Brat: An '80s Story

The Short of It:

This is probably the first time I’ve ever found myself completely enamored by a memoir.

The Rest of It:

Most people know who he is. Andrew McCarthy did many films, perhaps not all of them successful but films like Pretty in Pink, Mannequin, St. Elmo’s Fire and Weekend at Bernie’s were surprisingly successful and seemed to make him a household name. My favorite film Less Than Zero, is oddly enough, not McCarthy’s favorite by far. From the title, you would think that much of this book is about the 80’s and yes, there’s plenty of that decade covered in this book but it’s more about how the term “brat pack” made and broke, what was a very vulnerable kid just trying to find himself.

The push-pull nature of show more McCarthy’s story is so readable. He was given some breaks but never felt that he belonged. His insecurity about who he was or who he was being asked to portray, caused him a great deal of nervousness and anxiety. He would often self-sabotage himself by consuming too much drink, and later drugs. The substance abuse only masking his insecurities for the moment.

Anyone who has ever doubted themselves can relate to his story. There’s a raw, vulnerability here which I always felt came through his characters too. This is not a story about Hollywood and all of its glitz and glam and it’s not about what we all perceived to be wild success. This is a story about a young man struggling to find a place for himself in the world.

What I really loved about this book is that it so delicately balances what we expect from him, and what he needed to share with readers. He includes plenty of information about each of his films and how they came to be. He also includes a lot on the business of acting itself, which is why I am handing this copy over to my daughter for her to read. But in addition to all of that, he tells us about his family, introduces us to the people who made an impact on him along the way, and what he’s learned from it all.

I’ve read McCarthy before and he’s quite a good writer but he really outdid himself with this one. If you ever wondered what happened to him after the 80’s, you might recall some TV shows he was in and his directorial work for the very popular Orange is the New Black series on Netflix. In my mind, he has had a very successful film career but with this book, I feel that he’s firmly planted his shoes into writing and I hope that’s the case because I would love to read more from him.

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Having read his earlier [The Longest Way Home] recently, I was eager to get more from McCarthy. This one was especially interesting to me, as it focused on movies and an era in which I grew up with him. This book is somewhat less personal, focusing on the ins and outs of the time more than his own internal struggles like the earlier book. But he brings the same cutting and self-effacing charm to the narrative.

4 bones!!!!

McCarthy, Andrew. Brat: An '80s Story. digital. 2021. Hachette Audio. Iconic '80s actor and teen heartthrob, Andrew McCarthy, reflects on his early career and rise to success in this revealing memoir. Known for classics such as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, and Mannequin; McCarthy talks about his love for New York City, acting strategies, his struggles with alcohol, and has no compunction about dropping tidbits regarding actors and directors he's worked with. Though he was a founding member of the "Brat Pack," he reflects on why he resents the designation and has never fully embraced the nickname for the group of actors and actresses that he is most often is associated with. Brutally honest, this memoir looks back at youthful show more debauchery, acting ambitions, and naivety. A perfect example of the highs and the lows that come with achieving the Hollywood dream. McCarthy is more than willing to dissect old mistakes and failings with self-deprecating humor and fresh insight. Brat is extremely well written, something too often missing from celebrity memoirs; and highlights just how talented Andrew McCarthy is on multiple fronts. Narrated by the actor himself, this memoir is an easy listen and perfect for those who grew up loving his work and are looking for a trip down memory lane. Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN show less

This is an interesting book and even a little surprising since it is well written. McCarthy says that over the years he has done travel writing, which shows. I have never heard of his previous writing but his style is pleasant and moves easily. He does not usually have any universal insights, but he is good at psychologizing his own motivations and describing the reactions of others. He continually limits what he writes to what is useful to himself alone. The reader is just a companion shadow along for the reverie. This is a good sensation to have while reading a memoir. The book covers most of his life belying the book’s title which specifies the 80s. The final chapter of the book takes the reader down his long memory of the vague show more title Brat Pack and how it hurt him and helped him through the years. McCarthy was never my favorite actor from the 80s but he hit a string of hits which I really appreciate the existence of: Less Than Zero which was great (better than the original book once you knew that Ellis was parodying Joan Didion’s Play It As It Lays), Pretty in Pink, Class (his first movie with Rob Lowe, Mannequin (really funny, thanks to Donna Flores for letting me watch it), St Elmo’s Fire, which I have grown to appreciate. He talks about Ron Kovic going to see The Winter Soldier (play about the Vietnam War) which Kovic also talks about in his own book. The book is an homage to NYC where he apparently still lives. McCarthy was addicted to Xanax and an alcoholic which he needed to seek treatment for as he lives as a recovering alcoholic. McCarthy said he tried to model his acting demeanor on Golden Age actor Montgomery Clift. Worth reading, if you are fan of 80s movies.
B&W Pictures, Readers Guide of Questions, 217 pp. show less

Brat: An Eighties Story by Andrew McCarthy is a 2021 Grand Central Publication.

Growin' up, you don't see the writing on the wall
Passin' by, movin' straight ahead, you knew it all
But maybe sometime if you feel the pain
You'll find you're all alone, everything has changed

I was just a little bit outside the targeted audience for some of McCarthy’s films in the 80s- but not by much- so I could still easily relate. Of all the ‘Brats’, McCarthy was my favorite. I thought he was so adorable. I never knew much about him personally, as he wasn’t quite as flamboyant as some of his peers, who knew how to work the system to keep themselves in the public eye as long as possible.

I confess, I haven’t thought of Andrew in a long while- show more although it does seem he keeps busy, directing, and writing, and works steadily as an actor. When I saw this book at the library, I put a hold on it immediately. I was dying to trip down memory, and hopefully, get a little glimpse of what McCarthy was like in his private life.

The first thing you might want to know is that this book is not a full-on memoir- it really does stick, almost exclusively, to the 80s decade. Andrew doesn’t get into his romantic entanglements, etc., but he does share some personal issues, including his complicated relationship with his father, and his struggles with alcohol and anxiety.

The book begins with a very brief outline of his early life and when and how he decided he wanted to be an actor. From there, McCarthy takes us on his journey through awkward auditions, excellent connections, and some pure luck that propelled him to stardom as well as a few odd reminisces, about one or two one-off chance encounters with famous people -Maybe a little 'slice of life' Hollywood style.

Andrew has real talent, but I get the impression that fame was uncomfortable for him- he seems reserved, maybe a little introverted, and didn’t seem to care for the politics, or the some of the sheer shallowness of being a celebrity- but of course, he enjoyed the attention paid him by beautiful women. Ha! (Though he knew his celebrity was a big part of that attention.)

It was nice to revisit the eighties, to get an up-close look at how someone like Andrew, who didn’t grow up in the Hollywood circle, depending on his talent and determination, making an impression on some key people in the industry which helped to establish him as a respected, popular, and skilled young actor.

His stories are funny and witty- told in low-key, self-deprecating tone- at times. Sometimes I thought even thought Andrew was marveling at some of his unique experiences and by how things clicked into place.

The book also has a bittersweet quality to it, a poignancy that exposes McCarthy’s vulnerabilities, and at times a raw pain he stoically attempts to contain-even now.

This short book is hardly a definitive memoir of McCarthy’s life, but it centers on the area of his life people will be the most curious about- and it did bring back some nice memories, favorite movie quotes and scenes, while a stellar soundtrack runs in the back of my mind...

Overall, this is a very nice memoir-interesting, though a bit mild-mannered. If you liked McCarthy before, you’ll still like him after you read this book- and you might even respect even more.

I need you now like I need you then
You always said we'd meet again… show less

I have a very special place in my heart for all of Andrew McCarthy's 80s-movie characters (I haven't seen Weekend at Bernie's or Mannequin, but I HAVE seen St. Elmo's Fire at least 25 times) so I'm probably being generous with a 3-star review. Still, this was one of the more unflinchingly-honest memoirs I've listened to.

McCarthy is a better writer than I assumed he would be, but his memoir of the Brat Pack years is surprisingly dull. I appreciate that he doesn't gossip about his co-stars, but that leaves him little material other than his own insecurities, toxic relationship with his father, and burgeoning alcoholism - all of which are presented in a muted tone. Fortunately it's a brief book and it reads quickly. Readers who came of age in the 1980s can take comfort in the fact that there's nothing in the book that will make them feel ashamed of their crush on him.