User reviews

I saw this movie 20 years ago and have never seen it since, yet I keep waiting to see it on cable or at the video stores or in discount bins or any place so I can purchase it, and watch it over and over again. This was the first time I ever saw Aidan Quinn, but his acting left a deep impression on me and has ever since. After "Reckless" if I saw his name on a movie I made a point of seeing it, in my opinion he never seems to get enough credit even back then. His movie love interest (Darryl Hannah) well I didn't even remember it was her, so I guess that says it all for me. I recently have been addicted to Firefly the TV series ("Serenity" the movie) and was discussing with my spouse that I believed the character Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin) was the same person who played opposite Aidan in "Reckless" sure enough when searching for this I found he was, so I would have to say he left an impression as well.

I believe if a movie you've seen only once can stick with you for this long, it must be good. And hearing many others, who also have seen it 20 years earlier, still talking about it, then I think it should become a classic and re-released.

A poor rebellious high school kid named Johnny Rourke (Aidan Quinn), from the wrong side of the tracks, falls in love with rich beautiful Tracey Prescott (Daryl Hannah). She's attracted to him too but has a jealous jerk of a boyfriend (Adam Baldwin) and she can't date anyone who is poor and rebellious. Three guesses what happens next.

There's absolutely nothing new here story wise but I saw it only once OVER 20 years ago and have never forgotten it. For one thing the acting is excellent. Quinn and Hannah really clicked together on screen. They also have two lengthy sex scenes where you get to see plenty of skin on both of them. (Quinn does a quick full frontal) The soundtrack really rocks too. I LOVED how they used "Kids in America" when Quinn and Hannah are "fighting". Even though the story is completely predictable it moved pretty quickly and I was never bored. I especially loved the final scene (I'm not gonna give it away). This movie should have made Quinn (he's just incredible) but didn't for some reason. If you can see it it's worth catching. Don't bother with the commercial TV print--the steamy sex scenes are completely gone.

On the surface, there's a lot about Reckless that spells turkey. Troubled and angry boy from the wrong side of town falls for the pretty rich cheerleader. Well, we all have seen that a million times, from Rebel Without a Cause to The Breakfast Club. Then there is the casting of actors who are transparently too old to play teenagers. Yet there is something about Reckless that draws one in and keeps them there for the full 90 minutes, and that something is in two words: Aidan Quinn. His performance is so on the mark, we can so easily feel his pain and angst, and that's not easy considering much of his lines are insipid. And yes, we cant overlook the fact that he is very easy on the eyes (the word dreamy comes to mind). But Quinn shows in this picture and most of his subsequent work that he is not merely just another pretty face, but a fine actor.

Just another typical 80's youth film with two actors in their late twenties playing teenagers. Besides all that, you got yourself a sexy poolside scene where you have to wait through half the film to see it. You fot Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah doing a dare strip tease at their high school pool in the middle of the night. It's great. You got to admit it's one of the only reasons why people rent this movie in the first place. A decent story, decent acting, an overall worth see movie. Check it out!

The drawing card of "Reckless" in 1984 was in seeing its sexy young stars sans clothes. What...you thought it was the plot? The script is a relentless rip-off of every teen-angst drama from "Rebel Without A Cause" on down. Misunderstood high schooler (Aidan Quinn), whose brooding manner derives from an unhappy home and has alienated him at school, falls for the class sweetheart (Daryl Hannah), who is unhappy but doesn't know it yet. Yes, we get to see Quinn and Hannah partly nude, but their characters are clichés, as are the roles played by Kenneth McMillain (Quinn's surly pop) and Cliff De Young (overdoing it as an unsympathetic coach). Lots of gritty, industrial-town atmospherics, fine '80's rock on the soundtrack, but the leads don't act or speak like high schoolers--and Quinn looks far too old to still be cracking the books. ** from ****

I'll admit I love this film. Quite a bit of the dialog doesn't make any sense; some of the characters are just there to hang the plot from; and Cliff DeYoung as the football coach gets most of the bad lines and his character, as well as the snotty cheerleaders, are all clichés. But these flaws don't detract from the appeal of the film.

Darryl Hannah, and Aidan Quinn in particular, have a presence and a chemistry that keeps the film vibrant and alive. This was Quinn's first film, and I've liked him ever since I first saw it. Even as a novice he's a great actor. Hannah is not as good as he, but she's still very good as a well-to-do high school senior who's looking for something different but not sure what she wants. Quinn plays the misunderstood poor boy with an alcoholic father, who is beset by teachers, father, peers and police every way he turns. Due to a random pairing for a charity dance, they are brought together and eventually discover that what they are looking for is in each other. The last shot of the film, as the camera speeds down the highway to Bob Seger's "Roll Me Away", is one of my favorite shots of any movie. I'll agree it's corny, but it works and so does this film.

The authentic steel-town atmosphere also helps to give the film a gritty realism; dark, smoggy, atmospheric and disturbing, it reminds me of the feel of the 80's. The soundtrack is superb; Romeo Void, INXS, and Kim Wilde's "Kids in America." Whenever I want to recapture that 80's feeling, when watching MTV was still new and exciting and they still played music you could take pleasure in listening to, and when the 80's groups were so avant-garde and on-the-edge, I watch this film. Sure enough, it can take me right back. Look past the sometimes inane dialog and be sure to catch this film; if you immerse yourself in the music it will work its spell.

It hasn't been shown on on regular cable in years (it's rated R for some candid but convincing sex scenes), but in mid-2005 it was playing on the high definition cable channel INHD, looking and sounding fantastic, so it does show up occasionally. Warner Archive (http://www.warnerarchive.com) now (2011) offers it for sale as an "on demand," widescreen DVD. A great film for Friday or Saturday night, and don't forget to turn the volume way up!

I watched this movie not long ago on TCM. I was surprised by how sexual the film really was. But also delighted that they didn't make it into some lovey dovey, puppy love nonsense. Trying to smother the sexual obsession that 99.9% of teens harbour. Of course the pairing of Darryl Hannah and Aiden Quinn couldn't flop. I mean they're perfect together. The contrast between their looks and acting styles. She's a blonde, blue eyed cheerleader, he the dark haired and light eyed Italian with a leather jacket and enough troubles to fill a circus tent. Yes, I know it's been done a billion times before and in exactly the same setting, mood and dialogue. But hey? Who says that real life characters such as these are ever going to get original themselves? It's one of my favourite raunch-o-rama teen flicks and even though its not in the league of "The Breakfast Club" or "Dirty Dancing", its soundtrack still kicks ass and plus it has a happy ending! Who can beat that?

First, how can you hate a film that utilizes both INXS and Romeo Void on its soundtrack? It's so '80s, but in the best way. That was the New Wave in music, and it fits, it fits with the story. The story is an old one, the poor little rich girl, so intrigued by the bad boy, the one with the troubled history, the unsettled home life, the one with the intense blue eyes, the boy who is obviously more of a "man" than her own boyfriend. She has to know about him, and she gets the chance when they are selected to attend the high school dance as a couple, much to her boyfriend's dismay.

His desire to leave their sleepy steel town, the little depressed, economically, hellhole with nowhere to go but down, is a catalyst for her, along with his seductive charms. He "wants" her, he tells her, and she wants him, but can't bear to let him know, without him forcing it out of her. He opens her up, sexually, mentally, he challenges her, and there are some really erotic scenes to show all of this.

Don't dismiss this film as fluff, or "plotless", there is a definite plot, it's an old one, used many times, but never quite to this effect, with these actors, with people this lovely to look at, this talented, with a soundtrack so perfectly fitting. It's a good movie, and has some really nice, creative camera work - the high school dance scene, camera swirling around Darryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn, is classic. A perfect little movie moment.

I recommend this movie, to anyone who likes erotic romances, or who wants to see a good example of why Aidan Quinn got so many parts in movies, or why Darryl Hannah was once so popular. These two light up the screen. The soundtrack is pure '80s, the tail end of the New Wave movement in music, and it's well preserved today.

This movie is one of the most shallow and exploitative movies I can recall ever seeing. In this, Mr. Handsome (Aidan Quinn) shows he's "rebellious" by riding a motorcycle and fighting with his father (the not-attractive looking Kenneth McMillan) over anything as his father is either drinking or just wanting to fight, and with the guy at school who incites stuff with him because he clearly likes his blonde, "good looking" girlfriend, played by Daryl Hannah - and let's not forget the nasty P. E. teacher.

This overly stylized piece of garbage has our SO-HEROIC couple set against nice looking backdrops as they wear their SO rebellious perfect clothes and ride on the motorcycle OOH, how "bad" of him, of them, and they of course have sex and...this movie is a LIE.

Okay, maybe most are as we watch them to escape, but this movie is the phoniest thing I've ever seen; what is this, Rebel Without A Cause for the Baywatch Generation?!?

Woops this is a few years before (I checked now when Baywatch started); I just mean this is the worst garbage I've ever seen, giving a nice LOOK to it - that's ALL - and some decent 1980s music.

There is NO real angst shown here, there is nothing; am I supposed to honestly ROOT for the guy, Quinn here? Or her? Or care about either of them?

This is just trash.

As rebellious or thought-provoking or realistic as a Guess Jeans ad.

Where can you get the soundtrack?? Romeo Void, INXS ("The one thing" - probably their best song) Bob Seger - very nice. Sure it's a little lame in the plot dept. but cool motorcycle, plenty of teen angst-it ain't Schindler's List but it works when you are surfing and happen upon it on a rainy weekend. Besides, Daryl Hannah never looks bad!

(1984) Reckless DRAMA

A total outcast Johnny (Aidan Quinn's movie debut) getting connected with well groomed teenager cheerleader Tracy(Daryl Hannah)! One of the benefits about watching a film when you're older as opposed to still being in your teens is that sometimes watching one scene throughout a film can sometimes foreshadow the overall film! In this case it's the eroticism chemistry with it's cheesy lines between Tracy (Hannah) and Johnny (Quinn) that stands out the most which is probably the reason why George Kennedy before killed on a plane accident at one time went out with Daryl Hannah was because of seeing this film! But on my second viewing and a lot older, the overall film is not very good at all and it's a lot to do with the character Aiden Quinn portrays whose supposed to be extremely rebellious but as a result for his actions such as vandalizing a school, break and enter a school and burning down a house, they're no consequences! Besides "A Rebel Without A Cause" this movie also has taken some of it's themes from "Valley Girl" as well, except Valley Girl is more credible in terms of it's characters and it's situations where the story also involves family and friends intervention creating obstacles in the main characters whereas in "Reckless" their aren't any intervention from anybody at all and at times seem airless, except from the boyfriend who intervenes just because... which means that all the characters surrounding the two lovebirds are all rather shallow making the overall story about street "bum" who has no money because he has no job( but was somehow able to pay for gas on his motorcycle), no high school degree, Johnny played by Aiden Quinn runs away with privileged and fortunate school girl Tracy! Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Reckless is one of my all-time favorite movies, Aidan Quinn is an awesome talent and should be more well known by now. This is 'Rebel without a Cause' for the 80's generation. Great music, excellent script, terrific acting and beautifully filmed.

I was a teenager working at the Cineplex when I saw this movie for the first time. It doesn't take much to stir teenage angst, and longing. I was an easy target for this movie. You see, at the time, I too was in a doomed relationship with a girl that was all wrong for me (or so it seemed to the myopic teenage eye). She was a drill team princess and I was a nobody from the wrong side of the tracks. I had an immediate emotional response to Johnny and Tracey's dilemma. It resonated with me powerfully at the time. "Reckless" has lingered in my memory along with all the other sweet nostalgia from my youth.

Time and distance grant you clarity. So now, twenty four years later, I think I can review this movie with a much more critical eye. After seeing it again recently on a fairly good VHS copy, some of the strengths that I remember are still there. The beautiful cinematography that is reminiscent of "The Dear Hunter" is still there. Many of the shots in the film give the Pennsylvania mill town a bleak and forlorn look that matches Johnny's life. The editing is dead-on and lends this film an urgency that matches the story. The music is used effectively throughout. Inxs, Romeo Void, and Kim Wilde, just to name a few, give each scene the 'feel' it needs to enhance the story. The home coming dance scene where Johnny punks out to 'Never Say Never' is a great example of how bringing together great acting, editing, music, and energetic camera-work into a scene can get an audience's heart rate going. The scene still holds up after all these years. Fresh faced earnestness of the performances from Quinn and Hannah also make this movie very watchable.

Despite all of it's strengths, I couldn't ignore the glaring shortcomings. First off, Quinn's character, Johnny, is not really very believable. To be more precise, the way girls react to him in the film (with the notable exception of Tracey) is not really believable. Look at some of the opening scenes where some of Tracey's fellow cheerleaders treat him like a leper and call him a weirdo. Who are we kidding? Let's face it, as far back as James Dean, good looking, brooding guys on motorcycles have been babe magnets. Had I known this back then, I would have saved my money for a bike instead of blowing it on beer and fast food every weekend. I will pause this review briefly to kick myself…. Okay, I'm back. On with my review. Johnny's relationship with the older lady at the bowling alley is never developed although it seems to hold promise for further developments. Perhaps a love triangle? I dunno, it just seems kinda weird how it is given attention, and then dropped. Aside from Quinn's character, all other characters are fairly two dimensional. Tracey feels underwritten. She's a perfect princess that decides to rebel just because her life is too perfect? Really? Huh. At least that's what a brief two minute scene tries to sell us on for her motivation for ending up with Johnny on her first night. Did I miss something? I attribute these anemic characters to an underdeveloped script that comes across as clichéd and formulaic.

In most instances, this would be the death of any film. At least for me it would be. But because of all it's other strengths, it actually turns out to be a pretty engaging little movie, even after all these years.

"Reckless" is a fine example of how style, and shameless pandering to the teenage psyche, can sometimes triumph over a substandard script.

I have seen this movie as teen when it first came on Prism and HBO, and it hit home with the setting for the movie. Not all places portrayed in movies are happy go lucky and this once showed life as it was for a lot of us growing up.

We all had that one girl we always wanted, we that did not fit the bill for society was the out cast and the rebel, had a broken home, etc. And this what makes the movie shine, hit home and show the TRUE meaning of growing up in a poor town.

It had a great soundtrack, that for me at the time was more into the hard rock/metal genre, that I still catch myself singing along when it comes on radio, which should say a lot for a music selection in a movie.

Also I get weird looks when I bring up this movie to friends whom never even heard of it or stores when asking if they have it or can get it. HMMMM pretty good lasting Impression for a movie that is now lost in time but not forgotten.

I would love it if this movie could be released on blue ray so all can enjoy a forgotten gem and for us that grew up to it to re-live our youth once again.

Darryl Hannah, Quinn, and Baldwin deserve the recognition and credit for this movie that helped launch their careers, please bring it back to the masses so at the end we can ride off on the bike again with the girl of our dreams.

I love this movie when I saw it on cable back in 1985. It was dealt with normal suburban life rather than these kids had money and felt like they were snobs. I saw it as Randy had this hot chick Tracey and Tracey wanted something else - Johnny Rourke. I loved the soundtrack and I wish some of the songs were released. I do remember INXS, Kim Wilde and Romeo Void (who can ever forget that dance scene between Johnny and Tracey, making Randy so mad that he stopped dancing with Mary Pat). This was good that I myself was in high school that I saw this film and I thought it was charming. I liked that Tracey's brother actually liked Johnny, while Randy and Tracey's friends (Kathy, Mary Pat and Karen) did not like him. I also like the cast of the film.

Captures high school real well with an awesome soundtrack. Music was well placed. Excellent performances by adian Quinn and Adam Baldwin. I felt the story was done well with tender although strained moments between Father played wonderfully by Ken McMillan and son (Adian Quinn) I would love to see a sequel as to how they are doing now and if they stayed together. A must see for a more serious movie about teenage angst.

As an angst-ridden teen in the 80's and a fan of alternate music, "Reckless" with Darryl Hannah and Adian Quinn had everything that films like Foot Loose and Top Gun were missing - a true kick a** soundtrack featuring great 80's tunes from artists like Kim Wilde, INXS, and the excellent Romeo Void (read: NO theme song from Kenny Loggins!). The film wasn't going to win any Oscars but it wasn't meant to! Reckless is a great little flick about the guy from the wrong side of the tracks going after, and getting (maybe!) the girl. In 2005, Reckless is a perfect 80's time-capsule! Sad that the studio had such little faith in the film at the time that they never even released a soundtrack CD. And to date, it's never been released on DVD! Both Hannah and Quinn are still viable stars today (see: Kill Bill and Empire Falls), and this is a nostalgic snap shot of both stars in earlier days. A note to the studio execs out there (and those fantastic folks at Rhino!) - the 80's are back and HOT so give us this DVD, will ya?

I saw this movie when I was just 10. I was up watching movie late one night with my older brother. So maybe it was just the happy memory, but this movie was always in a special place for me. Aidan Quinn was great! I think he is what made the movie. To bad they don't show it on late night cable that much any more, but if you ever get the chance to see it, I think its a good way to spend an hour and half. :D