Break Out

I first saw this movie at a friends house when I was 14 or 15. I was crying like a baby at the end of it, and have seen it maybe 50 times since, and last year I finally found a copy of it that I could buy. Not the most well-known movie, despite it's famous and brilliant cast. Storyline goes as follows; A group of homeless kids on the streets of LA, lead by the young man King (Dermot Mulroney) struggles with drugs, cops, love, life, each other and themselves. The movie starts as King is being released from jail after serving three months for 'assault with a deadly weapon'. When he hits the streets again, his 'family' as he calls them has become a broken one. He is slowly trying to piece it back together. Heather (Lara Flynn Boyle) is the new comer to the group, and King takes a liking to her. Greg (Sean Astin) has delved into drugs, Little J (Balthazar Getty) is trying to deal with aggression and growing up. But with all the temptations around to make a quick buck, how to survive on the streets, parents who call the police on you, and the ultimately a murder it's hard to stay together as a family. A love story about all the things you want and need, but is hard to make happen in an impossible world.

Mentions also to Will Smith, Ricki Lake, James LeGros,Laura San Giacomo, Kyle McLachlan and Alyssa Milano. A story that could easily be a true one, considering how many homeless kids there are on our streets. Never patronising, never indulgent, never moral, but brilliantly written, directed, casted, acted and the soundtrack leaves you yearning for Melissa Etheridge and Buffalo Springfield. A 10/10 for me and I agree that it should be released on DVD and re-released as a whole for a new audience. Beautiful, beautiful... 'Just go where the day takes you.....'

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!

The exploits of the kids in this film are way too real. I used to live on the streets and this film is the first time I've seen street life without the Hollywood polish on it. Granted all the faces are familiar, and everyone in the film is a star, they play the parts with grit and realism. It's really great to see that this lifestyle is portrayed as less than glamourous, because all too often "homeless" movies make it seem like it's easy to get out of it........

This movie is a classic example of what a bunch of talented actors can do without being showcased. Most of the cast in this film have gone on to become bigger stars (some MUCH bigger as in the case of Will Smith) in far bigger budget movies, but they'll all have this one to look back on as something to be truly proud of. Sure, one can quibble with the fact that these people, despite being "glammed down" for the street look, are better looking than "real" homeless youths, but this is Hollywood after all. A promising feature from director Marc Rocco, who went on to make another movie, and now I haven't seen anything from him for half-a-decade. What happened?

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.