In his Brats documentary, former teen star Andrew McCarthy reflects on 1980s fame — and how the 'Brat Pack' moniker ruined him

As the late George Michael struggled publicly with the exploding fame that his extraordinary talent had brought him, and as he wrestled privately with a sexuality he was not yet ready to reveal, Frank Sinatra reached the end of his patience. Aged 74 he penned an open letter to George: I don't understand a guy who lives 'in hopes of reducing the strain of his celebrity status', and now that he's a smash songwriter at 27 he wants to quit doing what tons of gifted youngsters all over the world would shoot grandma for — just one crack at what he's complaining about … c'mon George – loosen up. Swing, man … and no more talk about 'the tragedy of fame'… I kept thinking about Sinatra as I dived with glee back into a cherished chapter of my youth with the documentary Brats, made by former teen star Andrew McCarthy about the 1980s rise of teen movies and the young talents that filled them who came to be known as the Brat Pack. McCarthy's real-time therapy session McCarthy's documentary is his real-time therapy session as he tries to figure out why an article that didn't even mention him ruined him. In the documentary we see an awkward McCarthy mumble his way through an interview after the single cultural moment of the St. Elmo's Fire film preview: he can barely look at the interviewer.