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Brat: An '80s Story

Brat: An '80s Story

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  • Create Date：2021-04-16 11:33:10
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Andrew McCarthy
  • ISBN：B08HLNHZJP
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Summary

Patti Smith's Just Kids meets Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends in this beautifully written， entertaining and emotionally honest memoir by actor， director， and author， Andrew McCarthy。

Most people know Andrew McCarthy from his movie roles in Pretty in Pink， St。 Elmo's Fire， Weekend at Bernie's， and Less than Zero， and as a charter member of Hollywood's Brat Pack。 The iconic group of ingenues and heartthrobs that included Rob Lowe， Molly Ringwald， Emilio Estevez， and Demi Moore， and has come to represent both a genre of film and an era of pop culture。
In his memoir Brat: An '80s Story， McCarthy focuses his gaze on that singular moment in time。 The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom， reckoning with conflicted ambition， innocence， addiction， and masculinity。 New York City of the 1980's is brought to vivid life in these pages -- scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park and skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life。
Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters， Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success。

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Reviews

ʚϊɞ Shelley's ʚϊɞ Book Nook ，

I have loved Andrew McCarthy since I was sixteen years old。。。I am now 54。 When I saw Pretty in Pink I was definitely "Team Blane" or "Team McCarthy"。 Most of my friends all had a crush on James Spader but I wanted the guy with the boyish face and dark hair。 It is always nice to know your "crush" is a decent human being and I was glad to learn this of McCarthy。 This is a well written memoir， I had no idea he was such a good writer。。。It is self-reflective， well articulated and not bi I have loved Andrew McCarthy since I was sixteen years old。。。I am now 54。 When I saw Pretty in Pink I was definitely "Team Blane" or "Team McCarthy"。 Most of my friends all had a crush on James Spader but I wanted the guy with the boyish face and dark hair。 It is always nice to know your "crush" is a decent human being and I was glad to learn this of McCarthy。 This is a well written memoir， I had no idea he was such a good writer。。。It is self-reflective， well articulated and not bitter。 I've always admired him as an actor and director and would watch anything he does。 I enjoyed reading this it was very compelling and it felt honest， frank and yet kind。 I've always liked his work so it was good to learn more about his background and personal life - which was really interesting。 He's been through a lot and it's good to see him doing so well。Disclosure:Thank you NetGalley， Andrew McCarthy and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own。#Brat #NetGalley 。。。more

Susan Tunis ，

Having come of age in the 80s， I harbor a special affection for the celebrities of my youth。 And it was actually fellow brat packer Rob Lowe who introduced me to the guilty pleasure of the celebrity memoir。 （His Stories I Only Tell My Friends is still among my favorites。）A few years ago， I read Demi Moore's memoir seeking a hit of that 80s nostalgia。 Man， was I barking up the wrong tree！ What a self-important， humorless mess that book was！ But here I am again， looking to scratch that same itch。 Having come of age in the 80s， I harbor a special affection for the celebrities of my youth。 And it was actually fellow brat packer Rob Lowe who introduced me to the guilty pleasure of the celebrity memoir。 （His Stories I Only Tell My Friends is still among my favorites。）A few years ago， I read Demi Moore's memoir seeking a hit of that 80s nostalgia。 Man， was I barking up the wrong tree！ What a self-important， humorless mess that book was！ But here I am again， looking to scratch that same itch。 I was somewhat more successful in finding what I sought this time around。 But any way you look at it， Brat was a far more interesting reading experience。There are celebrity memoirs where every person they ever met was their best friend， every experience was wonderful。 I hate those books。 They're completely lacking in authenticity。 Mr。 McCarthy， on the other hand， is candid in the extreme， and he is very hard on himself in this book。 There is no humble bragging here。 He describes the aloofness he habitually used as a defense mechanism， and the opportunities and relationships it cost him。 He speaks openly and repeatedly of his issues with drugs and alcohol， and the opportunities and relationships it cost him。 He talks about many of the amazing things he got to experience during the course of his career， and speaks with admiration of several of the talented people he met or worked with。 But he's not sugar-coating things and making stories more shiny。 There are very few references to close relationships， neither friendships nor romances。 （And if you're looking for a kiss and tell， look elsewhere。） He does not seem to have bonded well with many of the people he worked with， and he often blames himself for these failings。 I don't know if he's self-aware， or self-flaggelating。 If you imagined the "Brat Pack" being a close-knit group of friends， you couldn't be further from the truth。 I was shocked when he said he hadn't seen Emilio Estevez or Judd Nelson since the day St。 Elmo's Fire wrapped！ I enjoyed learning about his life and his career。 I appreciated his candor in sharing real thoughts and opinions on people and projects， whether charitable or not。 Sometimes， it was surprising which way he'd come down。 （Didn't enjoy working with Jon Cryer--found his laugh irritating。 Has a soft spot for the film Mannequin。 Who'd a thunk it？） And having published extensively in fiction and nonfiction for years now， he's a competent chronicler of his own story。 It was interesting， and presumedly he's in a better place than he was years ago--sober， for a start。 But in the end， I'm left feeling a little sad for him。 He's not asking for anyone's pity， but despite the fame， money， success， women， etc。--he doesn't seem to have been very happy。 An interesting character。 And isn't that what you want in a memoir？ 。。。more

Vincent Rogers ，

Series of snapshots， figurative and actual， arranged in chronological order to create “a charmed object of lost innocence。”

bob ，

I really enjoyed this book。 I remember all these movies and the effect they had on me in my late teens and early 20s。 I thought the book was well written and insightful。

Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer ，

Andrew McCarthy’s enlightening look back at the pivotal years that （mis）labeled him as one of the infamous Brat Pack， the small group of young actors at the height of the newly emerging teen-oriented films that dominated the 1980s， is a sincere effort by the actor to give the reader a glimpse behind the scenes， as well as conveying some level of catharsis with his own personal and professional life。Many of the films and actors in this teen-dominated time period had a big impact on me。 However， a Andrew McCarthy’s enlightening look back at the pivotal years that （mis）labeled him as one of the infamous Brat Pack， the small group of young actors at the height of the newly emerging teen-oriented films that dominated the 1980s， is a sincere effort by the actor to give the reader a glimpse behind the scenes， as well as conveying some level of catharsis with his own personal and professional life。Many of the films and actors in this teen-dominated time period had a big impact on me。 However， as an adult with the gift of hindsight， it’s hard to watch some of these films without cringing。 （Primarily Sixteen Candles， which McCarthy does NOT appear in。） They’re problematic: racist， sexist， and homophobic。 I discovered them on lazy weekends in the ’90s， watching them one after another， memorizing lines （“His name is Blane？ That’s a major appliance， that’s not a name！”）， obsessing over the soundtracks， and cursing fate that I hadn’t been born with red hair。 So in my memory ‘Brat Pack’ wasn’t a negative label， it was an endearing one。 Learning that the actors shunned the label， distancing themselves from future films together， leading to the end of this film era I loved so much， has forever altered the term for me。Sometimes the truth hurts。If you’re picking this one up expecting salacious gossip on your favorite Brat Pack cast mates， you might be disappointed。 McCarthy is forthcoming， but also very much a gentleman。 Surprisingly， he was not close with his fellow Brat Packers， and it just reaffirmed what good actors they were for me。 If you watch St。 Elmo’s Fire， you might think they were the best of friends off-screen as well， but I was surprised to learn how young McCarthy actually was when he made that film， as well as how new he was to acting。 What I enjoyed most about this memoir was the actor’s memories of living in New York City， attending NYU， and how he always seemed to find himself among the Hollywood elite， but mostly as an observer on the periphery and not as a participant。He’s frank about his struggles with alcohol and drugs， his tumultuous relationship with his parents and siblings， and the teachers and mentors that instructed and inspired him in front of and behind the camera。 And he’s humbled by the attention he still receives for those few films he was a part of that impacted so many people。Brat is a quick and engaging read。 I didn’t want to put it down once I started， and I was impressed with the author’s writing and openness， enjoying the glimpse behind the scenes of the films that have become so nostalgic for so many。Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy。Check out my full review and playlist at A Book Wanderer#popsugarreadingchallenge2021 （prompt #15 - A book with a black and white cover） 。。。more

Annette Alvarez ，

This is not a Hollywood tell-all。 We’ve all suspected deeper waters ran under McCarthy’s aloof， anxious demeanor， and this book confirms that。 He’s also a pretty good writer。 I enjoyed reading about this time through his eyes。

John ，

As a child of the ‘80s， Andrew McCarthy （“Blane！？ His name is Blane！？ That’s a major appliance， not a name！”） holds a special place in my heart and memory。 His portrayals of characters who always seemed to be on the fringe of whatever group they so desperately wanted to belong to， along with his artistic sensitivity resonated with me then， and still do。In brat， he shares the stories behind those characters， while also revealing his personal successes and failings throughout his run as a young st As a child of the ‘80s， Andrew McCarthy （“Blane！？ His name is Blane！？ That’s a major appliance， not a name！”） holds a special place in my heart and memory。 His portrayals of characters who always seemed to be on the fringe of whatever group they so desperately wanted to belong to， along with his artistic sensitivity resonated with me then， and still do。In brat， he shares the stories behind those characters， while also revealing his personal successes and failings throughout his run as a young star in the ‘80s。He’s honed his writing style over the years during his second act as a travel writer， so the text is descriptive without being overly so。 It probably helps that his films are so well known that one can picture the exact scenes to which he refers throughout the book。As a charter， if peripheral， member of the “Brat Pack，” McCarthy’s stories are revealing while respectful， focusing on his own experiences and never stooping into “tell-all” territory。A must read for any ‘80s kid， this book is also recommended for any aspiring actors or other creatives。5/5Personally， having so identified with him and his characters growing up， I was happy to discover we hold the same opinion on Weekend at Bernie’s 2。 。。。more

Bridget ，

I think Andrew McCarthy may be too much of a gentleman to talk out of school about other actors whose paths he has crossed over the years。 Unfortunately， that makes for a boring book。 I always suspected that his aloof presence on screen came from a place of anxiety or a feeling of “not fitting in” and it seems that it was。 So no news there either。

Amanda ，

I've always been a fan of Andrew McCarthy's work， from The Beniker Gang to Pretty in Pink and more recently， The Family。 I greatly anticipated reading this book and realized I knew virtually nothing about him outside of his acting。 What I found most relatable about McCarthy is his social anxiety and introversion。 While he clearly enjoyed acting， he is extremely self-conscious。 It's refreshing。 He points out the insanity of Hollywood and fame， like the time he wore a pair of torn pants to an inte I've always been a fan of Andrew McCarthy's work， from The Beniker Gang to Pretty in Pink and more recently， The Family。 I greatly anticipated reading this book and realized I knew virtually nothing about him outside of his acting。 What I found most relatable about McCarthy is his social anxiety and introversion。 While he clearly enjoyed acting， he is extremely self-conscious。 It's refreshing。 He points out the insanity of Hollywood and fame， like the time he wore a pair of torn pants to an interview and it was immediately assumed that it was a fashion statement。 He just didn't know the pants were torn。 Another example is a time when everyone laughed when he made an obviously unfunny joke。 Some celebrities would bask in that kind of adoration， but it only made him uncomfortable。 As for the book's title， he talks about finding fame and being labeled part of the "Brat Pack" when he didn't fit in with that group either。 Good read if you are interesting in the journey of an actor， a fan of 80's movies， or perhaps just an introvert looking to relate。 。。。more

Lisa ，

I wasn’t a big fan of Andrew McCarthy before reading this memoir - I always thought he came off as arrogant and smug。 （Maybe I confused him with his roles。） But a neighbor in my Brooklyn apartment building loaned me an advance copy of this book and I decided to skim it for juice。 Instead， I read the book cover to cover in one day。 As a writer， and I suspect as a man， McCarthy is thoughtful， introspective and smart。 I always assumed movie actors were just good-looking people who fell into the bus I wasn’t a big fan of Andrew McCarthy before reading this memoir - I always thought he came off as arrogant and smug。 （Maybe I confused him with his roles。） But a neighbor in my Brooklyn apartment building loaned me an advance copy of this book and I decided to skim it for juice。 Instead， I read the book cover to cover in one day。 As a writer， and I suspect as a man， McCarthy is thoughtful， introspective and smart。 I always assumed movie actors were just good-looking people who fell into the business as an offshoot of modeling or doing commercials， but he put the work in， studying the art in New York in the early 80s。 I don’t think many people would survive the vulnerability required of them even as an acting student。 McCarthy displays that same vulnerability in writing about himself and is surprisingly modest and generous to others。 I enjoyed his book so much that I will check out his travel writing next。 。。。more

Nicole ，

Andrew McCarthy takes people on a journey from his birth throughout his acting career in Hollywood。It's interesting to get a look at what he did， and get the information about what made him and his career choices。 Andrew McCarthy takes people on a journey from his birth throughout his acting career in Hollywood。It's interesting to get a look at what he did， and get the information about what made him and his career choices。 。。。more

Ti ，

The Short of It:This is probably the first time I’ve ever found myself completely enamored by a memoir。The Rest of It:Most people know who he is。 Andrew McCarthy did many films， perhaps not all of them successful but films like Pretty in Pink， Mannequin， St。 Elmo’s Fire and Weekend at Bernie’s were surprisingly successful and seemed to make him a household name。 My favorite film Less Than Zero， is oddly enough， not McCarthy’s favorite by far。 From the title， you would think that much of this boo The Short of It:This is probably the first time I’ve ever found myself completely enamored by a memoir。The Rest of It:Most people know who he is。 Andrew McCarthy did many films， perhaps not all of them successful but films like Pretty in Pink， Mannequin， St。 Elmo’s Fire and Weekend at Bernie’s were surprisingly successful and seemed to make him a household name。 My favorite film Less Than Zero， is oddly enough， not McCarthy’s favorite by far。 From the title， you would think that much of this book is about the 80’s and yes， there’s plenty of that decade covered in this book but it’s more about how the term “brat pack” made and broke， what was a very vulnerable kid just trying to find himself。The push-pull nature of McCarthy’s story is so readable。 He was given some breaks but never felt that he belonged。 His insecurity about who he was or who he was being asked to portray， caused him a great deal of nervousness and anxiety。 He would often self-sabotage himself by consuming too much drink， and later drugs。 The substance abuse only masking his insecurities for the moment。Anyone who has ever doubted themselves can relate to his story。 There’s a raw， vulnerability here which I always felt came through his characters too。 This is not a story about Hollywood and all of its glitz and glam and it’s not about what we all perceived to be wild success。 This is a story about a young man struggling to find a place for himself in the world。What I really loved about this book is that it so delicately balances what we expect from him， and what he needed to share with readers。 He includes plenty of information about each of his films and how they came to be。 He also includes a lot on the business of acting itself， which is why I am handing this copy over to my daughter for her to read。 But in addition to all of that， he tells us about his family， introduces us to the people who made an impact on him along the way， and what he’s learned from it all。I’ve read McCarthy before and he’s quite a good writer but he really outdid himself with this one。 If you ever wondered what happened to him after the 80’s， you might recall some TV shows he was in and his directorial work for the very popular Orange is the New Black series on Netflix。 In my mind， he has had a very successful film career but with this book， I feel that he’s firmly planted his shoes into writing and I hope that’s the case because I would love to read more from him。For more reviews， visit my blog: Book Chatter。 。。。more

Melissa ，

I have always watched anything Andrew is in。 Although I am sure much of his life has been kept private， I appreciate the openness he was willing to share。 Letting readers into his troubled childhood， which continued with his adult relationship with his father， showed a side many were not aware。 Actually knowing his emotional struggles with self-esteem， alcohol， and drugs， made us aware of his human faults。 I will continue to watch anything Andrew is in or directs。 All college students and older I have always watched anything Andrew is in。 Although I am sure much of his life has been kept private， I appreciate the openness he was willing to share。 Letting readers into his troubled childhood， which continued with his adult relationship with his father， showed a side many were not aware。 Actually knowing his emotional struggles with self-esteem， alcohol， and drugs， made us aware of his human faults。 I will continue to watch anything Andrew is in or directs。 All college students and older should read this as a life in entertainment， good and bad。 。。。more

Tara ，

I'm glad Hollywood took a chance on Andrew McCarthy。 He portrayed the popular， sensitive Blane in one of my favorite 80s teen movies。 After that movie， his fame skyrocketed， but he didn't seem comfortable with the limelight。 McCarthy writes an intriguing memoir in which he chronicles how he started to love acting on stage， his rise to fame， and his subsequent battle with alcohol。 He's a great writer who conveys his emotions during different times of his life。 It was an interesting read。 I'm glad I'm glad Hollywood took a chance on Andrew McCarthy。 He portrayed the popular， sensitive Blane in one of my favorite 80s teen movies。 After that movie， his fame skyrocketed， but he didn't seem comfortable with the limelight。 McCarthy writes an intriguing memoir in which he chronicles how he started to love acting on stage， his rise to fame， and his subsequent battle with alcohol。 He's a great writer who conveys his emotions during different times of his life。 It was an interesting read。 I'm glad Molly Ringwald said that he was the type of guy she'd go for。 Pretty in Pink wouldn't have been as good otherwise :） 。。。more

Lissa ，

The brat pack movies were about a decade before my time so I don't quite have the nostalgia for them that some people do， but I still found this book completely entertaining and absorbing。 Andrew McCarthy is a good writer and his self awareness of his detachment from the people and the scene of the eighties is interesting to read about。 I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 The brat pack movies were about a decade before my time so I don't quite have the nostalgia for them that some people do， but I still found this book completely entertaining and absorbing。 Andrew McCarthy is a good writer and his self awareness of his detachment from the people and the scene of the eighties is interesting to read about。 I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Lynda ，

I should begin with the fact that I am a child of the 80's and a fan of Andrew McCarthy。 I went to high school and college during this time and the 'brat pack' movies were a part of the fabric of my youth and therefore I am very attached to them。 I would emphasize， though， that his prose is particularly lovely and I often find myself taken aback at his ability to catch nuance in a moment of his life with insight， honesty and beauty。 I first read his travel memoir and discovered this and when I h I should begin with the fact that I am a child of the 80's and a fan of Andrew McCarthy。 I went to high school and college during this time and the 'brat pack' movies were a part of the fabric of my youth and therefore I am very attached to them。 I would emphasize， though， that his prose is particularly lovely and I often find myself taken aback at his ability to catch nuance in a moment of his life with insight， honesty and beauty。 I first read his travel memoir and discovered this and when I heard that this book was coming out， I could hardly wait。 It does not come out for at least another 3 months but I was lucky enough to enter a contest and win an advance copy。 I love that the book gave an inner perspective of how he grew up and I could truly relate as I grew up just about 20 minutes away in suburban New Jersey at around the same time。 I had always wondered how he started in NJ and ended up in Hollywood， a heartthrob minted by John Hughes。 And I suppose his charm wasn't lost on me because of my NJ upbringing。 But overall， if the title caught your interest then you are already the right crowd for this book。 It is a wonderful， nostalgic ride that pleasantly bounces you along a current of memories and informs you of details you would never have guessed。 About Mr。 McCarthy as well as the other members of the 'brat pack'。 I think it is easier for him to share his inner world with ink and paper than perhaps with conversation。 And because of his thorough introspection I finished the book feeling much closer to knowing who he is which is all I had hoped for。 。。。more

Kayo ，

Fun book。 Brings back so many memories。 Loved the pictures too！Thanks to author， publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 While I got the book for free， it had no bearing on the rating I gave it。

Christine Savukinas ，

This book was a guilty pleasure！ As a young person in the 80’s I just loved Andrew’s movies。 Pretty in Pink， Mannequin and Weekend at Bernie’s are just a few I look back upon fondly。 Andrew goes back to when he first realized he wanted to act and each step along the way that brought him to where he is today。 He reveals that he is a very private person， so this book is not about his personal life， but it does touch upon a few relationships he’s had over the years with some famous and not so famou This book was a guilty pleasure！ As a young person in the 80’s I just loved Andrew’s movies。 Pretty in Pink， Mannequin and Weekend at Bernie’s are just a few I look back upon fondly。 Andrew goes back to when he first realized he wanted to act and each step along the way that brought him to where he is today。 He reveals that he is a very private person， so this book is not about his personal life， but it does touch upon a few relationships he’s had over the years with some famous and not so famous peers。 He discusses his battles with alcohol and drugs along the way and how he finally decided to stop。 He’s an excellent writer and this book was a great short read。 Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC！ 。。。more

Michele ，

Andrew McCarthy - actor; heart-throb-of-my-youth; talented author。 I knew Mr。 McCarthy had done some travel writing， but I have yet to read any of his material。 With BRAT， I was most pleasantly surprised that his writing is captivating。 I thoroughly enjoyed this brief memoir and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work。 Andrew McCarthy - actor; heart-throb-of-my-youth; talented author。 I knew Mr。 McCarthy had done some travel writing， but I have yet to read any of his material。 With BRAT， I was most pleasantly surprised that his writing is captivating。 I thoroughly enjoyed this brief memoir and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Brat: An '80s Story

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Brat: An '80s Story&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Brat: An '80s Story&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0