Amongst Friends (1993)

Three bored Long Island buddies seek excitement on the streets, with perilous results.

Director:

Rob Weiss

Writer:

Rob Weiss

Stars:

Joseph Granda, Patrick McGaw, Steve Parlavecchio

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Santos	...	Young Andy
Michael Leb	...	Young Trevor
Christian Thom	...	Young Billy
Lou Cantelmo	...	Andy's Father
Jerry Leonard	...	Andy's Grandfather
David Stepkin	...	Jack Trattner
Greg Bernardi	...	Poker Player
Lou Bernardi	...	Poker Player
Charles Mattina	...	Poker Player
Adam Montalbano	...	Kid in Fight
Michael Sorvino	...	Kid in Fight
Jay Gordon	...	Billy's Father
Michael Weiss	...	Drug Dealer
Joseph Granda	...	Billy (as Joseph Lindsey)
Andy Weiss	...	Kid at Door

Storyline

Three bored Long Island buddies seek excitement on the streets, with perilous results.

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Plot Keywords:

independent film | 

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Taglines:

Born with everything they had to have more.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, drug use, sexuality, and pervasive strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Barátok közt

Filming Locations:

Cedarhurst, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$263,601

Company Credits

Production Co:

Island World,Last Outlaw Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Rob Weiss' wrote the script in desperation after first dropping out of design school, then getting kicked out of film school and failing to make it as a Long Island nightclub promoter.

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Soundtracks

Train Going Backwards
Performed by 'Dramarama'

User Reviews

A Must Have Gangster, Romance, Bittersweet Fans

I know I'll be yelled at for giving this movie such a high rating but it was one of the surprise flicks of the 90's for me.

I didn't catch it at the theatres but saw the trailer on another video I'd rented. It caught my eye and when I saw it on another video as a preview I made a note to get it.

Time went by, I finally found a copy and was glued to the screen. Not everything is perfect mind you but the fact that a life of crime is no life is clearly defined. If you have a young person who thinks a life of drugs is cool, show him or her this movie and see the tragedy of such a lifestyle front and center.

The performances in this movie range from good to outstanding. I was riveted to the narrative and the soundtrack one of the most superb ever. I was stunned at the contrast of composers and you go from the master Ennio Morricone to MC Lyte! You can't beat that! The comic characters are realistic. We laughed and cried throughout the movie. You couldn't ask for more realism. These were people who weren't "Hollywood" models but people with character, charisma, and most of all charm.

This was a story about choices and repercussions that spanned a couple of generations all wound up in some gut wrenching violence in some scenes and comic violence in others. Rigoletto the classic opera comes to mind. That swing back and forth from tragedy to tragic comedy to frustration and all the emotions in between.

Everyone did such a fine job that it's one of the few memorable movies from the 90's. You will get some big laughs, I mean big laughs from this movie but don't let that fool you one iota. There are heartbreaking scenes of such tragedy that it will twist you up inside and make you so angry at crime you'll be ready to spit nails.

How writer Weiss pulled this off is a miracle. It defines several points in modern history and of course pays tribute to gangster films past and present.

If Weiss put together more projects like this I'd be happy.

Bring tissues, popcorn, and enjoy a real modern day classic.

Did I mention I loved every single person cast in this movie? Even the extras? Just perfect.

I've been writing gangster and crime stories for 25 years and Amongst Friends really hit home for me. So many of the characters were like mirrors to people I'd tangled with in the past I could see that I had made the right decisions the character Andy hadn't. Get this vid for your kids out there and you won't be sorry.