Simply A Masterpiece

How sad is this?

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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 really enjoy this movie two of my favorite actors are in this movie and a very young not yet known Eliza Dushku makes her debut in this movie. I have to say I was very impress with her acting in this film. As always C. Thomas Howell to me gives a great performance and no matter what movie she plays in I watch. Juliette Lewis is one of the most underrated actress I think to date. She always make it seems like the script was written for her. As always I am never disappointed in her performance. To whom of those whom read the book One Summer Night I think you would fine the screen version to your liking. If you are into oldies but goodies then this movie is for you it takes you back to your teenage rebel years in the 50s' and if you weren't born in the 50s' it make you wish you were coming up in that era.

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.

Suffering from insomnia and looking for something to watch in the dead hours of the night, I stopped when the satellite guide told me 'That Night' would be on. I wanted to see it because I like Juliette Lewis but had never got around to renting this movie. I got the strongest sense of deja vu when young 'Alice' showed up on screen for the first time and that clinched it, so I settled in to watch. Set in 1961, this is a better than average execution of an entirely cliched plot. Well-off, popular good girl (Sheryl) meets and falls in love with a sensitive bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks (Rick), everyone else disapproves, she gets pregnant, etc. The couple's only ally is Alice, a young girl who lives across the street from Sheryl. She is a lonely soul- tormented by her "friends", ignored by her father, talked down to by her mother, and obssessed with the idea of a love that will transcend her own, rather unhappy existence. She escapes through Sheryl, whom she idealizes- and who she ultimately is able to help in very important ways. This movie wouldn't really work if not for a nice period feel, very likable, sympathetic main characters and strong performances from the actors playing them. Juliette is as compelling as ever and young Eliza Dushku (who was giving me deja vu, I realized when I saw her name in the credits, because I had seen 'Bring It On' only two days before!) is terrific in her very first role as story-teller Alice. 'That Night' is by no means a great movie, but it is a good one, and well worth seeing.