Permanent Record (1988)

When David Sinclair, a popular and talented high school student commits suicide, his best friend Chris takes over many of his responsibilities; from the school production of "HMS Pinafore" ... See full summary »

Director:

Marisa Silver

Writers:

Jarre Fees, Alice Liddle,

Stars:

Pamela Gidley, Alan Boyce, Michael Elgart

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pamela Gidley	...	Kim
Alan Boyce	...	David Sinclair
Michael Elgart	...	Jake
Jennifer Rubin	...	Lauren
Michelle Meyrink	...	M.G.
Keanu Reeves	...	Chris Townsend
Phil Diskin	...	Security Guard
Lou Reed	...	Himself
Garrett Lambert	...	Producer
Richard Bradford	...	Leo Verdell
Carolyn Tomei	...	Chemistry Teacher
Ron Eckert	...	Sailors Audition (as Ronald John Eckert)
Robert Hooven	...	Sailors Audition
Nick Kosovich	...	Sailors Audition (as Nicholas Kosovich)
Sean Patrick McNerney	...	Sailors Audition

Storyline

When David Sinclair, a popular and talented high school student commits suicide, his best friend Chris takes over many of his responsibilities; from the school production of "HMS Pinafore" to caring for his family, and soon finds himself under the same pressures.

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Plot Keywords:

high school | friend | suicide | h.m.s. pinafore | recording session | 

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Taglines:

High School. Senior Year. His Suicide Shattered Their World. Their Courage Drove Them To Pick Up The Pieces.

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Song

Filming Locations:

Benson High School - 546 NE 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,893,139 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 88 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Chemistry teacher: Did you do that on purpose?
Chris: You think I'm trying to blind myself on purpose? No, I'm not.

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Connections

Referenced in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Moon River"
Written by Johnny Mercer & Henry Mancini

User Reviews

No movie has ever quite affected me like this one.

Permanent Record is one of those rare movies that doesn't feel like a movie; it feels like it could have been lifted straight out of your past. While most high school movies center upon the superficialities of High School life, Permanent Record goes right for the guts of it, knowing that there are no easy answers, no simple solutions.

As such, it represents not a single stitch of calculated drama, and doesn't even really have much of a plot, substituting that instead for a series of seemingly disconnected events that don't lead anywhere definite, but still manage to give off the distinct impression that none of the characters' lives will ever be the same as they were when the movie begins.

This isn't a movie you will watch if you want to be entertained. But it is a movie that, if you are prone to such behavior, you will be thinking about even years after having seen it. To that end, it is virtually unsurpassed.