jennacea I watched this movie back when it first came out on cable I believe . And I loved it . I have since tried to find it to rent or even buy but I never find it. I could always remember Helen Hunt ( she made quite an impression) but always thought the brother was played by Christian Slater.I believe that this is a movie I could watch over and over and still enjoy it. The closing scene in the pep rally was so intense that for say 15 or 20 years it has stuck with me. I as a mother would actually like to get a copy to show to my own children. This movie reminds me of a time when movies had plots and weren't always raunchy with over rated sex scenes. Defiantly a movie to watch if you have teenagers. And as a teenager myself a few years back , who grew up in a small town , it wasn't all that unrealistic to see the drug use in small town America. And I believe today this movie would still have an extreme impact on teen viewers. Two thumbs way up and 10 stars .

sjkhale Desperate Lives is one of the first movies my family every recorded on our VCR. I was 6 years old when this movie first came out, and I am not sure how old I was when I watched this movie for the first time, but I continued to ask if I could watch it again and again. I continued to watch this movie into my junior high and high school years. This movie dealt hard with the drug topic and was very relevant for the times. I no longer own a copy of this movie, but would love to see it again. I think it is a great movie where parents or teachers could talk to their kids about drug abuse and their effects and peer pressure.Because it has been so many years since I have seen this movie, I did not realize that the counselor was Helen Hunt, but I do remember that I was always very impressed by her character.

Jim Hannaford (sp27343) This film, edited down to 54 minutes was shown as an "ABC Afterschool Special". And like many of the specials took a young persons view of a particular issue: AIDS, drugs, teen pregnancy, etc. This one, staring Helen Hunt did the heavy drug thing, and was toned down when it was edited for the After School showing. Not bad acting for Helen, she certainly moved onward and up. Its interesting looking back at these afterschool specials, as many young actors (Scott Baio, Mariel Hemmingway, Hunt, Charlie Sheen..etc) were featured, and many moved up in Hollywood stature. It's unfortunate the specials are no longer (since 1997, I think) being produced.

Gangsteroctopus I cannot believe that one comment I just read for this one, that this piece of junk is "powerful" and "realistic" - WHAT?! This utterly awful TV movie is pure, 100% hokum. I went to high school in the '80s, when this thing came out and this TV movie seems to have been made on another planet by aliens who had absolutely no contact with real teenagers. I wish I'd seen this then - I could have used the laughs. But at least it's acquired a thick patina of camp value over the years, what with its beyond-earnest, totally out of touch plot and dialogue. This is the "Reefer Madness" of the '80s. Helen Hunt's PCP suicide/freakout is a pee-in-your-pants crack-up. (I don't suppose they'll be showing that clip when she's up for the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, should that ever happen.)