User reviews

While 2/3 of the IMDb reviewers cast a very satisfactory and satisfied vote between 7 and 10, most professional critics unmercifully panned the movie… you cannot help wondering if we saw the same film… Unfortunately, the film had already several disadvantages: a somewhat cryptic title which failed to attract attention, no stars, no backing from the distributor; so, if you look at the gross turnover in movie-halls, the result is a sheer catastrophe…. It is a pity, as the film is highly enjoyable - though unusual in many respects: it combines extremely funny scenes with very serious ones; there are practically two settings only: the street at night and the jail; and the cast is limited to seven players: two cameos (wizened Richard Hamilton, and intriguing Norman Reedus as the drowned man), two supporting ones (lovely Karen Sillas and seldom-seen Bruce Norris as the pair looking unsuccessfully for privacy); and three main roles : reliable William Sadler, excellent as the police sergeant; bland-faced promising Alessandro Nivola as the hero, and strikingly beautiful (and good actress) Brooke Langton, climaxing the film. Like many others, I came across the film on TV by chance, – but probably in a shortened version: I witnessed Nivola setting up an intricate booby-trap with a paint-tin and the town-clock… but nothing came out of it. Missed a good laugh, for sure….

You can probably use the old Woody Allen line, "I like your earlier, funny ones" in describing the ENTIRE career of writer/director John Hughes.

The list rattles off like 80's Night on TBS: from "National Lampoon's Vacation" and "Sixteen Candles" to "Pretty In Pink" and "Planes, Trains & Automobiles". Hughes was a filmmaker who literally caught lightning in a bottle - a former advertising copywriter who had the marrow of moviegoers' funnybones and could write smart dialogue and smart situations like nobody else at that time. Hughes literally cranked out some of the most hilarious, most loved films of the 1980's, ones that will stand the test of time.

Over time, Hughes also seemingly asked himself that, in the movie biz, why improve on a good thing when you can just repeat it. His canon of work ALSO includes "Some Kind Of Wonderful" (a hollow sex-reverse of "Pretty In Pink"), "Career Opportunities", "Home Alone 2" (awful), "Curly Sue" (incredibly awful), "Baby's Day Out", "Dutch" (a "Planes, Trains..." ripoff) and others.

By finally, completely tarnishing his former luster by cranking the same few movies out, he cruised into a lazy write-o-bot/photocopier mode by catering to snot-nose "Home Alone" kids instead of speaking to his fan base that followed him from the promise of his articles in National Lampoon Magazine through to smaller pix like "Nate & Hayes", "National Lampoon's Class Reunion" and the hit "Mr. Mom", into his 'teenage' phase, and then onto more adult-themed projects like "She's Having A Baby".

Let me put this as forwardly as possible: I like John Hughes' work. He fueled some of the happiest movie-going experiences in the 80's, and even after burning audiences with (very) lesser efforts, his former glories made makes us look forward to the next "A John Hughes Production" title credit. And then he dropped off the face of the earth. Secretly, under various pseudonyms, he cranked out scripts for low class fare as "Beethoven" and more recently "Maid In Manhattan", and was frequently subjected to the scourge of being rewritten by others.

So, it was with great trepidation but certainly a great bit of interest that I recently took in the 1998 (basically) direct-to-video feature, "Reach The Rock". The film is another John Hughes-penned-but-not-directed youth tale, occurring over the course of just one hot summer night in Hughes's fictional "hometown" of Shermerville, Illinois. It's the simple, straight-forward story of a young "punk" (Alessandro Nivola - later of "Jurassic Park 3") with nothing much to do and not a lot going for him. When he crosses paths with town top cop William Sadler ("Die Hard 2"), the showdown is set for a quiet, chatty battle of wills between two very headstrong characters.

The film takes a very leisurely approach in the showdown between these two characters - the lion's share of the plotted dialogue slowly unfolds between each in the town's jailhouse, and the two cross wits, barbs and truths over the course of the film's running time.

Sound familiar?

That's right: Hughes is at it again, repeating former glories, going back to the same well. He has taken the showdown/confessional/plot points between Judd Nelson and Paul Gleason from Hughes' touchstone, "The Breakfast Club" and expanded that conflict into this picture. But guess what? It works! Perhaps the passing of time (say, 13 years) has allowed the prolific writer an opportunity to revisit that dogeared script and "stretch" well under the radar of film criticism (this Universal-backed film never received anything approaching a limited release by its distributor).

The film is SLOOOOOOOOW, but director William Ryan makes the timing work in the picture's favour. Over the course of one night, lives are changed, people are changed and attitudes are changed. And there's a LOT of talk. It's like a play - a showdown between the (conveniently) whip-smart kid and the cop who isn't the clichéd hardass.

The action on-screen is cerebral, and Hughes' writing is crisp and assured. Taking place over the course of the middle of the night, the movie has a great sense of time and small-town place. A subplot involving chief Sadler's horny deputy is prefunctory, and serves as a sluggish diversion to the main attraction. "Reach The Rock" is absolutely nothing special for the casual viewer without a modicum of patience, but for fans of the same John Hughes that wrote some of the smartest, funniest and most thoughtful pictures of 80's, we extend a warm "welcome back".

After having watched "Two for the money" and talked about Pacino and inspiration, I can't help but thinking how important something inspiring is in the film industry. Mostly in Hollywood, where inspiring films are locked in a shelf and only come out if the right people allows it and so on. There's still people who wants to leave a message to the viewer; people who has something to say.

A few years ago, a man named William Ryan directed his first and only film to date, called "Reach the rock". The opening shots of the movie and the movement of the camera let us know that we're going to see something common in detail; something simple but with a lot of meaning. "Reach the rock" can be a forgettable film if you don't pay close attention. Ryan cares for his simple environment, and he cares for the meaning and the message.

If you take a look at Ryan's producing credits, you'll see "Miracle on 34th Street" (one of my favorite films), a picture with message and meaning, listed. You are allowed to think that I'm talking a bunch of nonsense here, but I've got to make a stand for a movie like "Reach the rock"; a sensible, heartfelt tale that went completely unnoticeable when it came out.

At first I wanted to see this film because Alessandro Nivola was in it. Nivola, a talented but still not recognized performer (stole the show in the blockbuster "Goal!" and brought grace alongside Amy Adams to "Junebug"), stars as Robin, the most rebellious kid of a small town which is no longer a kid but still does the mischief a teenager does when he wants to get attention. Quinn (William Sadler), the town chief of police, blames him for the death of his nephew Danny, a friend of Robin who wanted more than the life expectations of a little town.

"No one cares about you no more, Robin", Quinn tells him as he puts him in a cell. Robin picks the phone and calls a girl, asking her to pick him up. This is Lise (Brooke Langton), the daughter of the most important man in town and once Robin's girlfriend. He loves her and she loves him too, but she went to the University and he never finished high school and still doesn't know what to do with his life. And what's the problem with that? Some people just don't know.

But he is clever, probably more than Quinn because he destroys various stores of the town and steals a police car in the same night as he is in jail without anyone being able to blame him. Lise goes to visit Robin and denigrates him morally. However, she still wants to do things with him but he is no fool. Meanwhile, Quinn looks at the pictures of his nephew's death. Robin remembers he was with Danny and he wanted to reach the rock; a big rock in the river that represented more than the small town life.

During that night, lots of revelations see the light of day and the viewer finds himself surprised more and more as the time passes. The screenplay by John Hughes is perfect, because there's a charm in the simplicity of the tale accompanied by Ryan's direction. There's a perfect mix of the drama and the comedy; there's a silence in the images that we get to hear because of the little number of actors and their more than good performances.

"Reach the rock" had a lot more to say…A lot of movies these days have; it's just that nobody sees it.

The beginning recalls Nicholas Ray's "rebel without a cause"(1955) .What follows is very static and is not unlike a filmed stage production:with its hints at the past and its somewhat tortured characters ,it reminds me of very lite Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller.Never really funny ,and never really absorbing,in spite of good actors.The brunette character is eminently questionable :it's not the return of Natalie Wood in the movie I mention above.It seems that after a bout of rebellion against daddy ,she returned to his-father-who-owns-the -whole-town apparently without tears.

Does not reach anything.

Definitely worth the rental bucks, despite the occasional but forgivable schmaltz at points. Good soundtrack, evidence of John Hughes III and his friendship with Tortoise-guy John McEntire, and a very atmospheric, hazy look to the whole picture. Wonderful moments of quiet, and shots held longer than I'm used to seeing in a Hollywood film. Oddly casual, and quite enjoyable.

This movie proves that you don't need a high dollar cast and/or special effects, violence or sex to make a good film. This had none of those things, yet it held my attention by the actors' performances and the silence that was there, between the lines, so to speak. The attention to detail in minor points was also evident. After watching this film, I think I should look at other films produced by this team of dream makers. At one point, I commented to my viewing companion that this movie had the feel of an older David Lynch production right down to the music, i.e. Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. Thank you Mr. Hughes for such a delightful movie.

In the small town Shemerville, the vandal Robin (Alessandro Nivola) breaks the front window of a store in the middle of the night and is arrested by Deputy Ernie (Bruce Norris). Sheriff Quinn (William Sadler) locks Robin in a cell while Ernie wants to have sex with his mistress Donna (Karen Sillas) in the police car along his shift. The inhabitants of Shemerville and Quinn blame Robin for the death of Quinn's nephew Danny (Norman Reedus). However Robin recalls the night when he was drinking with his friend Danny on the side of the river and Danny challenges him to cross the river. Danny does not accept to go but Danny decides to swim alone and drowns. Robin succeeds to steal the key of his cell and along the night, he sneaks out from the police station to break other windows of the same owner with a great alibi. Later Quinn discovers that Robin's true intention is to call the attention of his high-school girlfriend Lise (Brooke Langton) for whom he is in love.

"Reach the Rock" is an unfunny and weird low-budget film. The story has many subplots that are easily resolved. Sheriff Quinn accepts Robin's word; his vandalism to call the attention of his former girlfriend is silly; the easy way that he escapes from the Sheriff's office is unbelievable. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Nadando Contra a Corrente" ("Swimming Against the Stream")

I was channel hoping when I caught the start of this film but it was one of those gems that really had me hooked. Everything was superb, from the performances, script, editing etc. It lets you into the lives of the people concerned in a most enlightening, thought provoking way. I believe the true measure of a film is how it leaves you and how it remains with you. Again this is a gem, catch it if you can.

I wanted to say that I concur with the previous members' reviews of REACH THE ROCK. This movie holds a special place in my heart, because it was partially filmed in my own town, Westmont, Illinois. The park district and senior center were dramatically remodeled, with SHERMER POLICE DEPARTMENT on our senior center. John Hughes' crew and production company were in town a few weeks. The dramatic events that took place during the filming were amazing! Never being on a film set, and having our town being used for the film made it especially memorable. Only bad part was that the scene where the main character "escapes" from the jail, and steals the squad car were probably 4 mins. of the entire film. Another community about 25 miles away (West Chicago, IL) was used for other parts of the film. I was disappointed that it never made it to the big screen. I caught it on our local WGN-TV one Sunday afternoon, purely out of coincidence. It is a story worth watching, so I do recommend it.

I was flipping channels on a boring Saturday afternoon and I came across it because there wasn't anything interesting to watch at the time. In a matter of minutes I was absorbed into the story. It was very interesting surprisingly because there was so much silence and very little dialogue. At the end, you see one of the main characters on a rock but I had no idea why but after reading the plot on this site I realize why. It reminded me of my other favorites: Pretty in Pink and Breakfast Club. But now I know why since this is a John Huges film. I always thought Molly Ringwald was the prettiest actress I ever saw, but after seeing Brooke Langton, that may not be the case. You should definitely watch this film. If you do not enjoy the story you will enjoy watching Langton.

I got this movie, primarily to see how it's soundtrack (which is great) related to the storyline. I was shocked to see how good the movie was! The movie is whitty, and kept my interest for the entire duration of the movie. Even my wife, who frequently dislikes indie films, enjoyed the movie. Rent it!

Like the other reveiwers here, I accidently came across this movie - for me on cable TV in Australia. What a beautiful little film this is. It had a great script, was superbly acted , and was quite moving to me. Highly recommended.

I was really surprised I didn't hear anything about this when in theaters, it being from John Hughes and all. Typical Hughes - good story, heartfelt, funny - it has everything a good movie should have.

I thought this movie was fantastic. Edgy and full of young fun I was really drawn in a recommend it for a laugh,a touch of drama and sexy Alessandro Nivola! For those wondering what happened in the clock scene watch till the very end credits-there's a sneaky ending to it all! Although the movie title is a little bland, there are some truly awesome actors in it that create a movie with attitude. I find the plot really hard to forget now as often I found myself amazed at how thought out this movie was. I watched in on TV and I'm glad I did, its the sort of movie you can snuggle up with your boyfriend/girlfriends or your best girl mates who don't mind a bit of Alessandro showing of those toned arms... Loved it, and it appeals to all.

Without seeing the opening title of the movie, the first thing that comes to mind is 'The Breakfast Club'. I just knew that John Hughes must be in it somewhere. After a few typing of the keyboard, i found out that the movie's written by him. Well, of course, who else could write a movie with at most 10 people in it without making it less great?

My opinion is, if it's raining outside, or you've got nowhere to go, dont hesitate to rent this movie. It's a very cool and enjoyable movie to watch.

"Reach the Rock" plays like an experiment to see how much a movie can be slowed down before it stops. It was produced and written by John Hughes, who should have donated his screenplay to a nearby day-care center for use by preschoolers in constructing paper chains. How can the man who made "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" have thought this material was filmable? The story involves an unhappy young man named Robin (Alessandro Nivola), who in the opening scene uses a flagpole to break the window of a hardware store. When Ernie the small-town cop (Bruce Norris) arrives, he finds Robin seated in a beach chair before the window, cooling himself with an electric fan. Robin is returned to the station, where the only other cop on the overnight shift is Sgt. Phil Quinn (William Sadler).

Robin is well known to the officers. His arrest sheet lists offenses such as loitering, disturbing the peace and vandalism. The sergeant and the kid dislike each other, and the actors demonstrate this with various reliable techniques, including the always dependable flaring of the nostrils.

The cops lock Robin in a cell. He steals the keys to the cell, lets himself out, steals a squad car, drives downtown, fires a shotgun through a coffee shop window, returns and locks himself back in. This is a pattern that will repeat itself many times during the long night. "How are you gettin' out of here?" asks Sgt. Quinn, convinced that Robin is the culprit. It never occurs to him to search the prisoner for the keys. I can't say much for his police work. (That line is borrowed from "Fargo," a movie I thought of during this one as a drowning man will think of an inflatable whale.) Robin's sneaky activities unfold with the velocity of sleepwalking. There are two cells in the jail, and at various times Robin is locked in both, Ernie is locked in one, Quinn is locked in the other, a bunk catches fire, Robin's old girlfriend is locked in with him, and Quinn is locked out of the building. Sounds like a maelstrom of activity with all those cell doors banging open and shut, but imagine the stateroom scene in "A Night at the Opera," enacted in slow motion, and with sadness.

Yes, "Reach the Rock" is very sad. Halfway through the film we learn that Sgt. Quinn blames Robin for the drowning death of his nephew. Even later, we learn that Robin has been moping and pining for four years because a rich local girl (Brooke Langton) dated him in high school but dropped him when she went to college-except of course for summers, when she comes home and resumes their sexual relationship, which seems sporting of her. "Time stopped for you about four years ago," somebody tells Robin, or maybe it is everyone who tells Robin that.

There is a subplot. When we first see Ernie the dim-witted deputy, he is drinking in a parked squad car with a woman named Donna (Karen Sillas). He's about to make a move when he gets the call to check out the alarm at the hardware store. Throughout the movie, Ernie and Donna try to get horizontal and are repeatedly interrupted. This is a running gag, or, in this movie, a walking gag. Donna grows frustrated and wanders the deserted night streets in her nightgown-forlorn, neglected and in heat. At one point, when Ernie arrives for yet another rendezvous, she warns him, "This is your last chance," but one senses that with Donna there are as many last chances as with Publisher's Clearing House.

All of the elements of the plot at long last fall into place, including an old tattoo that explains an earlier parable. Comes the dawn, and we are left with questions that only a policeman could answer. (Spoiler Warning-read no further if you intend to see the film.) Attention, officers! If a perpetrator has a three-page arrest record, and during one night, angry at being dumped by an old girlfriend, he breaks a store window, breaks out of a jail cell, steals a police car, uses a police shotgun to shoot out another window, locks an officer out of the police station, locks two officers into cells, starts a fire and tries to frame an officer for the crimes, would you, in the morning, release the kid and tell him to go home because "her old man has insurance"? Just wondering.

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I just happened to catch this delightful film on cable. At first I had difficulty deciding if this was a comedy or drama. Then I realized it, in fact, was a comedy/drama. I have been a fan of Nivola's for some time and was delighted to see him in this film. Seems as though his "look" changes with each character he plays. I last saw him in "Junebug." The other actors in the film handled their characters very well although the Ernie character could have easily come off as "Barney Pfife" but Norris was able to hold back and make it somewhat believable. The title is rather misleading as the "rock" is only shown briefly and appears to be in the middle of a lake; as if swimming there would be going nowhere. All in all it kept my attention and was a very good film. In an earlier review the booby trap with the paint-tin and town clock was mentioned as not being seen. For some reason that scene ran AFTER the credits. Sort of confusing. I thought it was that last crash we heard but did not see later on in the film. Or, was the booby trap set off after Robin left the jail? i.e., after the credits. Can anyone clarify?

This movie more than any other of the "this should be brought to DVD" category seems to be the one I keep checking on over the years hoping to find it has made it to DVD at last.

I liked that it had so few actors yet told the story perfectly. Remember this was written by John Hughs, and he has some pretty great successes to his name (which is why I first chose to watch it when it came out on VHS).

It tells the story of a mischievous teen who plays tricks on the police, just like we did when I was a kid growing up in a small town. Only on a grander scale than we ever did.

I have no idea if generally people would like this movie, most have never gotten a chance since this went to VHS without hardly a whisper at the box office and no DVD. Perhaps I only like it because it seems to familiar to my brothers and I as teenagers.