Around the Fire (1998)

Synopsis: Teenage LSD dealer Simon (Devon Sawa) freaks out at a rock concert and winds up in rehab. There, he reflects on his life and butts heads with Kate (Charlayne Woodard), his drug counselor. In... Teenage LSD dealer Simon (Devon Sawa) freaks out at a rock concert and winds up in rehab. There, he reflects on his life and butts heads with Kate (Charlayne Woodard), his drug counselor. In flashbacks, his dope-smoking boarding school roommate (Eric Maibus) takes him to his first "show" (the band is never identified, but it's presumably The Grateful Dead) where he meets Trace (Colman Domingo), HIV-positive hedonist Kevin (Henri Lubatti), and lovely blonde stir-fry vendor Jennifer (Tara Reid). Under the influence of pot and acid, Simon falls in love with the tie-dyed lifestyle, the groovy music, and the people. Eventually, unresolved issues send him into a downward spiral of drug abuse, until finally, with Kate's help, he faces buried grief over his dead mother and resentment towards his affluent, controlling father (Bill Smitrovitch). This colorful, good-hearted indie film benefits from groovy music, an authentic recreation of the culture, and fine performances, particularly from Domingo, Smitrovitch, and Woodard. Most interesting of all is the film's non-judgmental frankness about both the spiritually liberating and self-destructive aspects of psychedelic drug use. John Jacobsen directed this movie from a script by producers (and former Deadheads) John Comerford and Tommy Rosen. [More]

Starring: Devon Sawa, Tara Reid, Charlayne Woodard, Bill Smitrovich

Starring: Devon Sawa, Tara Reid, Charlayne Woodard, Bill Smitrovich, Eric Mabius, Colman Domingo, Michael McKeever

Director: John Jacobsen

Director: John Jacobsen
Screenwriter: John Comerford, Tommy Rosen
Producer: John Comerford, Tommy Rosen

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