By: Jesse Striewski
Back in the ’80s, everyone had their favorite member of the so-called ‘brat pack,’ the group of young actors famously dubbed so by the media. I suppose if there was ever one member of said club that I related to the most, it would have to be the slightly aloof, yet seemingly down-to-Earth Andrew McCarthy. Known for his roles in such popular films as St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty In Pink, and Weekend at Bernie’s, McCarthy has made a career for himself in more recent years as a writer and director.
Unlike so many biographies of its kind, Brat is written with style and eloquence, empathizing well thought-out ideas and stories over the standard ‘tell all’ memoirs that border on bragging about excessive sex and drug usage. Here McCarthy details his childhood growing up in New Jersey (another thing we also share in common), the spark that fueled the fire for his love of acting, and the filming of all of the previously mentioned films and then some. And somehow he even manages to do all this in just over two hundred pages, making it a quick read for those who might suffer from shorter attention spans.
The only complaint I might have here? Unfortunately there is no behind-the-scenes detail of the immortal Weekend at Bernie’s II; McCarthy simply (and swiftly) glances over it as an embarrassing after thought, though most will likely forgive him for that. Still, if you’re like me and salivate over any and all ’80s trivia, then Brat will likely be just as up your alley as it was mine.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
