Surviving: A Family in Crisis

Last updated
Surviving: A Family in Crisis
Surviving VHS cover.jpg
1993 VHS box cover retitled Tragedy.
Although Zach Galligan was Molly Ringwald's leading man in the film, by 1993 River Phoenix had eclipsed Galligan's stardom, and was given top billing (as well as a photograph obviously taken several years after the film), to promote the VHS release.
GenreDrama
Written by Joyce Eliason
Directed by Waris Hussein
Starring Zach Galligan
Molly Ringwald
Ellen Burstyn
Len Cariou
Marsha Mason
Paul Sorvino
River Phoenix
Heather O'Rourke
Theme music composer James Horner
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersFrank Konigsberg
Larry Sanitsky
ProducerHunt Lowry
Production locationsBone and Joint Hospital - 1111 N. Dewey, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Lake Hefner Dam, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Piedmont, Oklahoma
Village Baptist Church - 10600 N. May Avenue, The Village, Oklahoma
Cinematography Alexander Gruszynski
EditorsLeslie Dennis Bracken
Kurt Bullinger
John F. Burnett
Running time118 minutes
Production companies Telepictures
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseFebruary 10, 1985 (1985-02-10)

Surviving: A Family in Crisis (also known simply as Surviving, and later released on VHS as Tragedy) is a 1985 ABC television film. Directed by Warris Hussein and starring Zach Galligan, Molly Ringwald, and River Phoenix, the film is described as a modern-day Romeo & Juliet story that examines the tragedy of teen suicide, and the loved ones left behind to pick up the pieces.

Contents

Plot

Rick (Zach Galligan) is the apple of his father's eye; smart, handsome, and idolized by his younger siblings Philip and Sarah (River Phoenix and Heather O'Rourke). By stark contrast, Lonnie (Molly Ringwald) is a troubled and withdrawn girl, struggling to put the painful memory of a suicide attempt behind her. Both teenagers are dealing with loneliness and family pressures when they begin to find solace in each other, and a young romance develops. As Rick and Lonnie's bond begins to grow stronger, and they become increasingly withdrawn from their friends and families, their protective parents begin to worry that the young lovers are becoming too involved and grow increasingly uncomfortable with the teenagers' relationship. Finally, when Rick's parents Tina and David (Ellen Burstyn and Len Cariou) decide that Lonnie is a bad influence on their son, and Lonnie's parents Lois and Harvey (Marsha Mason and Paul Sorvino) decide that boarding school would be the best place for their troubled daughter, Rick and Lonnie, desperate not to be separated, make a tragic decision to take their own lives. In the wake of the young lovers' fatal suicide pact, the two devastated families are left to try and pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and must somehow find a way to go on.

Cast

ActorRole
Zach Galligan Rick Brogan
Molly Ringwald Lonnie Carson
Ellen Burstyn Tina Brogan
Len Cariou David Brogan
Marsha Mason Lois Carson
Paul Sorvino Harvey Carson
River Phoenix Philip Brogan
Heather O'Rourke Sarah Brogan
William Windom Dr. Madsen
Marc Gilpin Bobby
Paddi Edwards Alma
Camila Ashland Woman #1
Jane SimoneauMay
Joe BerrymanSheriff
Lon CoggeshallJed
Midge WoolseyHelen
Sandra GilpinWoman #2
David C. AllenKid
Kim ValentineSherry
Robert Douglas ScottArtie
Regina JohnsonSupervisor
Norma MoorePsychologist
Barry BrawleyKid

Awards

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
1984–1985 Young Artist Awards Best Family Television SpecialSurvivingNominated [1]
Best Young Actress in a Television Special or Mini-Series Heather O'Rourke Nominated [1]
Best Young Actor in a Television Special or Mini-Series River Phoenix Won [1]
1985 Humanitas Prize 90-Minute CategoryJoyce EliasonNominated [2]
1986 Artios Award Best Casting for TV Movie of the weekMarsha Kleinman
Kathleen Letterie
Nominated [3]

Reception

The initial airing of the film brought in an 18.1 rating and a 26 share, ranking third in its timeslot, and ranking 23rd out of 66 programs aired that week. [4]

Novelization

A novelization of the film was written by Elizabeth Faucher and published by the Scholastic Corporation.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Breakfast Club</i> 1985 American film by John Hughes

The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American indie teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. It stars Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy. The film tells the story of five teenagers from different high school cliques who serve a Saturday detention overseen by their authoritarian vice-principal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Ringwald</span> American actress (born 1968)

Molly Kathleen Ringwald is an American actress, writer, and translator. She began her career as a child actress on the sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life before being nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the drama film Tempest (1982). Ringwald became a teen idol following her appearances in filmmaker John Hughes teen films Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986). These films led to the media referring to her as a member of the "Brat Pack." Her final teen roles were in For Keeps and Fresh Horses.

<i>SpaceCamp</i> 1986 film by Harry Winer

SpaceCamp is a 1986 American science fiction adventure film inspired by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Directed by Harry Winer, story by Patrick Bailey and Larry B. Williams, screenplay by Clifford Green and Casey T. Mitchell, the film stars Kate Capshaw, Kelly Preston, Larry B. Scott, Lea Thompson, Tate Donovan and Leaf Phoenix.

The Brat Pack is a nickname given to a group of young actors who frequently appeared together in teen-oriented coming-of-age films in the 1980s. The term "Brat Pack", a play on the Rat Pack from the 1950s and 1960s, was first popularized in a 1985 New York magazine cover story, which described a group of highly successful film stars in their early twenties. David Blum wrote the article after witnessing several young actors being mobbed by groupies at Los Angeles' Hard Rock Cafe. The group has been characterized by the partying of members such as Robert Downey, Jr., Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, and Judd Nelson.

<i>Gremlins</i> 1984 film by Joe Dante

Gremlins is a 1984 American comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus, and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo, the main mogwai character. It draws on legends of folkloric mischievous creatures that cause malfunctions—"gremlins"—in the British Royal Air Force going back to World War II. The story follows a young man who receives a strange creature as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, mischievous monsters that all wreak havoc on a whole town on Christmas Eve.

<i>Pretty in Pink</i> 1986 film by Howard Deutch

Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in American high schools in the 1980s. A cult classic, it is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film. It was directed by Howard Deutch, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner, and written by John Hughes, who also served as co-executive producer. The film was named after a song by the Psychedelic Furs, and the film's soundtrack, which has been acclaimed as "among the most brilliant in modern cinema", features a re-recorded version of the song. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "If You Leave" became an international hit and charted at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1986.

<i>Sixteen Candles</i> 1984 film by John Hughes

Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. Written and directed by John Hughes in his directorial debut, it was the first in a string of films Hughes would direct centering on teenage life. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, earning $23.6 million against a $6.5 million budget, and launched Ringwald to fame.

<i>Parenthood</i> (film) 1989 film by Ron Howard

Parenthood is a 1989 American family comedy-drama film with an ensemble cast that includes Steve Martin, Tom Hulce, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, and Dianne Wiest.

<i>Fresh Horses</i> (film) 1988 coming of age drama film directed by David Anspaugh

Fresh Horses is a 1988 American coming-of-age drama film directed by David Anspaugh, and starring Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald.

<i>Miracle in Lane 2</i> American TV series or program

Miracle in Lane 2, is a 2000 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Frankie Muniz, Rick Rossovich, Molly Hagan, and Patrick Levis. The film is based on the life of Justin Yoder, who was the first person with a disability to compete in the All American Soapbox Derby.

<i>For Keeps</i> (film) 1988 film by John G. Avildsen

For Keeps is a 1988 American coming of age comedy drama film starring Molly Ringwald and Randall Batinkoff as Darcy and Stan, two high school seniors in love. Complications ensue when Darcy becomes pregnant just before graduation and decides to keep her baby. This movie is noted for being Ringwald's final "teen" movie, and is cited as one of her most mature performances, particularly in a scene where Darcy is suffering from postpartum depression after the birth of her child.

<i>Skin Deep</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Blake Edwards

Skin Deep is a 1989 American romantic sex comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring John Ritter.

A tragedy is a literary work with an unhappy outcome.

<i>Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front</i> 2006 American television film

Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front is a 2006 American made-for-television comedy-drama film. It is the third movie in the American Girl film series, and is based on the Molly: An American Girl book series written by American children's author Valerie Tripp. The first two movies in the series, Samantha: An American Girl Holiday and Felicity: An American Girl Adventure, were broadcast on The WB Television Network. However, following the WB/UPN merger, the series moved to the Disney Channel. The film premiered on the Disney Channel and on DVD from Warner Home Video on November 26, 2006. The film stars Maya Ritter in the titular role, with Molly Ringwald, David Aaron Baker, Tory Green and Genevieve Farrell in supporting roles.

<i>Rendez-vous</i> (1985 film) 1985 French film

Rendez-vous is a 1985 French erotic drama film directed by André Téchiné. The film stars Juliette Binoche, Lambert Wilson, Wadeck Stanczak and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Rendez-vous premiered at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for Best Director. The film had a total of 766,811 admissions in France.

<i>Tempest</i> (1982 film) 1982 film by Paul Mazursky

Tempest is a 1982 American adventure comedy-drama romance film directed by Paul Mazursky. It is a loosely based, modern-day adaptation of the William Shakespeare play The Tempest. The picture features John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Susan Sarandon, Raúl Juliá and Molly Ringwald in her feature film debut.

<i>The Secret Life of the American Teenager</i> American teen drama television series

The Secret Life of the American Teenager is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton. It aired on ABC Family from July 1, 2008, to June 3, 2013.

<i>Amish Grace</i> 2010 Television Film

Amish Grace is a television film that premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010. The film is based on the 2006 West Nickel Mines School shooting at Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, and the spirit of forgiveness the Amish community demonstrated in its aftermath.

<i>Indian Horse</i> (film) 2017 Canadian film

Indian Horse is a 2017 Canadian drama film adaptation of the 2012 novel by author Richard Wagamese (Ojibwe) of the same name. Directed by Stephen S. Campanelli and written by Dennis Foon, it premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and received a general theatrical release in 2018.

<i>Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai</i> 2023 animated comedy fantasy television series

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is an American animated fantasy comedy television series. Serving as a prequel to the 1984 film Gremlins and its 1990 sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch, the series is set in 1920s Shanghai, East China and tells the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing met Gizmo, a young Mogwai. It was written and executive produced by Tze Chun. Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sam Register, and Brendan Hay also serve as executive producers, with Joe Dante as consulting producer. In February 2021, ahead of the series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "7th Annual Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards. Archived from the original on 2016-05-15. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
  2. "1985 Humanitas Prize Awards". IMDb.com: Humanitas Prize. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
  3. "1986 Casting Society of America Awards". IMDb.com: Casting Society of America. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
  4. http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-02-18.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]