In the Custody of Strangers (1982)

We came across this on Netflix and finally watched it. It's worth a watch for the laughs. Martin Sheen is over the top with his acting, of course. Emilio tried to be a tough guy but this was no Mighty Ducks. In the drunken driving scene (with the hood up), he amazingly drives on the sidewalk and makes it back to the street until he hits a police car at a donut shop. Warden Caruso has a humorous soft spot for Danny. He just wants this kid out of his jail and there is nothing he can do. That is except carry him out of solitary confinement when the guards refuse to call him at home at Danny's request. Danny Boy is losing his mind after weeks in his own cell. If only he hadn't talked to the man hitting on him in his own holding cell through the bars. Now his life has turned into a month long nightmare.

Martin Sheen is such a strong actor that he capable of lifting even the most mediocre of films.Im not saying that In The Custody Of Strangers is a bad film,on the contrary it is a good compact story with a strong message aimed at youngsters about the cause and effect of juvenile delinquency.The casting of Sheen and Estevez as father and son adds resonance to the story and helps lift the project above the level it would have otherwise have been at.A lot about the film has dated,the cheesy rock soundtrack featuring Billy Idol and the like traps it in its time but the message hasn't aged,do wrong,and you will open yourself up to having your life turned on its head.

I could see this movie being shown to high school kids as a warning about the evils of juvenile delinquency. The downward spiral of Estevez's character Danny begins when he is arrested for drunk driving. Rather than going down to the station to release his son, Danny's father (real-life dad Martin Sheen) tells the police to let him spend the night in jail so to teach him a lesson. While Danny is sitting in his cell, a neighbor prisoner attempts to assault him but is thwarted and severely beaten by the teenager. This incident begins a domino effect as Danny's night in jail turns into years of incarceration.

In this film Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez play father and son with bad tempers and a lot of pent-up anger. When the son Danny gets arrested one night for driving drunk and rear-ending a police car, his out-of-work father decides to `teach him a lesson' and decides to let him spend the night in jail. One thing leads to another and soon Danny is spending day after day behind bars having become enmeshed in the system.Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez are both very good in their respective roles and the other characters are well done as well. While the script has a bit of an `after-school-special' feel about it, it is consistently interesting and it does serve to tell a story that needs telling.