The Cure (1995)

Erik, a loner, finds a friend in Dexter, an eleven-year-old boy with AIDS. They vow to find a cure for AIDS together and save Dexter's life in an eventful summer.

Director:

Peter Horton

Writer:

Robert Kuhn

Stars:

Joseph Mazzello, Brad Renfro, Aeryk Egan

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Renfro	...	Erik
Aeryk Egan	...	Tyler
Delphine French	...	Tyler's Girlfriend
Mona Powell	...	Tyler's Girlfriend
Andrew Broder	...	Tyler's Buddy
Jeremy Howard	...	Tyler's Buddy #2
Joseph Mazzello	...	Dexter
Annabella Sciorra	...	Linda
Diana Scarwid	...	Gail
Rosemary Corman	...	Elderly Woman in Street
T. Mychael Rambo	...	Garbageman #1
David Alan Smith	...	Garbageman #2
Delia Jurek	...	Angry Woman
Fran Korba	...	Elderly Women in Market
John Carroll Lynch	...	Skipper #1 (as John Lynch)

Storyline

Dexter, age 11, who has AIDS, and his next door neighbor Erik, a little older and much bigger, become best friends. Erik also becomes closer to Dexter's mother than to his own, who is neglectful and bigoted and violently forbids their friendship upon learning of it. When they read that a doctor in distant New Orleans claims to have found a cure for AIDS, the boys leave home on their own, planning to float down the Mississippi river and find him.

---

Plot Keywords:

aids | boy | mississippi | friendship | river | 

---

Taglines:

Two boys found a way to make one summer last a lifetime.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for emotional thematic elements, and for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Cura

Filming Locations:

815 Second St. South, Stillwater, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,568,429

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Island World

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of movie was filmed in Stillwater Minnesota.

---

Goofs

When Erik and Dexter arrive back home in Minnesota via bus, the city and state listed above the bus terminal says "River Falls, Minnesota." There is no such city or town called River Falls, Minnesota. However, there is a River Falls, Wisconsin which is only a 45 minute drive from the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area.

---

Quotes

Dexter: Suppose you kept going another 18 billion light years, what if there's nothing out there? Suppose you kept going another trillion times further, so far out you see nothing. The light from the universe would be fainter than the faintest star. Infinitely cold. Infinitely dark. Sometimes if I wake up and it's dark, I get really scared, like I'm out there and I'm never coming back.
Erik: Here, hold onto this when you sleep. And if you wake up and you're scared, you'll say, "Wait a minute. I'm holding ...

---

Crazy Credits

Renée Humphrey is credited as Angle instead of Angel.

---

Connections

References Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

---

Soundtracks

My Great Escape
Written and Performed by Marc Cohn

User Reviews

Awesome Story, Incredible Production

I remember when this film came out, and watched it a few times on VHS. I was so glad when it was FINALLY released on DVD. I was hoping for widescreen, but at the point would take what was available. I love how they used color in the film, the outdoor scenes are so alive with color. The trees are the greenest I've ever seen. Most of the film was shot in Stillwater, Minnesota, a beautiful town located on the St. Croix River. They must have really scouted locations for filming, because they did a great job. The story is well written, and directed. I would rate this as one of Peter Horton's best. I'm also surprised that Andrew Dintenfass (the director of photography) hasn't done more. He did an incredible job. The acting also rates up there. It's amazing to see two actors of such a young age pull off this type of film. Annabella Sciorra did a great job as Dexter's mother. Who wouldn't want her as a mother.