Big spoiler, man. George retrieves a revolver from his toolbox and aims it at Richie, but does not fire it, cocking the hammer back in an attempt to convince his son that he is not bluffing. but at least 4 kids I grew up with basically lived this movie out, to even more violent ends. But anyway, here, Benson plays Richie, a troubled teenage boy who is addicted to drugs. Reviews 1; Discussions 0; A review by Wuchak . The Most Comprehensive List of 80s Childhood and Teen Movies, Are You in the House Alone? I can handle the truth. The book "Are you in the House Alone", edited by Amanda Reyes, is 330 pages chock full of television movie…, In an attempt to balance out the stigma against TV movies, the most worthwhile have been mined from your vague…, Movies Are A Mother To Me • Mommies, Mamas and Mummies boxd.it/2vmii, Daddy’s Girl: Fathers & Daughters https://boxd.it/32too, Positively, negatively, or just name-dropped.
Social. I remember as a kid seeing the final scene of this tv movie and being shocked, stunned beyond belief. Benson is very good as the shy, Seconal loving Richie.

Pray for us as we pray for you. The family's real surname is Diener. Support. Film data from TMDb. The movie shows Richie's potential and how he was actually a nice, respectful boy when he was sober. Based on a true story, this drama depicts the downfall of teenager Richie Werner (Robby Benson) through a destructive drug habit. This review may contain spoilers. An older couple dressed in black is closest to the casket, suggesting that they are the deceased's parents. An accurate account of American life in the late 60s early 70s.

Directed by Paul Wendkos. The Death of Richie. The movie ends with a brief written epilogue over a still shot of George placing a rose on Richie's casket, stating that a grand jury voted unanimously not to indict George Werner for the shooting death of his son, and that he lives as a free man. Russell Werner Shirley O'Hara. Also, kids?

The film opens with a scene of a burial in a large suburban cemetery, with mourners, many of them young people, surrounding a casket while a eulogist talks. The movie is based on the real-life account detailed in the book “Richie” by Thomas Thompson about the 1972 death of George Richard "Richie" Diener Jr. from Long Island at the hands of his father, George Diener, who was... read the rest. The grief-stricken father weeps openly as he is comforted by his wife. Following Psalm 23, a brief eulogy is read by Shiela: To us you will exist in the flowers, in the trees, and in all the things of nature that God has given us. Richie had the ebb and flow of a bad "After School Special" film, which it is to a degree. This made-for-TV movie has all the earmarks of a hilariously outdated public service scare flick, and it's definitely not without its over-the-top drug freak-outs, but for the most part it's a level-headed, serious-minded sketch of a family in crisis. More details at The interaction between father and son continues to deteriorate, largely due to Richie's escalating drug abuse and his father's unwillingness to enter family counseling. A sensitive but confused teenager feels pressure from all directions and turns to drugs, which causes problems for him in school and at home. The Death of Richie is a 1977 American made-for-television drama film based on Richie, a non-fiction book by Thomas Thompson about the 1972 death of George Richard "Richie" Diener Jr. at the hands of his father, who was ultimately not charged with the shooting death of his son. The police officer tells Brick he is willing to let him off the hook as a favor...and that he expects favors in return for those he does favors for. An aside: did you know that Robby auditioned for the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars? Full Cast & Crew. With love from all your friends. Instead of coming-of-age, a teen comes-to-death. Report this film. He was the voice of Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. George retreats to the basement in the family's home, where Richie follows him. Cookie Warning Watching a woman get browbeaten in a think group/support group for parents of drug addicted teens is nuts. Late 70s, 80s and early 90s Coming on Age and childhood movies. 2007 Synergy Entertainment Release DVD Cover, "Erowid Drug Slang & Terminology Vault : Q - R", The Death of Richie at the Internet Movie Database, The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story, White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Death_of_Richie&oldid=957592058, Articles needing additional references from October 2013, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox television with editor parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. George Diener, the real life father, died of cancer in April 1981 at the age of 52. There's a very Gen X tendency to write this kind of earnest addressing of social problems off as an After School Special (so uncool!) The driver, Brick, is then pulled over for his erratic driving. Cast; Crew; Details; Genre; Cast. A blinding flash from the gun's barrel then morphs into a bouquet of flowers on a mahogany casket in the same cemetery, surrounded by the same mourners in black. Filled with laughable performances, nonsensical interludes and segments used to highlight the "horrors" of teenage drug addiction, it's extremely melodramatic. The Death of Richie (1977) ← Back to main. Gazarra is also good as the father that doesn't realize he's part of the problem inside his house and is unable to connect with his own son while coping with a drug addiction problem. TMDb When I was a teen it was all about Robby Benson. This page was last edited on 19 May 2020, at 16:09. The Death of Richie ; Where to watch JustWatch. Both men make genuine attempts to meet each other halfway, yielding some success, with Richie getting a job (but loses it later after Brick and his thugs show up at Richie's job) and George helping his son get closer to Shiela (Cynthia Eilbacher), a girl from school that Richie likes. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film … Not zesty enough for my cravings. The film premiered on NBC on January 10, 1977. Troubled teen Robby Benson is killing the pain with booze, weed, and pills, and his straitlaced parents Ben Gazzara and Eileen Brennan are trying to save him via legal intervention, tough love, and part-time jobs. This…. Brick agrees. (Contributions are welcomed.). Cast 41. Ben Gazzara Eileen Brennan Robby Benson Lance Kerwin Shirley O'Hara Jennifer Rhodes John Zaremba Jesse Emmett Charles Fleischer Clint Howard Harry Gold Cindy Eilbacher Susan Pratt Sean Roche John Friedrich Jane Marla Robbins Herb Voland Kathryn Ish Tom Tarpey Alice Hirson Richard Stahl Barry Miller William Bogert Al Dunlap Richard Seff Carol Locatell Jack Kosslyn Judith Searle Alan Haufrect This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Written by Wuchak on August 3, 2018. All Rights Reserved. An older couple dressed in black is closest to the casket, suggesting that they are the deceased's parents. This one came out a year after he made Ode To Billie Joe. IMDb The story then cuts from the cemetery and to a car swerving erratically on a street, focusing on a young man, 17-year-old Richie Werner (Robby Benson), who is doing drugs in the car with his three friends. Everyone's performance is at an 11, without a shred of nuance. Titles I picked or considered for the 70’s Cult episode of The Pure Cinema Podcast. Made by fans in Auckland, New Zealand. Click here to login or here to sign up. Mobile site. A sensitive but confused teenager feels pressure from all directions and turns to drugs, which causes problems for him in school and at home. With a steady hand, George pulls the trigger.

Alan McRae Paul Larson Robina Suwol Anne Newman Bacal Edward Cross William Bronder Buddy Lewis Ivy Bethune Elinor Childs Sarah Jane Miller Fred Lerner Rose Gregorio, Henry Jaffe Enterprises Inc. National Broadcasting Company, 96 mins   Ben Gazzara. Instead of coming-of-age, a teen comes-to-death. Login to create it. Carol Diener, Richie's mother, died in November 2000, aged 67. bandsaboutmovies.com/2020/05/19/the-death-of-richie-1977/, Interesting how everything the parents could do wrong they did do wrong :(, Jayce Fryman 18,693 films 2,871 99 Edit, This list collects every film from the Starting List that became They Shoot Pictures Don't They's 1000 Greatest Films. The movie's climax comes when George intervenes by informing the police of his son's activities, in a desperate attempt to save his life at all costs. Synopsis A father's fight to save his son from self-destruction. © Letterboxd Limited.

Like at ALL. And yet that's part of the charm. You need to be logged in to continue. A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999, Pimpadelic Wonderland - The Video Library, Daddy's Boy ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ Fathers & Sons. Internet Service Terms Finally I got to see the whole thing. This is the beginning of a series of episodes that bring Richie into conflict with his father, George (Ben Gazzara), a stern man who loves his son, but has trouble expressing his feelings. Though the shooting scene was kept short in order to meet the more restrictive censorship limits of NBC at the time, a brief scream is heard from Richie after the gunshot. Ben Gazzara, Robby Benson, Eileen Brennan. Richie Aprile is played by David Proval.Richie is the older brother of acting DiMeo crime family boss Jackie Aprile Sr., was a capo in the DiMeo crime family before being sent to prison for ten years. Carol Werner Robby Benson. George manages to overpower Richie by knocking the awl from his hand, but Richie retreats upstairs and returns to the basement with a pair of scissors and taunts his father over and over again, daring him to shoot him, approaching him closer, thinking that George doesn't have the nerve to do it. This would be edited out in future airings of the movie. Induced by peers to …

The grief-stricken father weeps openly as he is comforted by his wife.
), threatening him with an awl. However, the relationship between George and Richie worsens as social pressures and personal failings drive Richie deeper into his drug addiction.

Mrs. Norlon Jennifer Rhodes. Richie Werner Lance Kerwin. 6.0. I didn't see the WAY it would all go down happening though. When Richie becomes increasingly violent, his family must take action.