When Hulu’s Brats was released last month, many fans, myself included, were surprised that the documentary wasn’t what they thought it would be. Instead of deep diving into what it was like filming the classic ‘80s movies, it centered on Andrew McCarthy reconnecting with several of his “Brat Pack” co-stars to discuss how the iconic nickname negatively affected their careers. A month since the premiere, McCarthy is now reflecting on what it means that a core member of the group, Judd Nelson, bailed on being part of the doc.
The qualifications for who is and isn’t in the infamous “Brat Pack” change depending on who you talk to, with some even claiming that Tom Cruise was part of the group because he starred in The Outsiders. However, for the most part, the consensus is that anyone who appeared in both The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire is automatically a key member. Given that Nelson meets those requirements, many consider him a part of the “Brat Pack,” so it makes sense that McCarthy would be interested in reconnecting with the actor, who lives his life largely out of the public eye. Unknowingly to the audience, it's how he kicks off the entire documentary, with McCarthy telling Radio Andy:
At the beginning when I am calling everyone up, there’s one moment where I’m saying to someone, ‘Don’t tell me now. Don’t tell me now. I want to get this all on film,’ and that was Judd I was talking to because when I called Judd up, he was the most excited of anyone. I said, ‘I’d love to. Okay,’ and he just launched in about all the Brat Pack and that’s when I said to him, which is in the movie, you know, ‘Don’t tell me now. I want to get this all on film. Just slow down, Judd. I’ll come to LA, and we’ll sit down,’ and he goes, ‘Great. Call me when you’re ready. I’m here,’ and then he sort of became like a unicorn. We couldn’t find him for months and months and months and then finally, he just said, ‘I don’t want to do it.’ Yeah, he just changed his mind, which is fine.
The scene the director is referring to is an exciting one because of how enthusiastic the person on the other end of the phone seems. As viewers watch the St. Elmo’s Fire star reconnect with various co-stars and “Brat Pack” members, the opportunity to chat with Nelson becomes the “golden goose” of the documentary. As the documentary progresses, it’s clear that Nelson has no interest in filming, so it’s surprising to hear that the iconic ‘80s actor was the one who was so enthusiastic over the phone.
While he was clearly disappointed that the interview with Nelson (and Molly Ringwald) never panned out, Andrew McCarthy does have an interesting take on why that might be that ends up supporting the thesis of the documentary:
But I think, interestingly... People not wanting to do it, that says a lot, you know, and they’re both in the movie quite a bit. You know, they’re in interviews and the archival stuff of them being, you know, intelligent and sensitive as I know them to be, but even people choosing not to participate, that says something. This is 40 years ago almost and people that, it still touches whatever it touches with people. It’s like, 'Wow. Okay interesting,' and so that’s saying something too.
It definitely fits the narrative to blame their disinterest in joining the documentary on wanting to distance themselves from who they were 40 years ago. Archival footage used in Brats even supports this, with both Nelson and Ringwald sharing their thoughts on the nickname that everyone thought the group of actors loved.
However, they could have denied McCarthy for a number of reasons. It could have been as simple as a scheduling conflict or perhaps even a conflict of interest in the future if either of them choose to create their own documentary or book about that period of their lives. Or maybe Nelson is waiting to reconnect with McCarthy on the rumored St. Elmo's Fire sequel.
As a fan of the “Brat Pack,” I was disappointed that Nelson and Ringwald weren’t included beyond old footage of them from that era of their lives. Still, the documentary is interesting if only because it shows just how much fans got wrong about that time in film history.
You can stream Brats now with an active Hulu subscription. Don’t forget to also check out everything new coming to some of the best streaming services later this year, as well as the best Hulu movies currently available to stream.
