Review: Heaven Help Us

Heaven Help Us (1984)
Plot: Teen angst at a Catholic high school in Brooklyn 1965.

My Take: When you rewatch the films you loved as a teenager, which ones really stand the test of time? Breakfast Club? Probably. Better Off Dead? Maybe. Hot Dog The Movie? Probably not. When Heaven Help Us was released in theatres I remember passing on it because no one else I knew vouched for it (peer approval was very important). I caught it on video a year later and it blew me away. Now, almost 20 years later, watching it again, I realize that this is the best teen angst film ever made. It's funny, intelligent, well written, directed and acted (finally, actual teenagers were cast instead of 25 year olds posing as teenagers). Above all it has what most films of this genre lacked: innocence. . And the best part is that it isn't Hollywoodized. It's very down to earth and believable.

Mood To Be In: This film goes with anything; rainy Sunday's, sick days, or Friday night's main attraction. Need to get in touch with your past? It's a great time travel vehicle. Depressed? It's the pill that you need. Feel like somewhere you made a wrong turn in your life choices and need a new direction? Let this film rekindle those big dreams you once had.