Sarah T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic

Two years after the release of The Exorcist, child star Linda Blair had a memorable turn as the eponymous lead in the provocative 1975 TV movie Sarah T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic. Playing an amorphous 15-year-old girl with a spiraling addiction to alcohol, Blair demonstrates a keen grasp of an addictive personality who becomes increasingly lost and destructive. At the same time, Blair also proves to be pretty convincing as a denier who refuses to admit the obvious about Sarah’s problems and accept help. The teleplay by Richard and Esther Shapiro (Dynasty) ably balances the clinical with the personal, creating a well-rounded drama that is aided immeasurably by actors who within a few years would become pop culture icons: Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Verna Bloom (Animal House), William Daniels (Knight Rider and St. Elsewhere), and Larry Hagman (Dallas). Add to that soon-to-be-A-list director Richard Donner, whose 1978 Superman would play a part in ushering in the superhero genre. Donner gives Sarah T. a shadowy look and feel while never descending into cheap shocks or strained seriousness. Extras include new interviews with Donner and producer David Levinson, and with Blair. Recommended. (T. Keogh)