The Death of Richie

TV Movie
1977
Not Rated
1h 37m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Robby Benson in The Death of Richie (1977)

A sensitive but confused teenager feels pressure on him from all directions and turns to drugs, which causes problems for him in school and at home.A sensitive but confused teenager feels pressure on him from all directions and turns to drugs, which causes problems for him in school and at home.A sensitive but confused teenager feels pressure on him from all directions and turns to drugs, which causes problems for him in school and at home.

Director
- Paul Wendkos
Writers
- John McGreevey
- Thomas Thompson
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

502

YOUR RATING

Director
- Paul Wendkos
Writers
- John McGreevey
- Thomas Thompson
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos8

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Based on the real life story of George Richard Diener Jr., a Long Island teenager who in 1972 was shot dead by his father after trying to kill him while in a drug-induced manic state.

Quotes
Sheila: [reading from paper at gravesite service] To us you will exist in the flowers, in the trees, and in all the things of nature that God has given us. Richie, you are now in a world of peace and happiness forever. Pray for us as we pray for you. And somewhere, sometime, we will join you. With love from all your friends.
[she places flowers on Richie's casket and steps back]

Alternate versions
The original NBC telecast, of The Death of Richie in January, 1977, had Richie scream as his father kills him with the shotgun. The NBC Censors thought this was too intense, and edited the scream from all subsequent showings. This sound-byte is not available on any DVD prints or current editions of the movie and is presumed "lost", to the point where today's audiences (and even those who saw reruns of the film on television) are completely unaware that such sound-byte did occur in the film.

User reviews28

Review

Featured review

8/10

Cautionary tale about teen drug use

I haven't seen this movie since it was on TV and I was a teenager, so that has to be considered in reading my opinion. In brief, the movie follows the trajectory of a bright, handsome teenager, played by teen hearthrob of the time Robbie Benson and his hopeless descent into drug use. He tries to reform but the drug addiction is a powerful enemy indeed. This movie was made in the seventies, and as such, is probably dated, but I do think it had an effect on me, and was a part in building up an impression that heroin, in particular, was a road I didn't want to go down. If I remember correctly, this is mostly a movie about why you don't want to become a junkie, and the frustration of parents in watching their children turn into addicts. Not a happy film, but an excellent cautionary tale. Should be remade in today's context, including meth as a topic.