End of Innocence

This movie has a great plot line and it is well written. James Rowe did a great job on creating a simple plot and such complex characters to develop one of my top favorite movies. Tom Arnolds is a great actor and this is one of his best roles ever. This movie can convey that feeling of someone who is over powered that then turns and becomes powerful. However, we see that the main character now has to face his punishment for his deed. The best part is the idea of true friendship and how these boys band together for one another. I was surprised at the length at which these boys were willing to go for one person. It is a must watch if you have friends.

This film was certainly worth watching. There are intricacies in the plot which kept me shouting at the characters trying to help them make the right decisions. But these are 17 and 18 year old kids and they don't make the correct decisions even though they have the best of intentions. I taught high school for 25 years and trust me, I could see some of the students I taught make the same decisions. The actors, especially the kids, did a great job with their characters and their acting let me overlook any flaws in the movie. I could write a lot more but I don't want to reveal the plot before you watch the movie. Sorry, no spoilers from me. Oh, I really like the ending too.

This movie was outstanding from start to finish with excellent performances from the actor and the cinematography was excellent also. The script was well written as well plus it makes you think about how far would you go to protect a friend and the ending was a tragedy in what finally happened to the characters.

I had gone past this movie at Blockbuster, never giving it a second look. Then one night while I was channel surfing, I stumbled across it on one of the movie channels. It was half way over, but I watched it anyway. I liked what I did get to see, so I went back to the video store and rented it. It turned out to be a pretty good movie after all.

The plot is good and it features a talented young cast, particularly Eastman as the simple-minded abused "Aaron." Eastman is probably best remembered (if at all) as "Joey" from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3 & 4. BLUE RIDGE FALL definitely showcases his talent as an actor. The film also features a distinguished supporting cast, including Amy Irving as Aaron's battered mother, Tom Arnold as his abusive father & Chris Isaak as the sheriff.

I found the most disturbing thing about this movie is not the fact that Aaron murders his father, but that the entire town, including Aaron's friends and the law, seemed to know about the violence in his home, yet did nothing about it. Although Aaron's mother seems to bear the brunt of her husband's physical abuse, Aaron suffers more mental and emotional abuse at the hands of his father (as well as getting hit), which is just as painful and destructive as any physical blow. His only escape is through his drawings and his friendships with Shane, Taz & especially Danny, the golden boy high school football star.

BLUE RIDGE FALL is definitely worth renting. It's a good movie about loyalty, friendship & the effects that family violence and abuse can have.

Aaron, Danny, Taz and Shane are small-town boyhood friends. Shane is slightly older and has been in trouble with the law, Taz and Danny are high school seniors and both are football players. Danny even has prospects of a college scholarship. Aaron makes up the fourth of their quartet and although slow-witted and the victim of domestic abuse has real talent as a sketch artist.

When Aaron reacts with violence to his father's domestic abuse, his friends are faced with the question `How far will you go to protect a friend'. The boys make their decisions but through ill-chance and bad-decisions events quickly spiral out of control and no-ones life is going to be as it was.

Overall this film was watchable and the plot moved along well. All of the main characters were believable and you could easily empathize with the boys, however it suffered in that none of the characters were fully developed and the ending was, at best, ambiguous.