REVIEW: Mad Love (Released in 1995) [25th Anniversary]

DIRECTOR: Antonia Bird

PRODUCER: David Manson

WRITER: Paula Milne

PERFORMERS: Chris O'Donnell Drew Barrymore Joan Allen Jude Ciccolella Kevin Dunn

1995 was quite a year for some of us who lived to see it come and go. Fashion was still on the rise, R&B music was climbing the top 200 billboard charts, gangster rapper Eazy-E sadly passed away and I turned 10 years old. But another great thing happened, a former child star turned adult actress was making her comeback to prominence. In the next addition of anniversary reviews, we'll be taking a look at this film that in my mind deserved so much more recognition than it got in the end. Like it or hate it, Mad Love takes you on a wild and passionate ride and hits you in the feels where you least expect it.

In the film you have the usual plot: boy meets girl, Boy falls for girl, Boy loses girl then gets her back. Only this one is much different from that formula, in fact, the set up here stirs away from that scenario entirely. Set in Washington, Mad Love tells the story of a young man (CHRIS O'DONNELL) who meets and falls for a young girl (DREW BARRYMORE) from Chicago. They become a couple though their families don't approve of the growing relationship and after a recent hospitalization, decide to take to the open road and venture cross-country to the Mexican border. But this girl has a secret: she's manic-depressive and therefore suffers from bi-polar disorder. At one point she catches him spying on her then freaks out about it. After a few moments she calms down about the whole thing. Only during their road trip, her mood swings begin to kick in and after many unsuccessful attempts to help, O'Donnell is forced to make a choice that could separate them forever.

The two main leads of this film, O'Donnell and Barrymore really carry the weight of this picture. Their chemistry is displayed the whole nine yards, the electricity between them is undeniable and they clearly make us believe they are the 'Romeo & Juliet' of this story. In a way this is 'Romeo & Juliet' meets 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' because it's a love story with a message for anyone who has a mental disorder. Let's face it, there are days when we all feel like the world is closing in on us right? There was a time when I felt like that, I was diagnosed not once, but twice with Major Depression and at one point was even taking perscribed medication to help with the mood swings. My behavior was not as erratic as the Barrymore character of Casey Roberts, but were somewhat similar to hers. One time I experienced an event that took me days to reel from it and my emotions were in a state of sadness and uncertainty that I couldn't even make a decision on how to deal with it right away. There were times when I wanted to commit suicide because I felt worthless and isolated, but thank God, I never did. But when Casey tries to take her life in a key scene at the end, it hit close to home for me. It's as if I was seeing myself through someone else's own eyes. Like ' I tried that before... and I just couldn't do it no matter how hard I tried!' Here's what saved me: God himself! When he found me I walked away from that past life and never looked back.

We all know that mental illness is a very serious thing, but this film accurately portrays the effects of clinical depression and borderline personality behavioral traits. I had them, experienced them and fought my way through them to get where I am today. When I think of this film, I think of the bout I went through myself. That's just how masterful Barrymore's performance in this film was to me. Not only is she my favorite actress, but she's also a real natural in everything she does. O'Donnell on the other hand, he fits the profile of a capable and responsible young man who discovers the hard way that he's in a very difficult situation, but his love for Barrymore's character of Casey keeps him driving to the best solution possible leading to the endgame of the film. That's what you do when you love somebody, you go the distance for them, above and beyond (JOHN 15:12).

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film for what it was, not what was expected of it. A lot of critics may have asked 'what is this movie really about?' and here's what I, as a critic myself, can say: This movie is about two young people in love and the extremes of being in love while you're young and aspirational. Love makes us do a lot of things, such as make us proud, happy and even sorry. When you see the things these two go through, you feel for them and route for them. Yet, just like Romeo and Juliet, not necessarily everything ends well, but having that sense of hope in the end is enough to satisfy one who believes in the power of love (1 JOHN 3:11). For anyone who's ever had to go through any type of mental illness or know someone who does, you'll be surprised by how this film portrays depressive behaviors. But it also portrays what extremes one does to get through to the other person out of love and devotion. When we're young we don't care about the odds, that's why we don't want to be told about them. When I saw this film, I wasn't expecting it to have the effect on me it has on me now. The boy meets girl story arc has always fascinated me in many ways, but when watching this... it turned out to be a different approach. Like feeling the connection between the main leads or supporting them in their journey together. Had Barrymore won an Oscar for something like this, I would have been surprised because she really shows her acting chops in this one and are worth looking at. All in all, Here's to 25 years of Mad Road trips, Mad drama, Mad detours along the way and the Mad things we do for love itself. If 'Love Story (1970)' proved Love means never having to say you're sorry, then this one proves that Love means never giving up on those you love. Happy 25th Anniversary to Mad Love!!! #filmsof1995 #MadLove25 #anniversaryreviews #roadtrip #loveontheroad