Permanent Record (1988)

Permanent Record is one of my favorite movies starring Keanu Reeves. He plays Chris Townsend. I always loved that name. He's a high- schooler whose best friend named David kills himself. What follows is how it impacts the people in David's life. I think however that Chris is the most complex character. He evokes much of the film's emotional weight. There is a good balance in his performance in being between light and introspective. It is an affecting and heartfelt story. I think there were some reasons why it didn't sell when it was released back in 1988 and it really had nothing to do with whether it's a good movie because it is; don't get me wrong. It is one of the most underrated films of that year, or any other year. And it didn't help much at the time being up against Beetle Juice and Colors, although I think that was a minor issue. It did bad at the box office because of the subject matter; teen suicide, which is a touchy subject, no matter what year. Also at the time there were no big names in it. The marketing didn't help either. I remember the trailer being advertised on t.v. months before its release and it basically was a psa. There weren't any scenes shown from the movie. Basically, it showed some kids/young adults talking about being affected by it. While that may be an informative way of marketing; from that perspective, I think it hurt its chances of becoming a hit. Sometimes not showing any footage from the actual movie in trailers isn't necessarily a good thing.I have seen this film quite a few times and I hardly find fault with it. I think it is effective that basically David gets about only the first twenty minutes or so of screen time early on. There may not be much explored with his character but what is presented is all one really needs to know. He is charming, evidently smart and musically oriented. There is a glimpse into what is possibly making him tick. His character carries a lot of weight of the responsibilities that are given to him. It is more about the ones closest to him that are effected by the consequences. I have heard criticisms of the film's ending; that it is reminiscent of an after school special. I disagree. I like the way it all comes together; the school's remembrance of him in the end. It is a heavy film overall, but I think it is well done.

I loved this picture,and I am very hard on movies. I like when actors convey genuine emotions without affectation. These ones kept it real, and most have barely been heard of since.Interestingly, adversity brings depth and character to one's high school career. Without it, it's just classes and parties. This group, in addition to being seemingly "working class," experienced the loss of a friend and icon.This dramatic event forced them to ponder some deeper questions of life and death, and to look inward to the meaning of their own lives. When I was in high school, nothing happened, and I don't remember meeting one single person with depth, or even any interest in acquiring depth.All the actors were way past high school age. That's a common phenomenon, but the effect is to make us view high school students as essentially adults. In real life, they look and act younger and dumber than the actors who play them. Some of the girls were 25-27.Nevertheless, I admired the way these kids were engaged in life and school. They have friends, relationships, a school play, hard classes, extra curricular activities, and cars. There are high school kids who are fully engaged like this for sure.I also liked the idea of an accessible Principal or Dean. Those guys are educators, but most of us saw them as annoyances when we were young.The huge failing of this picture was the pathetically weak build-up to the lost friend's suicide. He felt overwhelmed by the pressure to be productive, so he jumps off a cliff? I know that he may have been drinking, but I just don't buy it. Having said that, the movie really wasn't about that. It was about his suicide's effect on those he left behind.I think that it affected the other kids so deeply, not because they knew him well and loved him..although Keanu did, but because he was a teen icon to them. He was a rock, even to those who just admired him from afar, because he represented stability, confidence, capability, success, and opportunity. One character mentions that notion. (If David couldn't make it, what chance do the rest have, who don't have even half his ability and talent?) The film shows the kids in Portland and the beach constantly, as if those two places are close to one another. They are not. So I am assuming that they lived somewhere between Portland and the beach and frequented both places. I liked the exterior shots at the beach and in the city, with a "light rail" system.I couldn't stand the sappy, sentimental song solo at the end. But I suppose that the character was determined to memorialize David (suicide character), by singing his composition, even though it was in the midst of an established classic play. (David had been working on this song for his band to record) I didn't really believe the blonde who had been David's sex partner. I get the idea that a busy guy like him didn't really have time for a relationship, but she looked too worldly and old. If you look her up, you will see that she was some kind of beauty queen in real life, and was pushing 27 in the film.I also did not get the Jennifer Rubin character. If she wasn't David's girlfriend, then who was she? He didn't seem the slightest bit interested in her. I guess she just admired him enormously.I did however love the way one actress portrayed Keanu Reeve's girlfriend. She was quirky and genuinely supportive and involved in people's lives. She tried to be a good girlfriend, despite her boyfriend's eccentricities, she was trying to find herself through writing, and she tried earnestly to memorialize David. Great job by this girl who played a sex role in Valley Girl 5 years earlier.Everyone has already complimented Reeves for his break-down crying scene. I will too. The guy has considerably more talent than most people give him credit for. I like his natural way, although I admit that he repeated it several times in the 80s.Good flick.

I have to first comment on why the overall rating was only 6.2 and it shows that most people do not understand or get this type of movie. First and foremost the song sung solo by the young lady at the end of the movie MADE the movie more of what it already was, beautiful, truthful, hard-hitting and well-spoken. Because for one to understand any good movie you must also accept and understand the moving and deep music that goes along with it. This movie dealt with a very hard-hitting subject that to this day is still very much real. It is not cliché or taboo. It is very real and I myself have known several people to commit suicide. The real point here is understanding just what the director intended you to get, and most did not get this movie, and even admitted it openly. I got every part of this movie and loved every part of it, and although it is hard to deal with, this is what makes it such a good movie. It is not made to entertain you, but to move you and to educate you. This is not made for opinion, for discussion or for interpretation. This movie was made to last a lifetime, and it has to those who can grasp it completely. It is not about the actors, whom did an excellent job, but about what it says.

I caught this film off cable a couple years ago. It isn't as horrible as the other review states. Some of the music is good, one song, though overly melodramatic "Wishing on Another Lucky Star" performed near the end, was good. It's just a little cheesy. But hey, it was the 80s, Keanu Reeves is in the movie playing a dumbass (huge surprise), what do you expect? Basically, it is a very polished (in that 80s way which is barely) after school special. Don't expext any emotional revelations from it. If you're looking for a touching movie about grief, see "Ordinary People" but if you just want to see a watchable movie with a few cute, sappy moments, this flick is for you!