable with repeated viewings of this film but to be fair I am not much of a Melissa Etheridge fan.

If you like movies about Hollywood or films featuring young attractive actors playing disaffected youth then I would suggest this film.