Surviving: A Family In Crisis - 1985 Television movie
Surviving: A family in Crisis is a 1985 made-for-television film that was originally aired on Sunday, February 10th 1985 on ABC in a rare three-hour slot. The film was touted as a "special event" that should be watched together by the entire family. In fact, in the years after the airing, some schools throughout the United States took it upon themselves to show the film to High School aged students in health classes. In the early eighties, the emergent increase of youth suicide rates alarmed the collective soul of the nation. As a reaction to the frightening headlines, in the 1984-85 television season there was a unofficial "trilogy" of teen suicide-themed films aired with the laudable goal of initiating conversations in American homes about this troubling subject. Firstly, on Tuesday, October 16th 1984 was CBS's "Afterschool Special" style half-hour film "Hear me Cry" about two teens united in their curiosity about death, first become unlikely friends, then form a suicide pact. This special starred Robert McNaughton, know for his role as the eldest brother on E.T., and Lee Montgomery (Girls Just Want to Have Fun). CBS followed up just a few weeks later with the made for TV movie "Silence of the Heart". Like Surviving: Family in Crisis, the movie had an impressive a cast. The film starred Charlie Sheen, Mariette Hartley, Howard Hesseman, Chad Lowe, Dana Hill, and Elizabeth Berridge. In this film a young man becomes overwhelmed by his problems and resorts to driving his gold Camaro off a cliff. The parents believe, or want to believe, that it was an accident. Meanwhile a friend has to live with the warning he ignored and must cope with the guilt of not being able to stop him. Again, like Surviving, this film deals with the fallout of suicide, the despair, guilt, anger, and other feelings that survivors are cursed to endure.
Getting back to Surviving, the cast of this made for television movie was surprisingly impressive for the time, or even now. Firstly there was Ellen Burstyn know for her work as the terrorized mom in The Exorcist (1973) and later in Requiem for a Dream (2000). Marsha Mason has had a prolific career but may be best known for the Neil Simon penned hit Goodbye Girl (1977) and the polarizing cult classic Drop Dead Fred (1991). Paul Sorvino of Goodfellas (1990) and Dick Tracy (1990) does some great work here as well. The film was headlined by Molly Ringwald who was enjoying the height of her fame at the time. This must have been quite a casting coup. The casting may have been brokered by Hunt Lowry, he produced many of her John Hughs film and also produces here. The young "leading man" is played by Zach Galligan one year after he appeared in the hugely popular Gremlins. The two younger children were played by pre-Stand by Me (1986) River Pheonix, who at 13, was a definite star on the rise and Heather O'Rourke. Young Heather was already a household name thanks to her iconic role as Carol Anne in Poltergeist (1982) as well as numerous television appearances throughout the Eighties including Happy Days, Webster, CHiPs and Fantasy Island, just to name a few.
The movie opens with a montage of family photos (utilizing the stars' actual photographs) accompanied by a simple yet wistful score composed by James Horner. The score work here is not the most dynamic, but there is a distinctive theme as well as music used effectively to embellish key moments. James Horner has composed hundreds of movie scores including films such as Cocoon, Glory, and Titanic, just to name a few.
After the opening and title card, we witness an end-of-summer party where we are introduced to Rick (Zach Galligan), a bright young man who is, we will learn, into photography, classical music, and studies tirelessly to impress and follow in the footsteps of his successful doctor father David, played by Len Cariou. Rick is about to enter his senior year in high school and his father needs him to do well on the ACT's. He returns home from a study session in the midst of the boisterous party and is stopped by his mother on the way upstairs. His mom (Ellen Burstyn) is busy, not only with the party, but with her volunteer work as a host to foreign exchange students. She stops to take a moment to tell Rick that Lonnie is back in town, here at the party, and he should be nice to her. Rick continues on upstairs where his little brother Phillip (River Pheonix) and little sister Sarah (Heather O'Rourke) join him as he scopes out the party with his camera's zoom lens from his elevated bedroom window perch. He spots Lonnie standing with her parents and his sight lingers on her wrist.
After the opening and title card, we witness an end-of-summer party where we are introduced to Rick (Zach Galligan), a bright young man who is, we will learn, into photography, classical music, and studies tirelessly to impress and follow in the footsteps of his successful doctor father David, played by Len Cariou. Rick is about to enter his senior year in high school and his father needs him to do well on the ACT's. He returns home from a study session in the midst of the boisterous party and is stopped by his mother on the way upstairs. His mom (Ellen Burstyn) is busy, not only with the party, but with her volunteer work as a host to foreign exchange students. She stops to take a moment to tell Rick that Lonnie is back in town, here at the party, and he should be nice to her. Rick continues on upstairs where his little brother Phillip (River Pheonix) and little sister Sarah (Heather O'Rourke) join him as he scopes out the party with his camera's zoom lens from his elevated bedroom window perch. He spots Lonnie standing with her parents and his sight lingers on her wrist.
Lonnie and Ricks respective parents appear to be longtime friends. They gather together at the summer's end with an overall sense of optimism. There is dancing and camaraderie. As mentioned, David is a doctor, Tina is a disciplined pianist. Harvey and Lois run a successful clothing business together. Life is promising and money does not seem to be an object. There's just one thing. Lonnie hasn't been to summer camp, she was hospitalized, recovering in the wake of a failed suicide attempt. She feels eyes upon her, judging, pitying. But not from Rick.
Rick and Lonnie get reacquainted fast. She's almost eager to talk about what happened with Rick, since her parents refuse to. She explains to Rick that she hoped after they collected her from the hospital, her parents would have no choice but to confront what she did and why. This did not occur and Lonnie's cry for help or attention from her parents remained unanswered.
Ricks mom, Tina (Ellen Burstyn) is not just a Doctor's wife and a foreign exchange student mentor, but an accomplished pianist. It is not clear if this is her profession or just a disciplined hobby. It does propel the story in a dark direction later in the film.
Rick, while assisting with computer filing at his father's medical office, witnesses an odd interaction between his father and a strange woman. All the while the older woman at his fathers office is asking Rick if he has a girlfriend, and implying he should be having more fun while he is young.
Rick takes the mature woman's advice to heart and decides to cut a solo study session at the library short so that he can pay Lonnie a visit. Things heat up quickly as some pool flirting evolves to kissing on the stairs. Rick confesses he thinks she is beautiful and wants more than friendship.
Tina pays Lois (Marsha Mason) a visit at the couples Tee Shirt factory where she confesses she is a bit concerned about how much time Rick and Lonnie are spending together. Lois (Marsha Mason) insists everything is fine and that the companionship is good for both of them. This seems to assure Tina for now.
Rick, still troubled by the interaction he saw at the office, stakes out the woman's home accompanied by Lonnie. Lonnie has grown tired of the lengthy vigils, and just when she was about to quit, they confirm Rick's worst hidden fear. Rick's dad is having an affair with the strange woman. Lonnie is there to comfort Rick, strengthening their bond.
Devastated and confused by the discovery of his fathers betrayal, he comforts his mom but cannot bring himself to tell her what is troubling him for fear of hurting her. This act of compassion only fosters alienation as well as a deep disappointment and loss of respect for his father whom he'd idolized.
Young Sarah (Heather O'Rourke) troubles her big brother for a book about Whales. To her surprise, Rick unloads all his books to keep, implying he wont be needing them any more. The movie is trying to demonstrate a point here where if you notice loved-ones suddenly purging things they used to value, it may be a warning sign.
Rick and Lonnie are discovered in bed together, this only cements the parents resolve to keep them apart. Keep in mind Rick is 17 while Lonnie is 16. A wedge begins to form between the pair of parents as they blame each other's child for the troubles.
In order to be together, Rick hot-wires his fathers Jaguar and make a run for the border. They are however quickly apprehended. Harvey and David share a long awkward drive to pick up the youths where they continue to blame each others children for these extremes of youthful rebellion.
In the aftermath of the car theft and attempted flight, Rick And Lonnie are forbidden from seeing or even talking to each other. Phillip tries in vain to cheer up his depressed older brother. "You cant stay in your room forever." In what almost sounds like a throw away line, Rick says "Maybe I'll kill myself" under his breath. Phillip treats this like a joke and tries to tease his older brother playfully. Unfortunately his hopes of bringing him around are immediately dashed by Ricks unwillingness to part with his anger.
Lois and Harvey decide to send Lonnie to a private school to address her issues and to get her away from Rick. Lonnie begs not to be sent away. She confronts her mom about overhearing her stating she never wanted children. Lois tries to explain that that is not how she feels. "We love you, you are our daughter" Later things became physical as Lois hangs up a call from Rick intended for Lonnie.
Rick blows off his ACT test, just arbitrarily filling out answers. David confronts Rick and things boil over. Rick no longer respects his father and finds him severely hypocritical. Showing his hand slightly, Rick yells at his father " I know what you are!, you're a cheat and a hypocrite!" David slaps Rick. David doesn't know that Rick is aware of his affair and cant understand Ricks extreme behavior. He attributes all of it to Lonnie's negative influence and informs Rick that Lonnie is being sent away to boarding school so she will no longer distract him from his life goals.
Rick places the incriminating photos in his mother's Chopin sheet music where he knows she will find them, putting into motion a reckoning that will occur after he is gone.
Rick says goodbye to his dog, pauses for a moment and then leaves.
Rick arrives at Lonnie's bedroom balcony as she is packing a bag. She tells Rick she is being forced to leave tomorrow. She is unaware that he know because they have been forbidden to speak. Lonnie tells Rick she has been screaming at her parents (that she doesn't want to go) but they wont listen. She feels she hates them now. Rick invites Lonnie to escape with him on his scooter. This movie has been compared to "Romeo And Juliette" and this balcony scene only bolsters that idea.
In a scene that is emotionally strengthened by Pat Benatar's lovesick anthem "We Belong" the lost lovers ride into the night. Rick scares the hell out of Lonnie as he considered (without warning Lonnie) running right into the train. Lonnie pragmatically explains that that would be foolish because they could end up as invalids, stuck in their rooms, unable to be together and depending on their parents for the rest of their lives.
Wedged into a place of hopelessness, it is Rick who suggests they hot-wire Lonnie's father's car. "Whats the point?" says Lonnie, "They will just find us and drag us back again." "We wont go anywhere." says Rick. Molly Ringwald, who is not always praised for her acting, says a thousand words with a long silent pause as Lonnie processes his meaning.
In a bittersweet scene, the young lovers decide to end their lives with carbon monoxide poisoning. This is the part in the movie where as a young viewer you wonder if they are actually going to go through with it, or if a change of heart, or intervention by fate will save them.
It is the next day and the housekeeper arrives early at the house. She drives up in this humble Chevrolet Monza, which would have been a five year old car at the time. She will be the one to realize something is wrong when she discovers the families' Cadillac's engine running in the garage. She quickly summons Harvey and Lois.
Both children are brought out to the lawn where the absolute worst is confirmed. Likely, they are long dead by this time. What follows is one of the most heart-wrenching scenes, not only for a made for television movie, but for any movie I have ever seen.
This is it. If you were one of those who were made to watch this in health class, this is the part you remember. This harrowing scene could bring even the most stoic to tears, I think many thought that the movie would not go there in terms of the young lovers actually being successful in their plan. Paul Sorvino's anguish is palpable here when, in his confusion, he tries at first to support Lonnie's head (as though she was uncomfortable) but surrenders his daughter to her mother's lone embrace as he falls back onto the lawn in tears. Marsha Mason rocking her daughter back and forth while wailing "My daughter is dead!" is an equally brutal gut punch.
Rick's father arrives on the scene shortly, Harvey tries to comfort and prepare his friend for the worst. David doesn't want to hear any words and charges ahead only to find his beautiful, bright, little boy alone under a white sheet.
Tina shows surprising composure as she sees Rick for herself one last time.
When Phillip angrily asks "Why did he do it, Why? his father can only reply with a defeated "I don't know." Splendid acting by River Phoenix here where you can feel his anger and confusion jump off the screen. Heather's work in this scene is more subtle, but her crying in her daddy's shoulder, eyes closed tight, her little hand wandering for something to grasp feels equally genuine and painful to witness.
Phillip, angry and heartbroken, wishes Lonnie had killed herself in her first attempt. In his mind, if she had, his big brother would still be alive. Phillip then goes on to say that Rick must have really hated us in order to leave us behind with such pain. It's no wonder that River Phoenix won a young artist award in the category of best actor in a television or miniseries. Heather O'Rourke was also nominated in the young actress category.
Tina is understandably devastated, but her loss causes her to almost catatonically withdraw. David, reminds her that she still has two beautiful, hurting, confused, children that need her now more than they ever have.
In a move that honors their closeness, Lonnie and Rick have a shared funeral. Phillip breaks as he watches his big brother loaded into the hearse.
More scenes of anguish. Its difficult to witness Rick's young siblings in such pain. Note the parents holding hands here. They appear to be mustering all their strength just to survive the moment.
The funeral procession from the church to the cemetery powerfully portrays how such an event can scar an entire community. Folks are seen stopping in their tracks, solemnly pausing to pay respects. They may not have known the teens personally, but they no doubt heard about, and were moved by, the tale of their tragic ending. At the funeral the family doctor for both teens had this to say; "Suicide is not the answer, Its is not the way out of pain. All it does is lay that pain on the broken shoulders of the survivors."
A friend of Rick's relates a story at the burial site of how he thought of Rick as hero and that even heroes or people who seem to have their stuff together may still be hurting on the inside. Sadly this young man did reach out to Rick but could not stop the events from unfolding tragically. He will live with this question forever, could I have done or said more?
Instead of closure, the funeral and burial only defeats Tina even more as she runs out of strength. She comes home to find her house filled with well intentioned people, who she cannot face. She too wonders if Rick's suicide is her fault.
Harvey and Lois pour through Lonnie's journal, her words scribed on paper, are all they have left. They break down at the documented cries for help, so plain to be seen now, that they either downplayed or ignored when they mattered. "Look Mama, See Daddy, I wrote you a poem on my wrists, I used a razor for a pen." Reads Lois in agony.
Harvey reads her words and his heart, already broken, fractures anew with each one.
Lois doesn't want to be in the house where her daughter passed. "I cant look at the garage, I cant look at the grass where she was lying, I cant walk past her room. Get me out of here!" These things now constantly remind her of the worst day of her life.
Meanwhile, David is going through Ricks room, Phillip finds Rick's favorite shirt and wants a reminder of his brother. David implies that Phillip is being selfish. "If your mother sees you in that shirt it will tear her apart, stop thinking about what you can get." Phillip displays his pain and David sees it's real. He tries to back-peddle, "Take the shirt." but its too late. Phillip leaves the room insulted and hurt.
David turns on Rick's Astrologic Projection machine and reflects on his son.
The reality of the loss catches up with David, who has been stoic till now, and he breaks down in Rick's silent room clutching his favorite shirt.
Harvey's approach to the loss seems to be to charge ahead at work, keep his mind occupied. Lois however cannot focus. To avoid being at her haunted home she has been sleeping in her office where she keeps a whiskey bottle at the ready. Harvey shows concern with this at first. Lois feels judged. Harvey then concedes, "pour me a glass".
Emboldened by alcohol, Lois decides to make an unannounced visit to David and Tina whom they have not seen since the funeral. Lois feels they should be assisting each other through their grief.
David answers the door. Lois sees Tina meekly standing there and she pounces. "Tina we've gotta talk." "I cant talk." says Tina. Frustrated by the lack of common purpose, "If I cant talk about my daughter and what happened what can I talk about?" questions Lois.
They make their way somewhat forcefully into the living room and Harvey recalls a recent dream he had where he heard an infant Lonnie crying in her crib. For a moment he was happy because Lonnie was back. Of course, he awoke to found a living nightmare awaiting him.
Lois shares how she wishes she could be given a chance to do it over again, to hold Lonnie as a little baby and undo all the mistakes shes ever made. "I want another chance to be a good Mother. "Tina we need each other, We could help each other!." Tina explosively breaks her silence. "I cant, when I look at you I see Lonnie. If not for Lonnie I would still have my son!" This changes the tone of the conversation as Lois exclaims "How do you know that! You don't know that!"
Tina is still withdrawn, she does not want to confront or compare everyone's experiences. This frustrates Lois who wants to lay everything out on the table. Lois takes issue with the implication it was all Lonnie's fault. She says Rick was made to feel lonely and isolated. In a scene that some have criticized as being a bit to soap opera Tina slaps Lois in return. I however think the film earned this moment as tensions have been slowly simmering till now.
Seeing that Lois is upsetting Tina, David tells Harvey to take Lois and go the hell home. "What home?" an anguished Harvey asks, "You want to go to our home? You wanna walk past our garage? Your son is the one who is responsible! Hes the one who hot wired the car!" Harvey volleys the blame back at Rick with a more pointed critique.
Lois still tries desperately to bring the four back together. "We are all in this together! They were our children! We are friends." Tina claps back with rage in her eyes. "No we're not! I never want to see you again! I want you to go away, just get out of my life! Don't call me! Don't send me notes! Don't keep driving by the house! It was your fault, it was all your fault!" Lois collapses at those words. "Please don't say that! Please don't say that!" The powerful scene concludes with Lois left on the floor sobbing while David takes Tina to bed. David tells them to go home.
Sarah asks Phillip about all the changes in the house lately. "How long is it going to be like this? Why can't we have friends over?" "Mom can't handle it." says Phillip bluntly. "Why cant mommy take me to the Mother's Open House event at school? "Dad will take you." explains Phillip "For people who don't have mommy's their daddy's take them." "But I have a Mother!" exclaims Sarah both defeated and defiant. Some have claimed that Heather O'Rourkes voice was dubbed in this film, I don't know about that, but her dialog audio does seem a bit off, particularly in this scene.
A bitter reminder for Phillip. But its not just a poster, a buzzword topic of the day, its a new and cold reality for him now. One of Rick's old friends finds Phillip lost for a moment and agrees to walk him to his next class. This shows that Rick's legacy will live on through the people who knew and loved Rick now looking out for Phillip.
Tina, still unable to rally, does not attend the Mother's Open House event at Sarah's school. Sarah is nervous and perhaps a bit embarrassed because she will have a daddy instead of a mommy with her, which makes her different. David admirably encourages her and changes her mind. Here we see some redemption for a character who has caused (and will cause) a great deal of suffering.
Lois plans to become involved in sharing her story, Harvey sees no value in and wants no part in it.
Lois channels her grief into outreach, finding healing through helping others and hopefully preventing additional parents from ever facing the pain she must endure forever. Here she speaks at her daughter's High school to coach parents on warning signs. The Q&A seems a bit forced here but it does deliver some warning signs for people to look for with the distilled message being its better to be over cautious then to regret not doing enough.
Tina lets her guard down a bit and she and David slowly become closer, no doubt an improvement for the children's benefit. David suggests Tina play her piano, that he has missed hearing her music fill the home.
Tina discovers the photos Rick left behind and with them, the awful truth.
Ellen Burstyn really showcases Tina's hopelessness and defeat here. On top of losing her son, she now untangles the fact that her husband's infidelity, a devastation on its own, may have contributed to Rick's despair.
Now overcome with understandable anger. Tina lets loose on David spelling out how he never let Rick be a child, never let him relax, or enjoy himself. He was raised with expectations to be perfect like his "perfect" father.
Rick's father seems to realize he failed in many ways, let his family down by cheating, he pushed Rick too hard to be perfect and to pursue a profession he didn't want. You can see grief and guilt wash over him as he begins to understand his role in hurting his son to the point of such complete hopelessness.
In the aftermath of Tina and Davids conflict, the kids seem pretty unaware. Philip hopes to fill Rick's shoes in a small way, and perhaps get closer to his father by offering to help him in the office just as Rick used to do. Here we see Phillip's disappointment as his father rejects his offer. David explains that considering the sensitive and secure nature of medical files, Phillip simply isn't able to do what Rick was doing. Practical as David is being, we still see the hurt caused by a missed opportunity for father to connect with son.
Perhaps feeling more alone now then ever in the wake of David's infidelity revelation, Tina now sees value in Lois' confidence . She decides to set aside her anger and give their friendship another chance at survival.
Finally sharing each others experiences Lois encourages Tina to work with David for the sake of the two remaining children. Sadly, Lois also confesses she doesn't feel there is anything left attaching herself to Harvey.
Tina is slowly improving her ability to be there for her remaining children.
Despite some progress, Phillip feels invisible and takes drastic measures to be noticed in the form of a sleeping pill binge.
Tina is angry at Phillip as she rushes him to the hospital "Did you want me to find you dead!"
Phillip's father visits him in the hospital after the attempt to overdose on pills. We finally see more growth in him, as he endeavors to offer more understanding to his remaining son.
At the same time Lonnie's parents struggle to find common ground after their loss. Although their troubles are quieter than Tina and David's it becomes obvious to Lois the only thing they had in common was Lonnie. Harvey reminds they shared the business. Lois simply does not care about the business, maybe she never did. Lois decides she wants to redefine her life, to travel, and explore. She reveals her new plans for the future no longer include Harvey.
They loved each other once, and remain cordial to the end. Even though Lois is walking away and Harvey doesn't want her to, he knows enough that he can't keep her.
In this heart breaking scene Lois pursues her new life leaving Harvey alone. The sad fact is the majority of marriages do not survive this kind of loss, instead of it uniting people it creates a fracture that often grows to the point of irreconcilable differences. Note the "For Sale" sign on the lawn as Harvey waves to Lois. Like ripples in a pond, so many changes from one terrible event.
David surprises Harvey at his work where he reaches out. David encourages Harvey to pack the workday in and join him for dinner. And with that, the two friends reconnect.
Harvey is the guest of honor as we find out it is his birthday. David, Tina, and the family will not let it go by uncelebrated. The scene is bittersweet as we know until now Harvey was alone.
Hope springs eternal and the film ends on a somewhat positive note as we realize life goes on and people survive. David and Tina, it seems will continue to repair their marriage for the sake of their living children. Harvey will continue to dedicate his efforts to his business supported by David and his family's friendship. Who knows maybe they even will come to call him Uncle Harvey. Lois is on some vision quest in order to find herself or the new woman she became when she lost her daughter. That's what this movie ultimately was about, how those caught in the wake of such tragedy got from devastation to survival.
In a unique collaboration with the goal of advocacy, Molly Ringwald and Zach Galligan appeared on the cover of People magazine's February 18, 1985 issue, which featured an extensive article about teen suicide in conjunction with release of the television special.
Surviving received a paperback novelization by author Elizabeth Faucher. Published by Scholastic, this 169 page paperback arrived February 26th 1985. This author offered other pop titles such as Adventures in Babysitting (1987), The Addams Family (based on the 1991 film), and a Charles in Charge novelization based on the sitcom. Scholastic seemed to capitalize upon a love of television and movies among youth, certainly these titles were very popular at the Middle School Book Fair. These books often utilized images from the film or show on the book cover. The famous faces no doubt drew in young readers. Here in an odd choice, Molly Ringwald, arguably at the height her fame, was not featured as she was facing the other way in an embrace of Zach Galligan's Rick.
After it's initial airing, and with the advent of home video, the film resurfaced in 1993 with the title "Tragedy." The cover art is a bit misleading to say the least. By 1993 River Phoenix had become more sought after than Zach Galligan. Pragmatically or perhaps cynically, the distributor, Sunburst Enterprises decided to feature River Phoenix on the cover, and much older than he was in the 1985 film making it look as though he played a bigger roll, perhaps even the romantic lead in the film. Certainly by 1993 River had headlined his share of films. Note the cringey tag line at the top of the box. Not to mention the synopsis that does a pretty good job until "this movie will make you cry and it will make you laugh". I don't remember much humor here, even in the pre-suicide scenes. Then there's the unattributed quote that reads "A modern day Romeo and Juliet. A definite heartwarming 10!". Finally I will point out the puzzling pseudo R rating despite any profanity or nudity. This does not appear to be an official Restricted rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. So why then is it there? Perhaps Sunburst Enterprises felt the taboo subject of suicide warranted this. Again I cant help but wonder if this was perhaps another deceptive choice designed to disguise the films made for TV origins?
If you haven't seen this film, and you enjoy gut wrenching melodramas wrapped in perfect retro packaging. I highly recommended this extremely unforgettable film. If you have seen it before, perhaps it made you fight back tears in a high school health class, it is still worth a re-watch. Even as a made-for-tv movie, the terrific performances, especially from the adult actors give a realness to the events affecting both of these families. The raw recreation of the teens being discovered was unexpectedly visceral, especially when you may have been expecting some form of happy ending in true made for TV fashion. You are presented a movie which is rich with 80s nostalgia and a teenage romance which was interesting and sweet. Only to become the backdrop of a true Shakespearean tragedy set in an affluent neighborhood in Reagan era America. All characters along the way, except perhaps the teens lost, learn individual lessons of which we benefit, about what to look for when a loved one may be in danger of self harm.
Sadly and ironically of the four kids in the movie it is the two oldest (Galligan's Rick and Ringwald's Lonnie) who tragically die young. In real life however, it would be the films youngest stars who would pass early with Heather O'Rourke, after years of misdiagnosed sickness, dying suddenly in 1988 at the age of 12 just before the release of Poltergeist III. River Phoenix met his own terrible end when he dies of a drug overdose on Halloween night 1993 at the age of 23. Both children were highly accomplished rising stars and represent quite a loss for the world.
The legacy of this not altogether well know film will be the boundary it pushed in facing head on the difficult subject of suicide. Often well intentioned people state that in there efforts to make the world a better place, whatever that may be, if they just help one person then all is worth it. Discussions of this film are almost always peppered with testimonials of those who's lives were changed by it. Indeed some have attributed Surviving to saving their lives as it came upon them at a crossroad of troubled times. They saw on the flickering television, the pain their actions would bestow unto survivors and held on until things got better. The film should still be shown in Health Class today.
Sadly and ironically of the four kids in the movie it is the two oldest (Galligan's Rick and Ringwald's Lonnie) who tragically die young. In real life however, it would be the films youngest stars who would pass early with Heather O'Rourke, after years of misdiagnosed sickness, dying suddenly in 1988 at the age of 12 just before the release of Poltergeist III. River Phoenix met his own terrible end when he dies of a drug overdose on Halloween night 1993 at the age of 23. Both children were highly accomplished rising stars and represent quite a loss for the world.
The legacy of this not altogether well know film will be the boundary it pushed in facing head on the difficult subject of suicide. Often well intentioned people state that in there efforts to make the world a better place, whatever that may be, if they just help one person then all is worth it. Discussions of this film are almost always peppered with testimonials of those who's lives were changed by it. Indeed some have attributed Surviving to saving their lives as it came upon them at a crossroad of troubled times. They saw on the flickering television, the pain their actions would bestow unto survivors and held on until things got better. The film should still be shown in Health Class today.