Blue Ridge Fall (1999)

In Jefferson Creek, North Carolina, the colors of autumn signal Friday night lights, and high-school quarterback Danny Shepherd is the main event. He and his friends, Shane and Taz, live ... See full summary »

Director:

James Rowe

Writer:

James Rowe

Stars:

Peter Facinelli, Jay R. Ferguson, Rodney Eastman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Facinelli	...	Danny Shepherd
Jay R. Ferguson	...	Shane
Rodney Eastman	...	Aaron Perkins
Chris Isaak	...	Emerson Cotswold
Heather Stephens	...	Carrie Cotswold
Will Estes	...	Taz
Garvin Funches	...	Gil
Brent Jennings	...	Jack Crow
Amy Irving	...	Ellie Perkins
Tom Arnold	...	Walter Perkins
Robert Lewis	...	Coach Parsons
Stephen Rippey	...	Officer Ed
Dennis W. Zerull	...	Officer Joel (as Dennis Zerull)
Trent Hanson	...	Deputy Russell
Scott Subiono	...	Jim

Storyline

In Jefferson Creek, North Carolina, the colors of autumn signal Friday night lights, and high-school quarterback Danny Shepherd is the main event. He and his friends, Shane and Taz, live for the present, where good-natured fun often turns into trouble. A simple-minded sketch artist named Aaron looks up to Danny and the others as his only friends. After his mother is hospitalized by her abusive husband, Aaron commits a desperate act he cannot fully grasp: the murder of his own father. The boys vow to protect Aaron by covering up the evidence, but one bad choice gives dark rise to another. As suspicion mounts and Danny struggles to hold on to a promising future, the four friends face the hardest test of their young lives--one that asks for the meaning of true loyalty.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | loyalty | murder | artist | quarterback | 

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Taglines:

Even Good Boys Make Bad Mistakes.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and a scene of sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shepherd

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmwave Pictures, Two Left Shoes Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Not too bad... definitely worth seeing.

I had gone past this movie at Blockbuster, never giving it a second look. Then one night while I was channel surfing, I stumbled across it on one of the movie channels. It was half way over, but I watched it anyway. I liked what I did get to see, so I went back to the video store and rented it. It turned out to be a pretty good movie after all.

The plot is good and it features a talented young cast, particularly Eastman as the simple-minded abused "Aaron." Eastman is probably best remembered (if at all) as "Joey" from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3 & 4. BLUE RIDGE FALL definitely showcases his talent as an actor. The film also features a distinguished supporting cast, including Amy Irving as Aaron's battered mother, Tom Arnold as his abusive father & Chris Isaak as the sheriff.

I found the most disturbing thing about this movie is not the fact that Aaron murders his father, but that the entire town, including Aaron's friends and the law, seemed to know about the violence in his home, yet did nothing about it. Although Aaron's mother seems to bear the brunt of her husband's physical abuse, Aaron suffers more mental and emotional abuse at the hands of his father (as well as getting hit), which is just as painful and destructive as any physical blow. His only escape is through his drawings and his friendships with Shane, Taz & especially Danny, the golden boy high school football star.

BLUE RIDGE FALL is definitely worth renting. It's a good movie about loyalty, friendship & the effects that family violence and abuse can have.