Written by: Michael Den Boer on June 15th, 2010
Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1984
Director: Marisa Silver
Writer: Marisa Silver
Cast: Sarah Boyd, Rainbow Harvest, Neill Barry, Alyssa Milano, Danny Aiello, Susan Kingsley, Roxanne Hart, Fran Brill, Gerry Bamman
DVD released: April 27th, 2010
Approximate running time: 92 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: PG
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
Subtitles: N/A
DVD Release: Scorpion Releasing
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $19.95
Synopsis: A adolescent girl from affluent family is befriended by a street smart teenage girl.
Old Enough was written and directed by Marissa Silver (Permanent Record). The cinematographer on Old Enough was Michael Ballhaus, a frequent collaborator of director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Some of his other notable credits as a cinematographer include After Hours, The Glass Menagerie, The Last Temptation of Christ, GoodFellas, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Gangs of New York and The Departed.
The story takes place over the course of one summer. Along the way the two girls experiences many ups and downs. Some of these events put a strain on their friendship. Another area where this film stands out are the secondary characters who interact with the two main characters.
Performance wise the entire cast are exceptional in their respective roles. The cast features many recognizable faces Danny Aiello (Léon), Fran Brill (Look Back in Anger), Roxanne Hart (Highlander) and Alyssa Milano in her first acting role.
At the heart of Old Enough is a story about friendship. The plot primarily revolves two girls, Lonnie and Karen who come from different social backgrounds. And the way in which this film explores differences in each girl’s upbringing is its most compelling aspect. Even though the look of the film is deeply rooted in the 1980′s. The theme’s explored in this film have not dated and continue to resonate.
The DVD:
Scorpion Releasing presents Old Enough in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a solid looking transfer that has nicely saturated colors, healthy looking flesh tones, strong black levels and details look sharp throughout.
This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English. Dialog is clear and everything sounds balanced. There are no problems with distortion or any other audio defects.
Extras for this release include a interview with actress Roxanne Hart who discusses how she got cast in the film, her character, the cast, director Marissa Silver, producer Dina Silver and other film’s that she appeared in like Highlander. The main extra included with this release is a audio commentary with writer / director Marisa Silver and actress Sarah Boyd. Topics discussed include the film’s score, casting choices, themes explored in the film and low budget filmmaking. Overall Old Enough gets a first rate DVD release from Scorpion Releasing.