''Desperate Lives'' is a 1982 American made-for-television

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

about drug use in a high school. The film has a very strong anti-drug message.

Plot summary

The Cameron family seems, on the surface, to be the perfect family, but things are not as they seem. Their two teenage children, Scott and Sandy, fall in with the wrong crowds at their high school and eventually become involved with drug experimentation. Sandy, after ingesting angel dust made by her boyfriend in the school's chemistry lab, jumps through a glass window of the school (purposely cutting her arms with the cut glass in the process) and is subsequently paralyzed from the fall. A caring idealistic guidance counselor, Eileen Phillips, sees the problem that is going on in the school and, after other tragic incidents involving two other students (one of which involves Scott and his girlfriend smoking drugs and crashing their car off a cliff) and when no one else on the staff is willing to do anything about it, takes the steps to deal with and confront the problem. The aftermath of this tragedy makes Scott and Sandy's parents realize that even their "perfect" kids can be affected by drugs, especially after Scott has a violent reaction and goes into the hospital. At a school assembly, Eileen Phillips storms in and confronts the students about the increasing drug use, sending a message to the crowd about the effects of what the drug problem is doing to the kids and the tragedies that resulted because of it.

Cast

Diana Scarwid Diana Elizabeth Scarwid (born August 27, 1955) is a retired American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Christina Crawford in '' Mommie Dearest'' (1981). She received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress ...

as Eileen Phillips * Doug McKeon as Scott Cameron *

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Ja ...

as Sandy Cameron *

William Windom William Windom (May 10, 1827January 29, 1891) was an American politician from Minnesota. He served as U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1869, and as U.S. Senator from 1870 to January 1871, from March 1871 to March 1881, and from November 1881 ...

as Dr. Jarvis *

Art Hindle Arthur Hindle is a Canadian actor and director. Early life and education Hindle was born in Halifax. For 12 years, he alternated living with his divorced parents in addition to living in foster homes. He grew up in Bowmanville, and later at T ...

as Stan * Tom Atkins as John Cameron *

Norman Alden Norman Alden (born Norman Adelberg, September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He ...

as Coach *

Tricia Cast Patricia M. Cast (born November 16, 1966) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Nina Webster on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Career Cast came to prominence on the television series ''The Bad Ne ...

as Susan Garber *

Sam Bottoms Samuel John Bottoms (October 17, 1955 – December 16, 2008) was an American actor and producer. Early life Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the third son of James "Bud" Bottoms (a sculptor and art teacher) and Betty (Chapman ...

as Ken Baynes *

Diane Ladd Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film ''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...

as Carol Cameron *

Grant Cramer Grant Cramer (born November 10, 1961) is an American actor and producer who has starred in films and on television. He is the son of actress Terry Moore and Stuart Warren Cramer III, and a great-grandson of engineer and inventor Stuart W. Cram ...

as Steve *

Michele Greene Michele Dominguez Greene (born February 3, 1962) is an American actress, singer, and author. She is known for her role as attorney Abby Perkins on the TV series ''L.A. Law'' from 1986 to 1991, for which she was nominated for a 1989 Primetime E ...

as Julie Jordan * Terry Alexander as Robert Walsh * Dr. Joyce Brothers as Mrs. Watson * Aggie Terry as Cindy *

Katherine Kelly Lang Katherine Kelly Lang (born Katherine Kelly Wegeman; July 25, 1961) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Brooke Logan in the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' of the CBS Daytime programming block. Personal life Lang ...

as Mary * Susan McClung as Sarah *

Clayton Rohner Clayton Montague Rohner (born August 5, 1957) is an American actor. He made his film debut in the comedy ''Just One of the Guys'' (1985), and had subsequent roles in the horror films ''April Fool's Day'' (1986), '' Bat 21'' (1988), ''I, Madman'' ...

as Monte * Jenny Parsons as Olivia * Mykel T. Williamson as Jack *

Jane Milmore Jane Milmore (March 25, 1955 – February 4, 2020) was an American playwright, screenwriter, television producer and actress. Biography Born in Laramie, Wyoming, to Joan Marie Judge and John Edward Milmore, Milmore was of Irish descent and was on ...

as Jane * Curt Ayers as Jesse * Michele Laurita as Diana * Glenn-Michael Jones as Al * Joey Green as Howard * Michael Cummings as Brad Davis * Viola Kates Stimpson as Grandmother

Production notes

* The theme song to "Desperate Lives" was written and sung by

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

. * Some of the movie was filmed at William S. Hart High School in

Newhall, Santa Clarita, California Newhall is the southernmost and oldest community in the city of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, and Valencia into the city of Santa Clarita, it was an unincorporated area. It was ...

Home media

''Desperate Lives'' was released on DVD on April 21, 2010.

Keyboard Cat meme

A Keyboard Cat video featuring clips from the film was uploaded to YouTube in 2009. However, it was later taken down for copyright reasons, because the video also contained the music video for " You Make My Dreams" by

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0083822, title=Desperate Lives
Yahoo! profile
1982 television films 1982 films 1980s teen drama films American teen drama films American high school films Films about drugs 1980s English-language films CBS network films Films scored by Bruce Broughton American drama television films Films directed by Robert Michael Lewis 1980s American films