Another Forgotten Film

Last night a woman came into the library with her two daughters who were getting library cards for the first time. They were probably twelve or thirteen and clearly excited. Were they interested in the Twilight books? No. When I asked "Can I help you find anything?" their answers were Pat Benatar and Joan Jett.

Wow. Two names you don't hear every day, not anymore. I found a couple of CDs and showed them where all the books on Rock n Roll are and they were very happy. For some reason the movie Light of Day (starring Joan Jett) popped into my mind. I mentioned it to the girls' mom and she said "I remember that movie. Haven't seen it in years."



I remember seeing that movie in a theater in 1987, thinking that it was good, despite the fact that it was not the rock n roll movie I was expecting. It starred Joan Jett (whom I remember delivered a surprisingly good performance) and Michael J. Fox. I even remember thinking, "I'd like to see this movie again someday" after it was over. But I never did.



Rock n roll was important in the film, but the central focus was family. Fox and Jett played a brother and sister who were in a rock n roll band, much to the displeasure of their parents. (Read Roger Ebert's review from 1987 for more details.) The film was directed by Paul Schrader, who wrote screenplays for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull and directed Cat People, American Gigolo and Mishima.

I'd love to see Light of Day again, but it's currently unavailable on Region 1 DVD.