Permanent Record (1988)

As Good As It Gets

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Permanent Record is one of my favorite movies starring Keanu Reeves. He plays Chris Townsend. I always loved that name. He's a high- schooler whose best friend named David kills himself. What follows is how it impacts the people in David's life. I think however that Chris is the most complex character. He evokes much of the film's emotional weight. There is a good balance in his performance in being between light and introspective. It is an affecting and heartfelt story. I think there were some reasons why it didn't sell when it was released back in 1988 and it really had nothing to do with whether it's a good movie because it is; don't get me wrong. It is one of the most underrated films of that year, or any other year. And it didn't help much at the time being up against Beetle Juice and Colors, although I think that was a minor issue. It did bad at the box office because of the subject matter; teen suicide, which is a touchy subject, no matter what year. Also at the time there were no big names in it. The marketing didn't help either. I remember the trailer being advertised on t.v. months before its release and it basically was a psa. There weren't any scenes shown from the movie. Basically, it showed some kids/young adults talking about being affected by it. While that may be an informative way of marketing; from that perspective, I think it hurt its chances of becoming a hit. Sometimes not showing any footage from the actual movie in trailers isn't necessarily a good thing.I have seen this film quite a few times and I hardly find fault with it. I think it is effective that basically David gets about only the first twenty minutes or so of screen time early on. There may not be much explored with his character but what is presented is all one really needs to know. He is charming, evidently smart and musically oriented. There is a glimpse into what is possibly making him tick. His character carries a lot of weight of the responsibilities that are given to him. It is more about the ones closest to him that are effected by the consequences. I have heard criticisms of the film's ending; that it is reminiscent of an after school special. I disagree. I like the way it all comes together; the school's remembrance of him in the end. It is a heavy film overall, but I think it is well done.

A teenager who seems to have it all commits suicide. It leaves his family and his best friend (Keanu Reeves) asking a lot of questions...and blaming themselves.Good idea, badly handled. For starters this HAS been done before 1988--mostly in TV movies and After School Specials. Aside from some swearing and dialogue (hence the PG-13 rating) this added nothing new. The outcome is predictable and Reeve's attempts at acting were truly painful to watch. He's good NOW but not in 1988. Aside from that his character was dressed like a slob and always looked so dirty is was hard to build up sympathy.That aside the movie is dull. I saw every scene coming and every "surprise" was telegraphed. I basically couldn't wait for this thing to get over.I have a vague recollection of seeing it in a theatre in 1988 and hating it (it bombed BADLY). It still looks lousy almost 20 years later. The subject is worth handling but it's been done better (with better acting) in countless other movies. "Ordinary People" comes to mind. You can skip this one.

This movie was by far one of the best I've seen in quite some time. Keanu Reeves gives a very heart-felt performance while handling the things in the movie he has to handle. Also, there is some great singing in this movie. Jennifer Rubin's character sings a song at the end of the movie that I would love to be able to find. The singer, whether or not it truly is her, is terrific. The story line is serious, as is the movie, but anyone who wishes to see Keanu master his dramatic, sad role should definitely see this movie.

Ok so it is a 80's flick and it shows, but all in all it is a great movie. I am a big fan of Keanu Reeves, I rented every movie the guy did. This movie is hard to find, but it is worth a search to find. It is a great heart catcher. And for all the girls who love Keanu will rewind over and over again to see the heart wrentching scene of him crying. I loved every bit of this movie.