Too Young to Die? (1990)

An abused 15 year old is charged with a murder that carries the death penalty in this fact-based story.

Director:

Robert Markowitz

Writers:

David Hill (story), David Hill (teleplay)

Stars:

Michael Tucker, Juliette Lewis, Brad Pitt

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Tucker	...	Buddy Thornton
Juliette Lewis	...	Amanda Sue Bradley
Brad Pitt	...	Billy Canton
Alan Fudge	...	D.A. Mark Calhoun
Emily Longstreth	...	Jean Glessner
Laurie O'Brien	...	Wanda Bradley Sledge
Yvette Heyden	...	Annie Meacham
Tom Everett	...	Judge Harper
Michael O'Keefe	...	Mike Medwicki
Dean Abston	...	Harvey Sledge
J. Stephen Brady	...	Brian
Mark Davenport	...	Mickey
Lew Hopson	...	Star
Annabelle Weenick	...	Birdie Jewel
Charles C. Stevenson Jr.	...	Pastor

Storyline

An abused 15 year old is charged with a murder that carries the death penalty in this fact-based story.

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Plot Keywords:

death penalty | murder | teenage prostitute | wedding | verdict | 

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Taglines:

They were young, in love and wanted for murder.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 February 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Too Young to Die

Filming Locations:

Taft, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Frank & Bob Films II, Von Zerneck Sertner Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis started dating while shooting this film in 1989. Lewis was 16 years old while Pitt was 26 when their relationship began. They worked together again in Kalifornia (1993). The relationship ended in 1993, after four years.

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Goofs

The movie is set in Oklahoma. Several references are made to execution in the gas chamber. Oklahoma has never used the gas chamber for executions. Electrocution was used from statehood (the first in 1915) until 1966, using an electric chair, "Old Sparky". Since 1977, the prescribed method is lethal injection.

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Quotes

Amanda Sue Bradley: [after a flashback reveals that Amanda did kill Mike] I was on so many drugs and there was so much stuff going on. What I can figure out is - is that I loved Mike. I really loved him.

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Connections

Referenced in Star Stories: Jennifer Aniston: The One Where Jen's Husband Dumps Her for a Total Bitch (2006)

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Soundtracks

PERFECT WORLD
Written by Alex Call
Performed by Huey Lewis & The News (as Huey Lewis and The News)
Courtesy of Chrysalis Records and Lew-Bob Songs

User Reviews

Depressing, but Lewis is good

At the beginning of the movie, Amanda is being arrested for murder. Through flashbacks we learn of the circumstances, and the movie goes back and forth between the present and the past. Amanda tells her lawyer she didn't do it, but she is not very helpful in keeping herself out of prison--or possibly death row.

Amanda was only 14 when her stepfather asked her to do something she didn't want to do, and when her mother blamed her, she soon felt her only option was to run away. Once she ended up broke and alone in another town, Billy came to her rescue with a job no 14-year-old should have. Soon Amanda needed rescuing again, and Mark, divorced with children, proved to be her knight in shining armor. But things did not improve for Amanda, and we know something terrible eventually happened.

Juliette Lewis did a better than average job, showing a range of emotions and dimensions to the troubled Amanda character. I don't know that I saw the potential for the respected actor Brad Pitt became, but maybe there was something there.

It's a real shame this was based on a true story. No teen should have to go through what Amanda did. Still, maybe showing the circumstances of her life will help others in her situation.