This is one of the most "famous" movies from the 80's and well, it features what has been commonly referred to as a "Brat Pack" of actors. Joel Schumacher directs it and well, he has went on to do plenty of good things in the future. Most of the people in the cast went on to have fourishing careers also. However, this movie just didn't do it for me, and to be honest with you I don't really think it is about anything.
It is referenced as a "coming of age" film and I suppose to a certain degree I can relate to that as has anyone else in life that makes normal post-college decisions such as get married or not get married, choose a career and stick with it etc. However, is that really a story? Is that a plot?
Look at all the stars in this movie... some of them have faded away and others seem to have willingly left the limelight but they were all a really big deal for quite some time in the 80's and 90's. I wasn't paying attention when this film was released ini 85 because i was too young to be interested in a movie like this. I was moreso looking for Back to the Future or Indiana Jones type stuff. I did manage to see this film when i was in my 30's and I though, after watching it, that the iconic song was the only real redeeming quality about it. It's just boring.
Here's the plot, a bunch of people really like this bar St. Elmo's Bar and discuss their problems. Most of them are recent college graduates and if there was ever a movie about "first world problems" this is that movie. The problems they face aren't really problems so much as they are something that everyone faces and well, perhaps that is why it is classified as a coming of age film.
If you can't tell by what i have written so far, I didn't like it. A vast majority of the press and critics felt the same as me back during its time in theaters. One critic actually called Schumacher "brutally untalented" and said that "nobody over the moral age of fifteen" will like the work of the Brat Pack actors in the film. Rob Lowe won a Razzie (an award you don't want) for his performance in this film and again, other than the song, this movie is (in my opinion) tough to watch.