Mad Love probably generated as much of a viewer ship as it did because of the likability of the two principal, Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell. I never thought of the movie as anything special, and figured that this would probably survive obscurity by fans of the cast or those who appreciate a decent dreamy romantic drama every now again, for which it is quite abundant.
O'Donnell, though never a spectacular lead, carries well himself well as the good-natured, soft-spoken high school teen, Matt Leland. Upon meeting flamboyant, rule-breaker Casey Roberts (Drew Barrymore, working with the type of characters that always seem to suit her), Leland falls in love with the rather tragic character and goes through one of those earmarked defiances and coming-of-age experiences. That is because Casey is an emotionally unstable character because she is bipolar.
As their relationship furthers, free-spirited Casey grows rather obsessive in the relationship and a bit too detached from reality. After a few minor incidents, or at least what you might consider relatively minor while the characters in the story might not, Casey's parents want to commit her to a mental institution to undergo therapy. Destined not to let his first true love being lobotomized and unnecessarily drugged, Matt and Casey hit the road like fugitives in love. The material is very routine, but there is something at least, from the principal actors' ability to carry it out well and, for the most part, believably (save some of Barrymore's poor delivery at points) and with minimal corniness. Best of all, it does a good job with getting you to stay connected to the characters. You feel a bit free-spirited yourselves when (if you're enjoying the movie, of course) Matt and Casey endure their hijinks. You get that connection when Casey is forced into the hospital; the uneasiness that Matt feels when he runs away with Casey; and the pressure that he faces throughout. At least they had effectively done that much.
Not an impressive or all to memorable movie, though, as I said before, you should be pleased if you generally enjoy O'Donnell and Barrymore, or, if you're just a sucker for dreamy romantic dramas.
O'Donnell, though never a spectacular lead, carries well himself well as the good-natured, soft-spoken high school teen, Matt Leland. Upon meeting flamboyant, rule-breaker Casey Roberts (Drew Barrymore, working with the type of characters that always seem to suit her), Leland falls in love with the rather tragic character and goes through one of those earmarked defiances and coming-of-age experiences. That is because Casey is an emotionally unstable character because she is bipolar.
As their relationship furthers, free-spirited Casey grows rather obsessive in the relationship and a bit too detached from reality. After a few minor incidents, or at least what you might consider relatively minor while the characters in the story might not, Casey's parents want to commit her to a mental institution to undergo therapy. Destined not to let his first true love being lobotomized and unnecessarily drugged, Matt and Casey hit the road like fugitives in love. The material is very routine, but there is something at least, from the principal actors' ability to carry it out well and, for the most part, believably (save some of Barrymore's poor delivery at points) and with minimal corniness. Best of all, it does a good job with getting you to stay connected to the characters. You feel a bit free-spirited yourselves when (if you're enjoying the movie, of course) Matt and Casey endure their hijinks. You get that connection when Casey is forced into the hospital; the uneasiness that Matt feels when he runs away with Casey; and the pressure that he faces throughout. At least they had effectively done that much.
Not an impressive or all to memorable movie, though, as I said before, you should be pleased if you generally enjoy O'Donnell and Barrymore, or, if you're just a sucker for dreamy romantic dramas.