Toughlove

This made-for-TV drama gets off to a good start. Bruce Dern and Lee Remick play Rob and Ann Charters, an upwardly mobile, conscientious pair of parents who whose son Scott is a diligent, hard-working kid. His older brother, Gary (Jason Patric), however, is steadily increasing his drug and alcohol habit. Falling back on quick lies and sneaking out the house late at night, Gary is able to conceal his problems from his parents--until he develops a relationship with another addict named Kristen. It's only after Bob and Ann discover that Gary is in trouble that the film starts to falter. Character is thrown over in favor of promoting the Toughlove program. The last half-hour, in particular, relies on cheap melodrama and predictable plot development--as Gary rebels and returns to the fold. The high quality acting level (Dern's especially) makes up somewhat for the pedestrian handling of the story. But, in the end, this is little more than sugar-coated social medicine. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Pitman)