Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (Shout Factory Blu-ray) - Blu-ray Forum

The Great Owl · 07-08-2019, 02:23 AM

I don't see a thread for this, so here goes...

Sarah Travis, a 15 year-old high school kid played by Linda Blair (The Exorcist), is struggling to adjust to the divorce of her parents, played by Larry Hagman (Dallas) and Verna Bloom (High Plains Drifter), and to life in a new town. She secretly indulges in an alcoholic drink for the first time at a party hosted by her mother and stepfather. Since alcohol seems to assuage her feelings of shyness and inferiority, she increasingly sneaks into her stepfather's liquor cabinet and drinks to excess at parties, despite the concern of her new boyfriend, played by Mark Hamill (Star Wars) in his first feature-length film role. Her parents, her school counselor, and a therapist step in, but they may be too late to stop her downward spiral into addiction.

Those who approach the popular 1975 made-for-television movie, Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic, looking for a quaintly outdated or unintentionally campy public service announcement story will likely be taken aback by ability of this surprisingly gritty film to unnerve contemporary audiences and by its unwillingness to pull punches with regard to its subject matter. Director Richard Donner (The Omen, Superman: The Movie) helmed this well-paced drama after, on the producer's request, attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where an adolescent boy spoke in front of the group about having a drinking problem. His examination of the increasingly prevalent issue of teenage alcoholism during the 1970s, during a time when more and more young people were dealing with broken homes and social pressure, still goes for the throat.

I miss the 1970s and early 1980s heyday of well-made television movies featuring A-list actors and accomplished directors. Of course, these features hail from a time when most people did not have pay cable channels, and, if you stumbled across a movie on a weeknight on ABC, NBC, or CBS, then chances were that most of your schoolmates or co-workers were watching it as well. This particular outing made a mark when network affiliates posted local Alcoholics Anonymous numbers and other helpful information after its showing. To this day, Linda Blair is still approached by fans who tell her that the movie saved their lives.

The supporting role from a pre-Luke Skywalker Mark Hamill is emotionally resonant, and it is an early indicator that he was destined for a good future in cinema. Be on the lookout as well for the always-amazing M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner, Blood Simple) in a small part.

This Shout Factory Blu-ray delivers a great-looking 2K scan of the original elements, along with interviews with Linda Blair, Richard Donner, and producer David Levinson.

slimdude · 07-08-2019, 02:33 AM

I remember seeing this movie when it first aired on TV back in the early 70s, and it was pretty good. Born Innocent, another TV Movie that Linda Blair made was good also. You may want to check it out, if you haven't seen it already.

The Great Owl · 07-08-2019, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slimdude

Born Innocent, another TV Movie that Linda Blair made was good also. You may want to check it out, if you haven't seen it already.

I looked up this film on the Internet Movie Database just now. It looks pretty heavy and intense.

monwobbbo · 07-08-2019, 02:41 AM

i remember this movie from back in the day as well. not sure if it's something i'd buy but it's very cool it's getting a release. Linda looked great in as i recall.

The Great Owl · 07-08-2019, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monwobbbo

i remember this movie from back in the day as well. not sure if it's something i'd buy but it's very cool it's getting a release. Linda looked great in as i recall.

Linda Blair is really young in this movie, but her acting is impressive. This was her first role that required extended monologues (something that she did not have a chance to do in The Exorcist).

slimdude · 07-08-2019, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I looked up this film on the Internet Movie Database just now. It looks pretty heavy and intense.

Yes, It was a shocking movie for that era.

Mose Harper · 07-08-2019, 01:31 PM

I watched this about ten days ago.
Blair was a huge childhood crush of mine ever since Stranger In Our House (aka Summer Of Fear) was first telecast 41 years ago. Was always curious about this one, but had never had the opportunity to see it prior to this SF release.

I was surprised at just how well done this was. Apart from a brief "Reefer Madness" style freak out in one scene, the film plays everything remarkably straight.

It's a credit to Donner especially. Great interview with him and the producer as well. He always comes across like such a mensch, and that's never been more apparent than here.
He seems like one of the truly genuine good guys in an industry filled with snakes. If it's an act, it's a damn good one. Given how others have always spoken of him though, I'm pretty sure he's the real deal.

Would love to see SF release more TV movies, and especially the other "Portrait of..."s, though I doubt any of the rest are up to this level of quality.

willo007 · 07-08-2019, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mose Harper

I watched this about ten days ago.
Blair was a huge childhood crush of mine ever since Stranger In Our House (aka Summer Of Fear) was first telecast 41 years ago. Was always curious about this one, but had never had the opportunity to see it prior to this SF release.

I was surprised at just how well done this was. Apart from a brief "Reefer Madness" style freak out in one scene, the film plays everything remarkably straight.

It's a credit to Donner especially. Great interview with him and the producer as well. He always comes across like such a mensch, and that's never been more apparent than here.
He seems like one of the truly genuine good guys in an industry filled with snakes. If it's an act, it's a damn good one. Given how others have always spoken of him though, I'm pretty sure he's the real deal.

Would love to see SF release more TV movies, and especially the other "Portrait of..."s, though I doubt any of the rest are up to this level of quality.

I miss Donner's work, and I truly hope his film legacy (as far as directing) doesn't end with Timeline or X Men Origin Wolverine (Unaccredited)!

And I do hope his films get the 4K treatment soon, LadyHawke, Lethal Weapon, Conspiracy Theory, Maverick, The Omen and The Goonies.

Mister B Gone · 07-11-2019, 06:24 PM

I just finished watching this and it was very much worth it.

I picked it up used because it looked gimmicky but this is actually quite good. Kudos to Shout Factory for putting this out!

07-08-2019, 02:23 AM	#1
The Great Owl Blu-ray Archduke Member since:Dec 2012 Location:Georgia 4K collection:921 Blu-ray collection:6031 DVD collection:28 Blu-ray reviews: 255 Trading Score:6	Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (Shout Factory Blu-ray) I don't see a thread for this, so here goes... Sarah Travis, a 15 year-old high school kid played by Linda Blair (The Exorcist), is struggling to adjust to the divorce of her parents, played by Larry Hagman (Dallas) and Verna Bloom (High Plains Drifter), and to life in a new town. She secretly indulges in an alcoholic drink for the first time at a party hosted by her mother and stepfather. Since alcohol seems to assuage her feelings of shyness and inferiority, she increasingly sneaks into her stepfather's liquor cabinet and drinks to excess at parties, despite the concern of her new boyfriend, played by Mark Hamill (Star Wars) in his first feature-length film role. Her parents, her school counselor, and a therapist step in, but they may be too late to stop her downward spiral into addiction. Those who approach the popular 1975 made-for-television movie, Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic, looking for a quaintly outdated or unintentionally campy public service announcement story will likely be taken aback by ability of this surprisingly gritty film to unnerve contemporary audiences and by its unwillingness to pull punches with regard to its subject matter. Director Richard Donner (The Omen, Superman: The Movie) helmed this well-paced drama after, on the producer's request, attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where an adolescent boy spoke in front of the group about having a drinking problem. His examination of the increasingly prevalent issue of teenage alcoholism during the 1970s, during a time when more and more young people were dealing with broken homes and social pressure, still goes for the throat. I miss the 1970s and early 1980s heyday of well-made television movies featuring A-list actors and accomplished directors. Of course, these features hail from a time when most people did not have pay cable channels, and, if you stumbled across a movie on a weeknight on ABC, NBC, or CBS, then chances were that most of your schoolmates or co-workers were watching it as well. This particular outing made a mark when network affiliates posted local Alcoholics Anonymous numbers and other helpful information after its showing. To this day, Linda Blair is still approached by fans who tell her that the movie saved their lives. The supporting role from a pre-Luke Skywalker Mark Hamill is emotionally resonant, and it is an early indicator that he was destined for a good future in cinema. Be on the lookout as well for the always-amazing M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner, Blood Simple) in a small part. This Shout Factory Blu-ray delivers a great-looking 2K scan of the original elements, along with interviews with Linda Blair, Richard Donner, and producer David Levinson. Last edited by The Great Owl; 07-08-2019 at 02:41 AM.

07-08-2019, 01:31 PM	#7
Mose Harper Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jul 2014 4K collection:31 Blu-ray collection:514 Trading Score:3	I watched this about ten days ago. Blair was a huge childhood crush of mine ever since Stranger In Our House (aka Summer Of Fear) was first telecast 41 years ago. Was always curious about this one, but had never had the opportunity to see it prior to this SF release. I was surprised at just how well done this was. Apart from a brief "Reefer Madness" style freak out in one scene, the film plays everything remarkably straight. It's a credit to Donner especially. Great interview with him and the producer as well. He always comes across like such a mensch, and that's never been more apparent than here. He seems like one of the truly genuine good guys in an industry filled with snakes. If it's an act, it's a damn good one. Given how others have always spoken of him though, I'm pretty sure he's the real deal. Would love to see SF release more TV movies, and especially the other "Portrait of..."s, though I doubt any of the rest are up to this level of quality. Last edited by Mose Harper; 07-08-2019 at 01:35 PM.

07-08-2019, 02:33 AM	#2
slimdude Banned Member since:Apr 2009 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Blu-ray reviews:8	I remember seeing this movie when it first aired on TV back in the early 70s, and it was pretty good. Born Innocent, another TV Movie that Linda Blair made was good also. You may want to check it out, if you haven't seen it already.

07-08-2019, 02:41 AM	#4
monwobbbo Power Member Member since:May 2013 Location:upstate NY Blu-ray collection:666 Blu-ray reviews:11	i remember this movie from back in the day as well. not sure if it's something i'd buy but it's very cool it's getting a release. Linda looked great in as i recall.

07-11-2019, 06:24 PM	#9
Mister B Gone Power Member Member since:Jun 2016 Location:Chicago 4K collection:306 Blu-ray collection:1310 DVD collection:66 Trading Score:1	I just finished watching this and it was very much worth it. I picked it up used because it looked gimmicky but this is actually quite good. Kudos to Shout Factory for putting this out!

Best Blu-ray Movie Deals