Mad Love (1995)

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Chris O’Donnell and Drew Barrymore star in this teenaged drama/romance about high school students who hit the road after Barrymore’s parents put her in a psychiatric ward for attempting suicide. The young lovers think the open road and fresh air will cure whatever ails Barrymore, but it turns out that her mental illness is real — and potentially dangerous.

I’m glad a movie like this handles mental illness with some degree of seriousness and understanding. And I’m glad O’Donnell and Barrymore are pretty to look at, too. Because there’s not a lot else going on in Mad Love to keep me engaged. The romance is quick and unconvincing, which really hurts the film as it tries to mine sympathy for its two leading characters. The highs aren’t very high and the lows aren’t very low, really. Mad Love prefers to coast into a wishy-washy ending sure to make you forget you ever saw it. With a soundtrack full of yucky songs, the terrific Joan Allen in a thankless mom role, and Matthew Lillard as one of O’Donnell’s friends. Directed by Antonia Bird (Priest, Ravenous).