Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975) (TV)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Esther Shapiro (writer)
Richard Shapiro (writer)

Release Date:

11 February 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Yes, Sarah drinks. Drinks as though she has to, no matter what happens. Big trouble for anybody. And little Sarah is only 15.

Plot:

This movie is a teaching tool about a teenage girl struggling with alcoholism to cope with her feelings of insecurity and usual problems of adolescence.

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Alcoholism | Teenage Girl | Alcoholic | Stepfather

Cast

Linda Blair	...	Sarah Travis
Larry Hagman	...	Jerry Travis
Verna Bloom	...	Jean Hodges
William Daniels	...	Matt Hodges
Michael Lerner	...	Dr. Marvin Kittredge
Mark Hamill	...	Ken Newkirk
Eric Olson	...	Bobby
Laurette Spang	...	Nancy
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Mr. Peterson
Steve Benedict	...	Ray Peterson
Richard Roat	...	Fred Tyler
Marian Collier	...	Mrs. Peterson
Hilda Haynes	...	Margaret
Jessica Rains	...	Mrs. Tyler
Sheila Larken	...	Vice Principal

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Director Richard Donner, who later hit pay-dirt with Superman (1978) in 1979, went on the talk show circuit to plug his blockbuster and was asked questions about his early directorial work. However, he couldn't remember the name of this movie. He ended up calling it "Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway", which was directed by Randal Kleiser.

Great TV movie

First up I want to disagree with the poster that said that Sarah T doesnt REALLY hit rock bottom. Towards the end of the movie Sarah has sex in a car with a boy she never met before who agreed to buy liquor for her. That sounds pretty rock bottom to me. SARAH T is a made for TV movie that they dont show on TV anymore...and should...cuz its a good one. It stars Linda Blair as a shy girl whose parents are divorced and she's just started out in a new school. She secretly has been drinking behind her parnets back for about two years. Her mom gets cute boy-next-door Mark Hammel to take Sarah to a party and to loosen up Sarah has a few drinks and sings and dances and has fun. She tells the boy its her first time drinking. After the next few times he sees her drinking he realizes that she doesnt drink like a newbee at all,and suspects she's a serious drinker who may be developing a problem. Of course Sarahs in bigtime denial but as the movie progresses she gets worse and worse until finally she does end up in AA. This movie isnt readily available and I had to get my copy of it through someone on eBay who made me a copy. Its a shame that movies like this,The Late Great Me and Afterschool Specials no longer air. If the networks or cable cant play them shouldnt somebody package them and sell them?