Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (TV 1975)

This movie is a teaching tool about a teenage girl struggling with alcoholism to cope with her feelings of insecurity and usual problems of adolescence.

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Esther Shapiro, Richard Alan Shapiro

Stars:

Linda Blair, Larry Hagman, Verna Bloom

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Linda Blair	...	Sarah Travis
Larry Hagman	...	Jerry Travis
Verna Bloom	...	Jean Hodges
William Daniels	...	Matt Hodges
Michael Lerner	...	Dr. Marvin Kittredge
Mark Hamill	...	Ken Newkirk
Eric Olson	...	Bobby
Laurette Spang	...	Nancy
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Mr. Peterson
Steve Benedict	...	Ray Peterson
Richard Roat	...	Fred Tyler
Marian Collier	...	Mrs. Peterson
Hilda Haynes	...	Margaret
Jessica Rains	...	Mrs. Tyler
Sheila Larken	...	Vice Principal

Storyline

Finding herself unable to cope with the divorce of her parents and the stress of daily life, 15-year-old Sarah Travis starts drinking in secret. At first, alcohol provides comfort and release. Then it sends her life spiraling out of control.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | alcoholism | teenage girl | alcoholic | stepfather | 

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Taglines:

Yes, Sarah drinks. Drinks as though she has to, no matter what happens. Big trouble for anybody. And little Sarah is only 15.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 February 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sara T. - Retrato de una joven alcohólica

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Richard Donner, who later hit pay-dirt with Superman in 1979, went on the talk show circuit to plug his blockbuster and was asked questions about his early directorial work. However, he couldn't remember the name of this movie. He ended up calling it "Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway", which was directed by Randal Kleiser.

User Reviews

"He's not my father! He's just someone you sleep with!"

New stepfather, new school, new boyfriend (Mark Hamill, pre-Luke Skywalker) proves to be all too much for troubled high schooler Sarah Travis (Linda Blair), who hits the bottle hard. TV-drama goes over the top in places, but is otherwise a sensitive and moving portrait, not too campy. Best scenes have Sarah T. scheming to get her precious booze (she has the liquor store deliver it while "mom" is in the shower), or trying to steal vodka from a corner store. Made in the day when movies attempted to teach younger viewers a life lesson; I don't know if that worked, but "Sarah T." is a pretty realistic depiction of teen angst. Blair is letter-perfect in the lead, conveying all the tangible insecurities of this awkward age. Was there any other teenage actress in the 1970s who was this good at being this tortured?