I don't know about any other movie fan out there did this growing up, but when I was a kid I used to randomly select VHS tapes from the local DVD+VHS rental place where I grew up that I had never heard of or seen. Most of these times, I'd be with my grandma and renting a VHS was not even two bucks I don't think, so she was pleased to take a nap while I watched whatever I'd rented. I hated renting DVD's because if it had been rented before there was always a more than ten percent chance that it was going to skip at some point during the film due to some asinine dillhole leaving it out of the rental case at their filthy house and their dog probably stepped on it and the back always looks like a toddler licked it. So I'd be kind and rewind that shit instead. One fateful day, I was browsing the PG-13 and R rated section of the VHS's to rent because as a kid like I've mentioned more than once before, I was basically allowed to rent what I wanted as long as it wasn't
South Park or
Jackass related. I stumbled upon this movie and based on the title, I gave it a shot. And boy, was I glad I rented this. I remember weeks later when my mom went and rented movies and my brother Ryland came along one time, I rented this movie and we ended up watching half of it until he got bored and left to play PlayStation 2 and I finished it again because it was incredible. I tried to tell my friends and even to this day, none of them have cared to see it but I never gave up on it. I really like this movie and here's why.
First and foremost, I had no idea who any of these actors were, but I was soon to take a liking to all of them, mostly Sean Astin and his performance as Billy Tepper; the extremely mischievous boarding school teen and practical leader of his group of friends that use their tactics and skills to overcome the terrorists that have taken over their school. The performances in this movie alone have stood the test of time for me, and not a second of this film's acting or performances come off in anyway stale or overdramatic. Wil Wheaton and Keith Coogan star alongside Astin prominently in the film as two of Billy's close friends, especially Wheaton who plays Billy's roommate Joey Trotta and absolutely crushes the performance. SPOILER ALERT: AHEM, SPOILERS: It's always such a heartbreaking and sad scene when Billy cries in the room full of his friends after Joey is shot dead on the front steps. Louis Gosset Jr. plays Dean Edward Parker whose stern relationship with Billy in the film is always hilariously father-son like, and remarkable in the end when Parker saves Billy's life in the Dean's office at the end of the film. I could go on, but I always admire the performances in this movie and love the heart and courage of all the characters alike.
The director and co-writer of this film, Daniel Petrie Jr. is perhaps best known for writing films like Beverly Hills Cop and Turner & Hooch; buddy cop films. Toy Soldiers keeps a ton of the action and drama that's needed but erases the buddy cop idea thankfully and focuses on rebellious boarding school teenagers fighting a group of terrorists. It's his first film out of the buddy cop genre and the first film he's ever directed, and a fine one at that. The screenplay for this movie was first written by David Koepp in 1989 for Midnight Cowboy director John Schlesinger based on the 1988 novel of the same name by William P Kennedy, and similarly to the book, Koepp kept the school as a European boarding school attended by American students who had rich industrialist parents and the terrorists were Palestinian. Well, Schlesinger dropped out of the project due to unknown reasons and the script was then re-written by Petrie Jr. to be an American boarding school, which had to have just been easier to film and get actors to the set.
Now, this is actually pretty sad for me, but my second favorite character in the film is an underclassmen named Yogurt that shares a room with the group of rebellious teens. Yogurt was played by young up and coming actor Shawn Phelan, who tragically passed away in 1998 at the age of twenty three after being comatose after a traumatic brain injury he received during a car wreck in '94. He was three blocks from his house. Rest in peace Shawn Phelan, you had a career in front of you the world had yet to appreciate. Also interestingly enough, the quiet kid that followed Yogurt around was named Ted in the film (although never said aloud) and was played by Jeremiah McLerran, a local fourteen year old who had just saved his dad's life by applying first aid after his dad had fell from a ninety-five foot cliff. McLerran had become somewhat of a local hero, getting asked to be in an episode of William Shatner's Rescue 911 television show, and had taken a suggestion by a local newspaper reporter to audition for the 'big film' as an extra. Smart move McLerran. You saved your fathers life and managed to turn a role as a background extra into a "featured extra" that was given a name and more screen time. Just no dialogue.
There's a lot of legends to come out of this film and a lot of legendary things surrounding this film that I really hope will live on for a long time. I hope someday this movie circulates and more people can enjoy it; at least I recommend it!
- Rhett Rhodes
Comments
Post a Comment