Dias de Violência

I was surprised by this movie. I only saw the last 45 minutes of it, but it really grabbed me. Not only because of the very disturbing story, but also because of the, at some stages, incredible acting by Juliette Lewis.

Amanda and Billy/Juliette and Brad in this movie must have been the model for the trailer park couple in "Kalifornia". I found Kalifornia much less disturbing despite the in-your-face violence displayed by Brad's character there. I guess this is because "Too young to die?" was produced before the era of quick camera action. The slow pace of the film reminded me of "Badlands", with the same emptiness and destructive path, except that in "Too young to die" there's absolutely no romance involved. In a merciless way, it is outlining the destructive path that Amanda is on, with no one to help.

This is one of those films that stick, even with 45 minutes captured of it. And that's what movie experience is about.

Nice to see both Brad and Juliette at an early stage of their careers, clearly lying the foundation for their later roles (Brad as cowboy with Gena Davis in ..., Juliette with De Niro in Cape Fear and with Woody in Natural Born Killers).

When I first saw this film in 1990, I as deeply disturbed but also incredibly impressed by the convincingly believable and powerful portrayal of Amanda Sue Bradley by Juliette Lewis. She was virtually unknown at the time, and I was impressed; I remember noting her name in the credits and expecting her to become a celebrity based solely on the talent she conveyed in that role. I recently saw this film again (2005), and I was even more impressed by her ability to tap into the mentality of the character and portray such desperation.

Other than her performance, the movie is nothing to rave about; in fact, I'd call it cheesy, and I would expect better of Brad Pitt. If you are a Juliette Lewis fan, however, it is a MUST SEE! Your respect for her will only grow greater. She is the only thing making the film memorable.

Due to the seriousness of her crime, Amanda is being tried as an adult, for murder, and faces execution if guilty.

Amanda is 15 years old.

This film is based on a true story. Unfortunately, this means absolutely nothing in the film represents what actually happened to Amanda... except perhaps that she murdered someone and was found guilty.

So, viewing the film in it's own right, I think it does an excellent job of presenting us with information, with a scenario, and asking us many questions about the legal system, and the strange institution that is the death penalty. The subject is a minor, only 15yrs old. Alcohol and drugs are involved, and she is only 15yrs old. Sex, prostitution, and rape by a family member, and she is 15yrs old. Married, legally, at 15yrs old. Up in front of the beak, death penalty, possibly facing the end of her life, at 15yrs old.

In fact, having read my own paragraph above, I find it incredible that this is a true story... I mean, how could all this happen, and then a jury of adults be asked to decide on a death penalty for a child who has been through all this? Madness, to be sure. Perhaps a jury of 15yr olds would be better? After all, are we not supposed to be judged by our peers?

The situations in the film are well presented. The confusion and the strangeness not blindfolding us, and not brainwashing either.

We are allowed to think all the way through this movie... and I guess careful thought about this subject is what was needed. All actors do well, especially Lewis, who develops a very whole, very believable character throughout.

One criticism might be that while the film carries an 18 rating, what we actually see is , well, Disney-fied. The subject is wholly unpleasant, true or not, but the edges are certainly smoothed. It is presented in a Saturday matinée format, when it could quite easily, and maybe more truthfully, be presented in Natural Born Killers reality styley, and thus deserve it's rating.

Well worth watching... thought provoking, well acted, and deserves a "7" from me!

At the beginning of the movie, Amanda is being arrested for murder. Through flashbacks we learn of the circumstances, and the movie goes back and forth between the present and the past. Amanda tells her lawyer she didn't do it, but she is not very helpful in keeping herself out of prison--or possibly death row.

Amanda was only 14 when her stepfather asked her to do something she didn't want to do, and when her mother blamed her, she soon felt her only option was to run away. Once she ended up broke and alone in another town, Billy came to her rescue with a job no 14-year-old should have. Soon Amanda needed rescuing again, and Mark, divorced with children, proved to be her knight in shining armor. But things did not improve for Amanda, and we know something terrible eventually happened.

Juliette Lewis did a better than average job, showing a range of emotions and dimensions to the troubled Amanda character. I don't know that I saw the potential for the respected actor Brad Pitt became, but maybe there was something there.

It's a real shame this was based on a true story. No teen should have to go through what Amanda did. Still, maybe showing the circumstances of her life will help others in her situation.

I saw this movie on TV when it was originally released (i was 11 i think) and I never saw it again, but I fairly certain that it scarred me for life. Some of the visuals were so... disturbing. I think one sign of a well-done movie is when it's viewers can recall the images over a decade later when they are busy doing something else. I'm not sure what it was about it that stuck with me so, the hopelessness or futility? This movie really showcases Juliette Lewis's impressive acting ability, it was the first time I had ever seen her, the next time I saw her was "Natural Born Killers." I was surprised to learn that This movie was based on a true story, that's even more disturbing. I was also surprised to see that Brad Pitt was in it, I guess it's back when he was a bit less famous :). To make a long opinion about a made-for-TV movie short, not everything has a happy silver lining, and sometimes you have to be smacked in the face by cold harsh reality to appreciate the good things.