That was an excellent one.

A Major Disappointment

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Phoenix plays a character you love to hate. Incredible movie. Incredible ending. Comes full circle. 10/10! I recommend.

William Richert directed and wrote the novel as a youngster on which A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon is based. Sad to say he failed to capture whatever charm there was in the book for his lead character. As River Phoenix plays him, Jimmy is spoiled, hedonistic, self-indulgent, and a liar. Maybe he should have gone into politics.Richert wrote the book in the Sixties and that's where the film is set, a rich suburb of Chicago. Phoenix as Jimmy Reardon is spoiled kid who has sex more on his mind than anything else, not atypical for someone his age. He's a chick magnet even when he's not trying.What this one wants to do is somehow get an airline ticket to Hawaii where he believes he can be a beachcomber and live off tourists. His father, Paul Koslo, wants him to go to school or get a job, the nerve of the man. So Phoenix hatches this scheme to somehow get enough money in the next 24 hours to fly to Hawaii or its either, the street, a job, or school. That is if the women can leave him alone, which apparently they can't.Including one cougar who is deliciously played by Ann Magnuson, she's the best thing in the film.River Phoenix's fans usually consider this one of, if not the worst film of his short career. I'm inclined to agree with them. River is certainly sexy enough in this film, but he's so incredibly dislikeable in this part.

This is a film about a boy named Jimmy Reardon. He's at a turning point in his life, and he has no clue as to what path to take. Sound interesting? Not really.This movie plays off a depth that is non-existent. It's hard to take the main character seriously, when I have no understanding of his view point. Jimmy is shallow and unlikable, and exactly the kind of character you don't want to portray.I read somewhere that RP's mother strongly hinted that he take this role because he hadn't done a film for over two years. I understand that. And I know that River rose above this kind of film and was almost making works of art, before his sudden and tragic death.All I can say about this movie is that it's trying to be intellectual, but don't by into it. Only small-minded individuals could find the sexual promiscuity of Jimmy the equivalent of 'art'.2, just for being a RP film.

A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988) was another starring vehicle for River Phoenix. The film is filled with a lot of teen stars that paraded around on the silver screen during the eighties. But unlike the teen comedies of today, these were rated R are just rated that way to get more of their core viewers. This was a great era for River Phoenix. He was starring like in every other big production that came out of Hollywood. But like all the stars, they eventually come down hard and River Phoenix was no exception.The movie is about the life of a wild teen. He has all sorts of adventures and conquests. His home life is also a battlefield. Dealing with his absent father and girlfriend take a toll on his personal life as well as his school life. That is also a problem. At his age many kids are at a crossroads on what to do with their adult life. Go to school or get a job like his old man. What is a rapscallion like Jimmy going to do? Until that one wild night comes and passes.Just another run-of-the-mill teen comedy from the eighties. Except this one's a River Phoenix starring vehicle. Nothing more, nothing less. Recommended for fans of eighties films.