Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Brat

An '80s Story

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
From an actor and director who got his start as a Brat Pack member, an emotionally poignant memoir, perfect for fans of Patti Smith's Just Kids and Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends. The inspiration for the Hulu documentary.
Everyone knows Andrew McCarthy from his iconic movie roles in Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less than Zero. A member of the legendary Hollywood Brat Pack (including Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore), his filmography has come to represent both a genre of film and an era of pop culture.

In Brat, McCarthy focuses on that singular moment in time. The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. 1980s New York City is brought to vivid life in these pages, from scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park to skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village–where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life.

Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters, Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Actor/writer/director Andrew McCarthy's immensely enjoyable audiobook, which he narrates himself, is about his early years in Hollywood--especially his love of acting and his development as an artist. Sure, some juicy celebrity tidbits are included--listeners will find out who his ST. ELMO's FIRE crush was and what really happened the night a reporter coined the "Brat Pack" moniker. But he also describes being more interested in working with challenging directors, developing his characters with a trusted acting coach, and learning how to operate a camera. As he explains his feelings of isolation and failure before he found acting, listeners feel the residue of these emotions in his performance. Now an accomplished travel writer and director, McCarthy delivers a delightful listen about his iconic years. J.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      July 1, 2021

      Iconic '80s actor and teen heartthrob McCarthy reflects on his early career and rise to success in this revealing memoir. Known for his film roles in Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, and Mannequin, McCarthy talks here about his love of New York City, his acting strategies, and his struggles with alcohol. He has no compunction about dropping tidbits regarding actors and directors he's worked with. Though he was a founding member of the "Brat Pack," he reflects on why he resents the designation and has never fully embraced the media's nickname for the group of actors and actresses he's most often associated with. McCarthy is brutally honest when he looks back at his youthful debauchery, acting ambitions, and naivety. He's more than willing to dissect old mistakes and failings with self-deprecating humor and fresh insight. The memoir is extremely well written and highlights McCarthy's talents on multiple fronts. VERDICT Narrated by McCarthy himself, this memoir is an easy listen, perfect for those who grew up loving his work.--Erin Cataldi, Johnson Cty. P.L., Franklin, IN

      Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      March 15, 2021
      In his second memoir, the former Brat Pack member offers a tell-almost-all filled with entertaining tidbits from on and off the set--and a few surprises. Now a travel writer, TV director, and author of the bestselling YA novel Just Fly Away, McCarthy found his true life's calling during a high school production of Oliver! "When I stepped on stage as the Artful Dodger all those years ago," writes the author, "a light went on inside me that has never gone out." In New York City, McCarthy found his comfort zone in Terry Hayden's classes on Method acting and in Manhattan's cinema revival houses. An audition advertised in Backstage led to his auspicious 1983 debut opposite Rob Lowe and Jacqueline Bisset in Class (off-set factoid: Bissett kissed him...."Just the once"). A whirlwind of work followed, including Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin (the descriptions of which omit any mention of co-star Kim Cattrall), Fresh Horses, Less Than Zero, and Weekend at Bernie's and its sequel. McCarthy highlights the Hollywood perks--dinners at Spago with Liza Minnelli, parties at the Playboy mansion--as well as the uneven chemistry among the Brat Pack. On the set of St. Elmo's Fire, writes the author, Ally Sheedy was superfriendly; Emilio Est�vez was not. Robert Redford, James Coburn, and Claude Chabrol make brief but key appearances, and McCarthy fondly describes channeling his buddy Eddie for movie-wardrobe choices. The author also addresses his personal struggles. From the start, public attention made him nervous, and his relationship with his father was fraught with challenges. Regarding booze, the author tracks his alcoholic trajectory fairly meticulously (he got sober in 1992 at age 29). It's not Just Kids, but the book is a pleasant combination of name-dropping, fun insights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the actor's relief at jumping off his particular 1980s hamster wheel. An enjoyable celebrity memoir from an actor who also displays writing skills.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      April 1, 2021
      McCarthy, an actor, director, and writer, lays bare his meteoric rise to fame in the heyday of the 1980s. Early forays onto the stage in high school ignited McCarthy's passion for performing, and when he enrolled in New York University, he did so as a theater major. After some work on the stage, McCarthy got his big break in a film, Class, at the young age of 20, but it was a role in the iconic movie St. Elmo's Fire that put him on the map and got him labeled as a member of the ""Brat Pack"" along with '80s stars Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, and Emilio Estevez--a moniker the thespians all hated at the time. The irony was that he never felt part of the group, gradually realizing that while he loved acting, he did not enjoy the trappings of fame. With a candid exploration of his feelings of isolation along with his battles with alcohol and drug addiction, McCarthy's memoir will appeal to aspiring actors, fans of his work, and readers fascinated by the movie world.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      April 1, 2021

      Throughout the 1980s, McCarthy represented a generation of American white suburban teenagers trying to find their place in the world. Films marketed to teens were booming, and McCarthy made the leap from struggling New York University student with a few credits to his name, to bona fide movie star, thanks to roles in films such as Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo's Fire. In this memoir, he looks back at his relationship with his father, strained because of money; at the teachers who saw something in him, despite his seemingly careless attitude; and at the directors who took a chance on him, even though he didn't fit the standard leading-man model. McCarthy, an award-winning travel author (The Longest Way Home), is a talented and intelligent writer who tactfully refrains from making this a kiss-and-tell history of the Brat Pack. Instead, he focuses on his own experiences--including his bouts of alcoholism and armor of aloofness--and recounts his dawning recognition that he would prefer to work behind the camera instead of in front of it. VERDICT Students of acting will appreciate learning about McCarthy's versions of method acting and his struggles with performing for a camera. Fans of '80s cinema will love the chance to reminisce.--Lisa Henry, Kirkwood P.L., MO

      Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading