Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Admirable film.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is one of my favorite 90s movies which takes place in 1961 on Long Island. The acting is phenomenal and it is a very heart warming tale which shows how difficult and wonderful life can be, no matter what age you are. Elisa Dushku is absolutely adorable as Ali, a young tween who silently admires her 17 year old neighbor Sheryl. Ali is obviously emotionally neglected by her parents and they are too caught up in their own problems and stresses to notice how much she needs their affection and attention. She is also surrounded by nothing but imbecile "friends" whom she is infinitely more mature than. Feeling all alone in the world, she plunges herself into Sheryl and Rick's world and is determined to get them their happy ending so that she can vicariously have one for herself too.It is very interesting and poetic that on the night Sheryl loses her beloved father, she also meets her soulmate, Rick. The chemistry between them is undeniable and he clearly cares for her deeply despite what all the naysayers of the town claim. I believe Sheryl delved into a physical relationship with him so quickly because she was feeling so empty inside because of her father's death. I do not think Rick took advantage of her though, he even gave her time to grieve before coming to see her again after she returned the bowling shoes and made her sad record.Usually I loathe "accidental pregnancy" plots because they are so overdone and absurd to me, but I excuse it because this is supposed to be 1961 in a religious town and involves teenagers. Birth control was not as readily available and you had to be super secretive and essentially careless if you were involved in an intimate relationship. What's interesting to me is that no one thought to help Sheryl and Rick, they only made things worse for them. Sheryl's mother had that huge house and surely must have gotten money from her husband's death, she couldn't have let Rick and the baby move in until the struggling couple got on their feet? Instead she pushed her daughter away, lost any chance of getting to know the man she loved and any relationship with her own grandchild.The scene on the lawn when Rick is humbly begging the mother to let him see Sheryl was very emotional for me. It shows how clueless and petty adults are and Ali is able to see this clearly. It was Sheryl's mother who was wrong, he does not lay a hand on her and ends up getting bashed on the head with a shovel. All he was trying to do was see the girl he loved. They all treated Sheryl far worse than they claimed he was.This movie does not get a perfect rating for me because I also loathe ambiguous endings. Ali says she got a post card from Sheryl and Rick stating that "things were going well so far." I personally like to believe that Sheryl and Rick make it, that they truly were love at first sight lovers and that nothing can change that. And I think Ali believes it too. I am so glad that her parents learned their lesson in the end. I know Ali running away was wrong, but it took something drastic for her parents to finally open their eyes and see how much she needed them. They were so concerned with having another baby and getting through the drudges of every day life that they didn't see that happiness as a family was right there in front of them. The scene where Ali tries to get her father to hug her when he gets off the train when she sees Sheryl's dad fussing over her is so heartbreaking. It is so beautiful that Ali's father emotionally embraces her in the end rather than beating her or screaming at her for what she did. Ali catching the firefly in the end is very symbolic, because it shows that even if you don't know if you will be able to catch something, it is still worth chasing it, just to have something beautiful within your grasp if only for a moment.

I'm about the same age as Eliza Dushku, so when I watched this movie in the early 90s when it was on a cable channel one night, I could relate to her character, Alice. I caught the movie a couple of minutes into it, while flipping through channels. I was intrigued and couldn't shut it off. It's a great story of love, admiration and growing up. As a child and teen, there were several women who I idolized as ALICE does Sheryl. Juliette Lewis was mesmerizing as Sheryl, it's hard not to idolize her in that character. It's an all around feel-good movie. Don't get me started on the amazing soundtrack for the movie. I always looked for "That Night" on Cable, On Demand, Netflix, and Hulu and could never find it. It's so rare that you have to buy it, which I just did. Well worth it to buy in order to watch this classic. 10 stars from me.

this is one of the best movies i have ever seen. i have watched it for over 12 years and i never get tired of it. c Thomas Howell is gorgeous and Juliette lewis is amazing in it. i would recommend everyone take the time to see it. well worth watching!!!! it will make you laugh and cry but will leave you with a feeling of happiness at the end. not a predictable ending. it is far better than recent girlie movies out and i would recommend it for men as well. it really is up there with my other favourites like dirty dancing, flash dance and Bridget Jones diary. not much more i can really say about this except if you haven't yet seen this then go and try and rent a copy today. i promise you won't be disappointed.

Extremely sensitive and touching film about childhood, and a youngster's need to be "saved" from her own age of innocence. Juliette Lewis is fantastic as vampy young woman in 1960s suburbia whose affair with a greasy-haired rebel becomes the focal point for a little girl who lives across the street. The film's dreamy/quirky tone is reminiscent of "Men Don't Leave", and its depiction of a big-hearted kid trying to connect with a world much larger than she is both nostalgic and sympathetic. Filled with small but wonderful little touches, thoughtful nuances and a quiet, sweet ending. Well worth-seeing. This may be the best performance yet from Juliette Lewis--she's flawless. *** from ****