REVIEW | POP CULTURE

Brats: Defining a Cultural Phenomenon from the ’80s

These classic movies defined my youth

These are some of my 1980s-related personal items. I love the ‘80s. (Photo by author)

My friends associate me with the ’80s, not only because I grew up in that decade, but because years later I’m still listening to New Wave music and raving about anything associated with the decade of decadence. That’s why I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about Andrew McCarthy’s documentary Brats.

McCarthy, 59, is a New York-based actor known for his roles in ’80s movies and as a travel writer. His newest project, Brats, was released on June 13 on Hulu. I counted down the days for its release. My husband didn’t share my interest in watching it, maybe because he’s six years younger than me and not nostalgic like I am. I tend to cling to the glory days of my youth. My mom came over to watch the documentary with me, kind of. She paid more attention to her knitting. This wasn’t her generation.

As I watched McCarthy doing his first interview with fellow actor Emilio Estevez, I said, “Andrew, don’t cry,” although I wouldn’t have blamed him. He hadn’t seen Estevez in more than 30 years. I told Mom McCarthy can be a bit emotional. This became evident after reading three of his non-fiction books. I met the actor in 2013 when he was touring libraries to promote one of his travel books. In person…