Summary
Waves were made when David Blum’s “Hollywood’s Brat Pack” article came out inNew York Magazine,and as the documentaryBratsrevealed, the fallout killed one of the"best scripts"Emilio Estevez had ever read. A new Hulu documentary by Andrew McCarthy, star of theBrat Pack moviesSt. Elmo’s FireandPretty in Pink,revealed new details about the article’s impact.Bratsexplores how the"Brat Pack"label affected his fellow Brat Pack members. His first interview was with fellowSt. Elmo’s Fireactor Emilio Estevez, who shares McCarthy’s viewpoint. Estevez was also inThe Breakfast Club,The Mighty Ducks,andYoung Guns.
TheBrat Pack actorsincluded McCarthy, Estevez, and other actors fromSt. Elmo’s FireandThe Breakfast Club.Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore, and Rob Lowe also agreed to be part ofBrats,but Judd Nelson and Molly Ringwald abstained from appearing. The documentary studied how, for some of its members, the Brat Pack label derailed their Hollywood experience. While he had an impressive career,Bratsrevealed that Emilio Estevez was one of the most affected. He allowed theNew York Magazinearticle to kill what could have been the best Brat Pack movie ever.
What Happened To Each Brat Pack Member After The Article Came Out
On August 14, 2025, a New York Magazine article came out about a group of actors calling them the “Brat Pack” that drastically altered their careers.
The Brat Pack Never Made Young Men With Unlimited Capital: The Story Of Woodstock
The Story Followed The Legal Troubles Of Woodstock Ventures Partners
InBrats,Estevez revealed that the actors never made a movie together because of the stigma surrounding the Brat Pack.The film was titledYoung Men With Unlimited Capital: The Story of Woodstock.The script, adapted from a book based on the real story of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair, left a lasting impact on Estevez. InBrats,he said it was one of the"best scripts"he had read in a long time. The story centers on Joel Rosennman and John Roberts, the infamous financing half of Woodstock Ventures, which put on the festival.
Joel Rosennman and John Roberts formed Woodstock Ventures with Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld. While Michael and Artie ran the festival, Rosennman and Roberts had to deal with all Woodstock’s logistical problems, including food and water shortages, bad drugs, medical emergencies, death, bad press, paralyzing debt, and, ultimately, dozens of legal proceedings.
Managing Woodstock was a chaotic experience for Rosennman and Roberts. For instance,they lost money rapidly as the weekend progressed.Attendees arrived at the dairy farm in Bethel, New York, days ahead, leaving festival management with no choice but to let them stay. The fencing that was ultimately built was unsubstantial, and people climbed over it or pushed through it to enter. Hazards began to pile up as nearly half a million people arrived at Woodstock. Rather than add more fuel to the fire by forcing people to pay for their tickets, the financers accrued massive debts.
The Movie Never Got Made Because Emilio Estevez Wanted To Distance Himself From The Brat Pack
Emilio Estevez Revealed In Brats He Pulled The Plug On The Project
In theBratsdocumentary, Estevez explains why the film wasn’t made. It wasn’t the article’s impact on Estevez’s career that halted the movie’s production; it was its effect on his perception of his career. He said in the interview thathe felt the actors were"kryptonite to each other.“After theNew York Magazinearticle came out, Estevez wanted to put distance between himself and other members of the Brat Pack, thinking that it would affect his image if he worked with them. In reality, it stopped one of the best Brat Pack movies from happening.
Estevez revealed he killedYoung Men With Unlimited Capital.
Despite calling the movie"one of the best scripts [he] had read in a long time,“Estevez revealed he killedYoung Men With Unlimited Capital.McCarthy remembered how both actors were set to do the film but then got the news that Estevez didn’t want him to do it anymore. TheBratsdirector said that while it hurt his feelings, he realized it was probably due to the Brat Pack label. Estevez confirmed the assumption. About the group, he said,“I didn’t want anything to do with any of us.”
Why The 1980s Was The Perfect Decade To Make A Woodstock Movie (& How The Brat Pack Actors Would Have Made It Great)
It Was The Perfect Time To Make A Woodstock Music And Art Fair Flick
While the film could still be made, it’s disappointing that it wasn’t made in the 1980s. It would have been the perfect time to revisit Woodstock because, while some time had passed since Woodstock happened in 1969,it had only been about 15 years. It was close enough to the period to evoke the style and feel of the late 1960s. But it was also far enough into the 1980s, when money was being pumped into blockbuster films, that production could deliver all necessary to recreate the environment.
Between 400,000 and 500,000 people attended the Woodstock Music and Art Fair from August 15 to July 29, 2025.
The 1980s was the right time to tell this story because the Brat Pack actors would have made it great.The Brat Pack changed Hollywoodin their generation as movies focused on the lives of teenagers and young adults as the main drivers of the narrative. The group successfully facilitated Hollywood’s transition out of the gritty New Hollywood Era, with directors like John Hughes at the forefront. They honestly reflected the coming-of-age experience.No group of actors was better fit to tell one of Woodstock’s most remarkable stories, centered on the ultimate coming-of-age adventure: Woodstock.
How Young Men With Unlimited Capital: The Story Of Woodstock Could Still Be Part Of The Brat Pack Legacy
Emilio Estevez And Andrew McCarthy Can Collaborate On The Film
Young Men With Unlimited Capital: The Story of Woodstockcan still be part of the Brat Packlegacy. It was clear from their conversation inBratsthat Emilio Estevez and Andrew McCarthy were affected by the memory of the movie never being made. Estevez said inBrats,“I also thought it was time that we sort of clear the air on a couple of things.“Estevez said it was good to talk about the movie the actors never made together, and McCarthy was quick to agree, saying he had chills.
The actors could still join forces to make the movie from the other side of the lens. They are both capable of taking it on, and they could emulate the feeling of the Brat Pack flicks. What’s more, both the actors have experience with directing. While they would have to learn to work together, they already have some experience with that, albeit from 40 years ago.It would likely be a cathartic projectfor them both. McCathy’s directing career is impressive, with many credits, including work on theOrange Is The New BlackandGossip Girlseries.
It’s disappointing to learn fromBratsthat a Brat Pack/Woodstock crossover was on the table but never happened. Before the article came out, Estevez’s screenwriting career was taking off. If he liked the script forYoung Men With Unlimited Capital,it indeed would have been another great Brat Pack movie. It’s truly a loss. A film that told the behind-the-scenes story of Woodstock would have been relevant for generations. It could have been a cult classic likeThe Breakfast Club,especially if it featured other brats portraying Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld as their partners on the festival grounds.
Brats
Cast
Brats explores through archival footage and interviews the lives of the former Brat Pack members and how the infamous New York Magazine affected each of them and impacted their careers.
