Surviving (TV 1985)

Rick is a 17 year old golden boy whose father wants him to became a doctor like himself. Lonnie is a problematic 16 year old girl, who has just come out from a sanatorium after an attempted... See full summary »

Director:

Waris Hussein

Writer:

Joyce Eliason

Stars:

Ellen Burstyn, Len Cariou, Zach Galligan

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ellen Burstyn	...	Tina Brogan
Len Cariou	...	David Brogan
Zach Galligan	...	Rick Brogan
Marsha Mason	...	Lois
Molly Ringwald	...	Lonnie
Paul Sorvino	...	Harvey
River Phoenix	...	Philip Brogan
Heather O'Rourke	...	Sarah Brogan
William Windom	...	Dr. Madsen
Marc Gilpin	...	Bobby
Paddi Edwards	...	Alma
Camila Ashland	...	Mother
Jane Simoneau	...	May
Joe Berryman	...	Sherriff
Lon Coggeshall	...	Jeb

Storyline

Rick is a 17 year old golden boy whose father wants him to became a doctor like himself. Lonnie is a problematic 16 year old girl, who has just come out from a sanatorium after an attempted suicide. The families of both teens are very close friends. Right away, Lonnie and Rick fall strongly in love for each other. Meanwhile Rick becomes aware that his father betrays his mother, so he begins to show his uneasiness at home and do odd things. Thinking Lonnie's the reason of his son's behaviour, Rick's father forbids him to see her anymore. After an unsuccessful getaway the two adolescents realize their love is impossible, therefore they decide to commit suicide. From then onwards both o their families are destroyed, and their friendship as well. It'll be hard to reconstruct the family and retrieve the friendship.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | suicide | teen | impossible love | father son relationship | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 February 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tragedy

Filming Locations:

Bone and Joint Hospital - 1111 N. Dewey, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Telepictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Of the four kids in the movie; Zach Galligan, Molly Ringwald, River Phoenix and Heather O'Rourke, it is the two oldest (Galligan and Ringwald) who die young. In real life however, it would be the youngest who would pass early with O'Rourke dying in 1988 at the age of 12 and Phoenix in 1993 at the age of 23.

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Goofs

The word sheriff is misspelled "sherriff" in the closing credits.

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Quotes

Philip Brogan: Oh my goodness, oh my soul! There goes Alice down the hole!

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Soundtracks

"We Belong"
Written by D. Navarro & R. Lowen
Performed by Pat Benatar
Courtesy of Chrysalis Records

User Reviews

Sometimes full of soap opera clichés, but mostly a heartbreaking and hopeful drama

I first viewed "Surviving" when it aired on the ABC Television Network in the winter of 1985. The network was so confident with the film's final version and the importance of its subject matter (teen suicide) that it aired in a 3-hour time slot, which was rather unusual for an original TV movie not based on a novel.

"Surviving" (which is a better, simpler title than when it re-aired as "Surviving: A Family in Crisis", when there were 2 families in crisis -- and when it was released on VHS as "Tragedy", which sounds very cheap, exploitive and hopeless and doesn't give an indication of the after-effects of suicide on families and friends) occasionally lingers into soap opera hysterics and contrived plot devices. But the strong ensemble cast gave such fine performances and the well-edited, pivotal sequence when the parents of one of the teens tries to save them, made the movie a heartbreaking experience.

"Surviving" becomes a stronger drama when the families try to make sense of losing their loved ones. That is what makes "Surviving" a very good (not great) family drama.