Lack of good storyline.

Instant Favorite.

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

I just want to thank the writers and the actors for creating this movie it really helped me to stop wanting to kill myself i am now 46 years old with 6 kids making over 40 K a year i am paralyzed on my left side due to shooting myself with a 38 25 + years ago and a few years later I watched this movie and it changed my life i honestly can tell you it did. I also asked GOD to help me and he did. I also believe this movie should be played at schools if I had seen this when I was in school it probably would have Scaruied me Straight you might say. I hope that this may help others and will tell them that don't waste you life for anyone People who commit suicide do it by accident thankfully i was not one of them.

I was overwhelmed by this movie in 1985. I think all families with teens should see this film because it shows the after-effects of teen suicide on the surviving family members. It gives hope about how to cope with suicide in your family. Zach Galligan (Gremlins) plays the boy genius of upper-class parents who have high expectations of their boy-wonder to a T, Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink) as the confused and much misunderstood misfit is one of her best roles. A young River Phoenix as the little brother who gets lost in shuffle of his families grief is an outstanding (although a small part) performance. Ellen Burstyn and Marsha Mason give heart-wrenching performances as mothers who have lost their children to teen suicide. This film also explores the different ways that people cope with grief and anger at themselves and at their children for taking their own lives. I would recommend Ordinary People as an excellent follow-up movie to this well-made, well-acted made-for-TV-movie.

I just watched this on Lifetime (thanks!) and it was a very strong, well crafted story. I read the book years ago, and always wanted to see how the movie turned out. Funny to note, since it was released in 85, and now it's 2001, that two of the stars, not the main ones, are gone....(Heather O'Rourke, River Phoenix) What the families go through is really sad, and wrenching, but there's so much truth to what Rick and Lonnie feel was the only thing left for them. This film does not make light of the situation, nor does it show that any of the answers are easy. I wish the network would make it available on video/DVD etc.

This movie has been repackaged and is now on video with the title of "Tragedy". Over the top melodrama with excellent performances by Marcia and Ellen. Scene after scene of very heavy material. James Horner's score is about 8 bars long but used repetitively throughout the film to the point of being distracting.