Andrew McCarthy discussed his new documentary “Brats” in an exclusive interview with US Weekly published Tuesday.
McCarthy, a key figure from the iconic ’80s “Brat Pack,” ventured into filmmaking with his new documentary “Brats.” It explores the impact of the infamous label on the careers of its members. In an interview with Us Weekly, McCarthy shared insights into the making of the film and the dynamics of reaching out to former peers, including Molly Ringwald.
Ringwald, known for her significant roles in defining 1980s films, chose not to participate in the documentary, leaving McCarthy to rely on archived footage to include her perspective.
Andrew McCarthy had a brief conversation with Molly Ringwald regarding her involvement in his Brats documentary — but she ultimately decided not to appear in the film. https://t.co/3OOCBvz5o9
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) June 12, 2024
“She said she’d think about it and that was really the end of it,” McCarthy recounted.
Ringwald’s presence in the film is already significant through the archived footage, but McCarthy admits her absence is felt. (RELATED: ‘The Breakfast Club’ Star Admits Her Daughter Was Conceived In Studio 54 Green Room)
“She’s so articulate and insightful about these things,” he explained to Us Weekly. “The Brat Pack’s a funny thing. It’s like an octopus — it has these long tentacles you still reach out and you can either feel them as an embrace or as something [else]. People are at different places in their lives.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 07: (L-R) Mike Kelley, Victoria Thompson, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore, Jon Cryer and Reena Mehta attend the “BRATS” premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Theater on June 07, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
The term “Brat Pack” was coined in a 1985 New York Magazine article by David Blum and quickly became a double-edged sword for actors like Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Jon Cryer, Demi Moore, and Rob Lowe—all of whom discussed in the documentary how the label both defined and confined their careers. McCarthy highlighted a shared feeling of isolation among the group due to public misinterpretation of their persona, US Weekly reported.
“We felt sort of, in a weird way, very alone in this thing because we interpreted it as one thing and the whole rest of the public interpreted it entirely differently,” McCarthy told Us Weekly. “That’s all any of us ever want in life is to be seen, and we suddenly felt unseen in a certain way.”
