Permanent Record (1988)

A man who seemingly has it all together, being smart, talented, funny, and popular, is secretly overwhelmed by expectations of himself and those of his parents, and suffers what is assumed to be a horrible accident.

Director:

Marisa Silver

Writers:

Jarre Fees, Alice Liddle

Stars:

Alan Boyce, Keanu Reeves, Pamela Gidley

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	...	Self
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

David Sinclair seems to have everything going for him: he's smart, musically talented, and very successful. To top off his senior year in high school, his band is trying to get a recording session. Therefore, David's suicide leaves everyone, especially his best friend and band-mate, Chris, with a lot of questions.

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Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | high school | friend | suicide | 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot at Portland, Oregon's Benson Tech High School's auditorium, and on Portland's Hawthorne Bridge.

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Quotes

Lauren: [singing] Life goes on as sure as the sky.
Lauren: It's come and gone in the wink of an eye.
Lauren: You leave your home on the wings of a lie...
Lauren: You will never die.

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Connections

Referenced in Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013)

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Soundtracks

Waiting on Love
Written by Kurt Neumann & Sammy Llanas (as Sam Llanas)
Performed by BoDeans
Produced by Jim Scott
BoDeans performs courtesy of Slash/Reprise Records

User Reviews

I actually Cried!

When I saw this movie in the video store, I thought, "Gee, this ought to be good for a few laughs." Well, I was right to some degree, since there is some humor in the movie, but I didn't count on the compelling story and even the fine performances. The movie is about a kid named David, who seems to have the perfect life. He has a loving family with a little brother who adores him, he is accepted to a great college, he is a musical director for the school's drama production, and his band just got the opportunity to record some of their songs. But he feels very pressured, and his best friend, played by Keanu Reeves, tries to get him to lighten up a little. What nobody knows is that David feels that he can't handle the pressure anymore. One night, at a party, David goes off to the cliffs by the ocean alone. Keanu follows, but when he goes to the area where David was just standing, David has disappeared, with nowhere he could have gone but down. Keanu's life starts going down the tubes, as he is the only one who knows that David didn't die in an accident, and that information is eating him up inside. When he finally tells David's parents, he thinks that things might start to go back to normal, but, suddenly, he is taking on the responsibilities that David has left behind, including writing the music for the band. The situation is at it's worst when Keanu is driving drunk and almost runs over David's little brother. As David's father is screaming at him for being so reckless, Keanu grabs him, starts hugging him, and, tearfully, says that he was David's best friend and should have been able to stop him. This scene literally brought me to tears, and I never would have thought that Keanu Reeves would ever be able to make me cry, even though I am a big fan of his. I think this is Keanu Reeves' best performance since "River's Edge". His portrayal of this character is basically the same as his portrayal of Ted Logan in the "Bill and Ted" movies, but with much more emotion and depth. The dramatic scenes, like when he throws a book through the principal's window, are done to perfection. He is completely believable as a confused teenager who suddenly finds himself alone without a best friend. The movie itself is an accurate reproduction of the effects of suicide on the people who are left behind: David's parents, brother, and friends. This is not a lighthearted film, but it is absorbing and actually makes you care about the characters. A definite must see.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Permanent Record

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,893,139

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,893,139

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