"Everyone thought David had it all.. until the day David ended it all"Yes, Keanu Reeves is in this movie. No, it doesn't suck.
Permanent Record is the story of David Sinclair (Alan Boyce), a popular high school kid who seemingly has just about everything going for him. Perfect grades, a sterling reputation with teachers and a fine relationship with his parents and little brother. His outstanding musical talent doesn't go unnoticed either, having just been handed a scholarship to a highly regarded music college. In an ideal world, David couldn't be happier..
Chris (Reeves) has a thing for music, too, and spends his spare time jamming in the band that he and best friend David created.
A popular haunt for the local kids are the sea-side clifftops - a convenient parking spot, where they can drink beer, hang out and do as they please. One night, during the celebration party (complete with chips, dips.. and vegetables) thrown together by Chris and David, those cliffs - the same cliffs where girlfriends and boyfriends go to play music and make out - are to be the scene of something way more sinister, unforeseeable and tragic than any of the teens could imagine. The heartbreak that is in their midst is only minutes away from shattering an entire community - most of all Chris - who is unfortunate enough to be at the fateful scene as it unfolds.
Suddenly David, the hardworking, straight-A student, is nowhere to be found. Not at the party. Not with a girl. Not with his guitar, or his band mates. But dead. That's right. Dead. And the last place anyone had seen him alive was on the edge of the Oregon cliffs. Chris, being that someone, tries to come to terms with what instant reaction tells him was a terrible, freak accident. While the news breaks to his parents and the rest of his school, their first thoughts are also telling them the same: it was an accident. It could have happened to anyone. Still, nobody can quite accept that this kid - a kid with such a promising future, had so unfairly lost his life.
While shockwaves are still circulating, Chris finds it difficult to concentrate. His mind is elsewhere - how can school work possibly matter when you've lost your best friend? As his drama class prepare for their performance of HMS Pinafore, the responsibility of writing the music for the production - a responsibility which had previously lie in David's hands - is re-assigned. On instruction from the school principal, the drama teacher, although reluctant, agrees to hand the job over to a still-traumatized Chris. Knowing that his strong point within his band was never songwriting, Chris questions his own ability, as well as the rationale behind the Principal's instructions. Little does he know that his inner songwriter will soon come to light and not only pave the way for an amazing school production, but also come to terms with the loss of his best friend.
In the days to come, Chris receives what appears to be an insignificant package in the mail. Inside, he finds sheet after sheet of unfinished music, accompanied by a note. "I wanted everything to be perfect. It wasn't", it reads. An enormous stone drops right there and then. Heaving as he races to the bathroom, with the horrible truth swirling in his head, Chris begins to scrutinize both the note and the reasoning behind David's suicide. Should he tell everyone? Or should he keep it to himself? How could he possibly break the news to David's parents?
Eventually, the genuine circumstances surrounding David's death are made apparent. Almost as if he had died all over again, nobody can quite believe or understand it. Principal Verdell, who had promised to hold a memorial service at the school, is told to re-think his plans of "promoting suicide". Angered that Verdell has gone back on his word, Chris is expelled for smashing a window in his office. To make the situation worse, his father takes away his only means of escape - his guitar. No guitar, no songwriting. No songwriting, no HMS Pinafore. Life seems to be on a downward spiral for Chris, but can he climb back up before it all ends in tears?
VERDICT: ★★★★
Amazing performances, a tearjerking plot, a fantastic soundtrack. Permanent Record wholeheartedly deserves the cult status that clings to it. Why it is so overlooked is one of the many mysteries of the film world. One thing Permanent Record can be commended for is the non-1988 quality about it. It isn't brimming with dodgy fashions and music and dancing, neither does it commit the typical teen movie crime of depicting parents and adults as idiots. It's a movie with a big heart and big brains. The only real downer is the manner in which it rockets from sincere and depressing almost all the way through, to damn cheesy in the last scenes. But who cares? This is no action-packed, slapstick craziness, but a slow-paced, heartfelt display of human emotion among genuine characters and an unvarnished storyline. After School Specials eat your heart out!
IMAGES/VIDEOS: [movie clip]
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SOUNDTRACK:
Yet another out of print little gem!
1. Trash City - Joe Strummer
2. Baby The Trans - Joe Strummer
3. Nefertiti Rock - Joe Strummer
4. Nothin' Bout Nothin' - Joe Strummer
5. Theme From Permanent Record [Instrumental Score]
6. 'Cause I Said So - The Godfathers
7. Waiting On Love - Bodeans
8. Wishing On Another Lucky Star - J.D. Souther
9. All Day And All Of The Night - The Stranglers
10. Something Happened - Lou Reed
"The first time seems like the worst time, but it's the one time you'll never forget!"
