The Boost
Encyclopedia
The Boost is a 1988 drama film
directed by Harold Becker
. It stars James Woods
, Sean Young
, John Kapelos
, Steven Hill
, June Chandler and -- in her final role and first Hollywood film in 33 years -- Amanda Blake
.
Everything is suddenly first-class for Lenny and his beautiful wife, Linda. But when the tax laws abruptly change, they find themselves $700,000 in debt.
They become increasingly desperate, made worse by the fact that a friend, Joel Miller, turns them on to cocaine for "a boost." Lenny and Linda both become addicted. They lose their home, car and jobs. Linda becomes pregnant, but falls and suffers a miscarriage after using cocaine.
Lenny's life unravels little by little as the drug habit gets the better of him. He gets straight temporarily for one last great business opportunity, but he can't pull it off. This culminates in Lenny severely beating Linda and putting her in the hospital.
Unlike most films about addiction, The Boost has a completely downbeat ending. As the credits roll, we see Lenny still using cocaine in his filthy apartment, reduced to a babbling shell of himself.
gave the film three-and-a-half of a possible four stars in a Dec. 28, 1988 Chicago Sun-Times
review, calling the film "one of the most convincing and horrifying portraits of drug addiction I've ever seen." Leonard Maltin
was not so kind, however, giving the movie only one-and-a-half of a possible four stars: "A misfire that's on the screen for 30 minutes before you even realize that it *is* anti-drug...As with Jack Nicholson
in The Shining
, it's hard to distinguish the 'before' Lenny from the 'after'."
and Sean Young
. After filming wrapped, Woods filed a lawsuit against Young, accusing her of sexual harassment. Young countersued claiming that Woods made the whole thing up. Both sides eventually settled out of court, but Young's career went to a deep decline and never fully recovered.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Harold Becker
Harold Becker
Harold Becker is American film director and producer from New York.-Biography:After studying art and photography at the Pratt Institute, Becker began his career as a still photographer, but later tried his hand at directing television commercials, short films and documentaries...
. It stars James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
, Sean Young
Sean Young
Sean Young is an American actress, best known for her performance in films from the 1980s such as Blade Runner, Dune, and No Way Out.-Early life:...
, John Kapelos
John Kapelos
John Kapelos is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in The Breakfast Club and Detective Donald Schanke in Forever Knight....
, Steven Hill
Steven Hill
Steven Hill is an American film and television actor. His two better-known roles are District Attorney Adam Schiff on the NBC TV drama series Law & Order, whom he portrayed for ten seasons , and Dan Briggs, the original team leader of the Impossible Missions Force on CBS's television series...
, June Chandler and -- in her final role and first Hollywood film in 33 years -- Amanda Blake
Amanda Blake
Amanda Blake was an American actress known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the television western Gunsmoke.-Early life and career:...
.
Plot
Lenny Brown is a real-estate hustler looking to strike it rich. He is married to Linda, a paralegal and amateur dancer. The two are poor in money but rich in love. Linda vows to stick with her husband until she "falls off the earth". He moves to California and goes to work for a prosperous businessman named Max Sherman, selling lucrative investments in tax shelters.Everything is suddenly first-class for Lenny and his beautiful wife, Linda. But when the tax laws abruptly change, they find themselves $700,000 in debt.
They become increasingly desperate, made worse by the fact that a friend, Joel Miller, turns them on to cocaine for "a boost." Lenny and Linda both become addicted. They lose their home, car and jobs. Linda becomes pregnant, but falls and suffers a miscarriage after using cocaine.
Lenny's life unravels little by little as the drug habit gets the better of him. He gets straight temporarily for one last great business opportunity, but he can't pull it off. This culminates in Lenny severely beating Linda and putting her in the hospital.
Unlike most films about addiction, The Boost has a completely downbeat ending. As the credits roll, we see Lenny still using cocaine in his filthy apartment, reduced to a babbling shell of himself.
Cast
- James WoodsJames WoodsJames Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
as Lenny Brown - Sean YoungSean YoungSean Young is an American actress, best known for her performance in films from the 1980s such as Blade Runner, Dune, and No Way Out.-Early life:...
as Linda Brown - John KapelosJohn KapelosJohn Kapelos is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in The Breakfast Club and Detective Donald Schanke in Forever Knight....
as Joel Miller - Steven HillSteven HillSteven Hill is an American film and television actor. His two better-known roles are District Attorney Adam Schiff on the NBC TV drama series Law & Order, whom he portrayed for ten seasons , and Dan Briggs, the original team leader of the Impossible Missions Force on CBS's television series...
as Max Sherman - Kelle KerrKelle KerrKelle Kerr is an American actress, best known perhaps for her voice-over work. Her list of credits is extensive, including work on commercials, promos, & industrial film...
as Rochelle - John RothmanJohn RothmanJohn Mahr Rothman is an American film, television, and stage actor.Rothman was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Elizabeth D. and Donald N. Rothman, a lawyer. He is the brother of film executive Tom Rothman. Rothman is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Yale School of Drama...
as Ned - Amanda BlakeAmanda BlakeAmanda Blake was an American actress known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the television western Gunsmoke.-Early life and career:...
as Barbara
Reaction
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film three-and-a-half of a possible four stars in a Dec. 28, 1988 Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
review, calling the film "one of the most convincing and horrifying portraits of drug addiction I've ever seen." Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
was not so kind, however, giving the movie only one-and-a-half of a possible four stars: "A misfire that's on the screen for 30 minutes before you even realize that it *is* anti-drug...As with Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
in The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
, it's hard to distinguish the 'before' Lenny from the 'after'."
Trivia
The film is perhaps most notable for the off-screen connection between its stars James WoodsJames Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
and Sean Young
Sean Young
Sean Young is an American actress, best known for her performance in films from the 1980s such as Blade Runner, Dune, and No Way Out.-Early life:...
. After filming wrapped, Woods filed a lawsuit against Young, accusing her of sexual harassment. Young countersued claiming that Woods made the whole thing up. Both sides eventually settled out of court, but Young's career went to a deep decline and never fully recovered.