Lucas

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.

Haim gives his overall best performance as the 14-year-old title character who has a crush on new girl Green and they bond during the summer, but by the time school begins, he gets teased by the jocks and Green leaves him out in the cold and has eyes for football hunk Sheen, who has become Lucas's bodyguard. Fraught with rejection and neglect, Lucas attempts to prove himself worthy by trying out for the football team, which he knows is no easy task for a boy his age. Unlike many other teen movies, LUCAS gives us a character that we can actually relate to, and the other characters fit in perfectly. One of the best teen movies of the 80's.

4 out of 5

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.

During the summer vacation, the fourteen year-old Lucas Bly (Corey Haim) meets the sixteen year-old newcomer in town Maggie (Kerri Green) and they become best friends. Lucas is an intelligent boy that loves bugs and shows the mansion where he lives to Maggie. When classes begin, Maggie learns that Lucas is not a popular student but an outcast nerd at school and bullied by the football players. The football captain Cappie (Charlie Sheen) protects Lucas because the boy helped him when he was ill. Soon Lucas has a crush on Maggie but she falls in love with Cappie, while Lucas' schoolmate Rina (Winona Ryder) loves him. When Maggie joins the cheerleaders, Cappie's girlfriend Alise (Courtney Thorne-Smith) becomes jealous of her and she ends the relationship with Cappie. Meanwhile Lucas joins the football team expecting to impress Maggie. During a game, Lucas is hurt and Maggie finds that he lives in a trailer with his alcoholic father. What will happen to Lucas?

"Lucas" is a touching classic from the wonderful 80's, with a pleasant and sensitive story of unrequited first love. Corey Haim has a magnificent performance in the role of a boy with no family that falls in love with an older girl. The difference of two years for a fourteen year-old boy is indeed too much. Another attraction is to see Winona Ryder, Charles Sheen and others very young in the beginning of career. After almost thirty years, "Lucas" is still a delightful heartbreaking film. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Inocência do Primeiro Amor" ("The Innocence of the First Love")

Note: On 10 April 2019 I saw this film again.

...and "Lucas" is still a charming and sentimental little high school campus comedy with a message about what's important in life (and it ain't football). Telling of a goggle-eyed "shrimp" (Haim) with little going for him, save his indomitable spirit, who tries desperately to win the affection of a pretty cheerleader (Green), "Lucas" is a crowd pleasing blast from the past with its priorities in order. In this day when movies with messages are rare, "Lucas" is a good family flick (for 13 and up) worth revisiting.