This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

This movie scared the you-know-what out of me!!! i remember seeing it when i was about 11 years old and i will NEVER forget the scene of Helen Hunt jumping out of the window. I never knew the name of the movie until I watched an old episode of Saturday Night Live when she hosted and showed that scene as a spoof. I freaked out when I saw it as old sleepless nights came flashing back. I remember when I saw it, it scared me so bad I cried. Yes, it would probably be cheesy if it were showed today but it really did work for me. I smoked pot in college but that was it. Not to mention I was exposed to EVERYTHING you can imagine. However, I always remembered Helen Hunt going through the window and have thanked her ever since for my wise choice to abstain. i was always afraid I would have the same reaction of thinking my arm was a snake. I wish there was a way to show this to kids today but they may laugh at it. Perhaps it was my formidable years but it really worked for me. How funny that others had the same reaction. I always tell people that this is the reason I didn't ever do drugs but no one believes me. Thank you Helen Hunt for jumping through the window and trying to cut your arm off with a piece of glass!!! this movie may have saved my life!

The person who initially volunteered their comment obviously grew up in a catholic schoolyard full of nuns and sodomizing priests! For I witnessed this type of behavior firsthand! Although, I was a participant as well, I tell you this is exactly what happened in "mainstream" America as well as a smalltown where I grew up. The eighties were a confusing time to grow up. What with the Reagan Administration bringing the fear of all out global war and the way the VIOLENCE in America was shaping up, I TELL YOU IT IS A MIRACLE FROM "GOD" THAT THIS WORLD SURVIVED THE EIGHTIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise "GOD" that we survived this long, but the sad part is that today in 2006 going on 2007, those same messed up folks are now running the country. You ought to be ashamed for even trying to belittle this movie. It said a lot for America at that time and today!

This TV movie really shows how drugs will effect the lives of all who take it and the family members who lose someone to drugs. "Desperate Lives" has a great cast.Scott Cameron,played by Doug McKeon(On Golden Pond), is a kid who hangs around with kids who do drugs. Sandy Cameron, Scott's sister, Sandy,played by the beautiful Helen Hunt(Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Mr. Saturday Night, and Mad About You)is dating a boy named Steve, played by Grant Kramer(Hardbodies and The Young And The Restless), who is into drugs. Some of the high school kids have drug problems, nobody want to admit it, but a new councilor, Eileen Phillips, played superbly by Diana Scarwid(Mommy Dearest, Silkwood, and Extremities), can see that there is a problem with the kids with drugs.Scott's and and Sandy's mother and father, played by Diane Ladd(The Ghosts Of Mississippi) and Tom Atkins(Creepshow, Halloween III, and Lethal Weapon), think that they have the perfect family, they think that their kids can't get into drugs but later on, they realized they wrong.Steve gets Sandy to try a synthetic version of Angel Dust and she ends up going a little psychotic and injures herself bad. Things gets worse when a girl at the school named Julie Jordan, played by Michele Greene, dies cause of drugs. Scott goes for a ride with a friend named Susan,played by Tricia Cast(The Young And The Restless), they smoke a joint full of the Angel Dust and get into a wreck, and Susan dies. Scott is taken to the hospital, the doctor says he might recover or not. Scott later on remembers everything and goes spastic. Mr and Mrs Cameron realized how wrong they were about their kids not being effected by drugs.The school still doesn't see the drug problems they have at the school, Eileen Phillips, at a pep assembly, at the high school, makes the school wake up and see what is happening to the kids cause of drugs.This movie is super,the supporting cast is great.Clayton Rohner(Just One Of The Guys, Modern Girls, and G vs E)plays Monte.Mykelti Williamson(Streets Of Fire, Midnight Caller, and Con Air)as Jack.Art Hindle(Porky's 1 and 2, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, and The Octagon)plays Eileen's boyfriend, Stan.I give this movie 2 thumbs up and a 10/10 stars.

This film, edited down to 54 minutes was shown as an "ABC Afterschool Special". And like many of the specials took a young persons view of a particular issue: AIDS, drugs, teen pregnancy, etc. This one, staring Helen Hunt did the heavy drug thing, and was toned down when it was edited for the After School showing. Not bad acting for Helen, she certainly moved onward and up. Its interesting looking back at these afterschool specials, as many young actors (Scott Baio, Mariel Hemmingway, Hunt, Charlie Sheen..etc) were featured, and many moved up in Hollywood stature. It's unfortunate the specials are no longer (since 1997, I think) being produced.