Staying Together

“***Three brothers come-of-age in the heart of South Carolina*** This is similar to “Breaking Away” from a decade earlier, mixed with bits of “This Property Is Condemned” from the mid-60s. In place of the bicycling of the former movie, one of the brothers is a runner, played by Dermot Mulroney. Meanwhile Sean Astin appears as the youngest sibling and surprisingly had his charisma way back then when he was only 16½ during shooting. Finally, Tim Quill plays the headstrong eldest brother, who’s a bit of a Lothario and comes across as Travolta Junior. While Melinda Dillon stands out on the feminine front as the loving mother, there’s also Stockard Channing as a mayoral candidate and Daphne Zuniga as fellow runner intent on marrying for security, regardless of who really lights her fire. Dinah Manoff is also on hand as a waitress at the family’s restaurant. The next year (after shooting) she would rise to television fame with Empty Nest. Her role here is small, but she has one notable scene which shows that she was the most beautiful woman on set, believe it or not. I should add that this is R-rated and there’s a bit o’ tame nudity. I was surprised to discover that super-sharp Lee Grant directed this since I never even knew she delved into that behind-the-camera profession. I suppose a few scenes should’ve been reshot for smoother results, but reshoots cost money and, besides, most of the drama is convincing and smacks of real-life (I won’t reveal the plot turns). Like “Breaking Away” and “Funeral Home,” there are noteworthy quarry sequences. One such scene might seem unlikely until you consider the rash youthfulness of so-and-so.      It runs a short ‘n’ sweet 1h 31m and was shot Oct 1987 in Ridgeway, South Carolina, which is a 30m drive north of Columbia. GRADE: B/B-”