David Seltzer's excellent film on the relationships between a trio of teenagers is a refreshing break from the run of cliché-ridden movies on this kind of material. The director's script focuses on a young high school kid's crush on a slightly older girl who becomes involved with the school's football star, as it explores the innocence, idealism, perennial infatuation, and alienation of adolescence. All of the characters seem fresh, and it's impossible to tell what will happen from moment to moment. Corey Haim gives a performance of considerable nuance as the "academically accelerated" Lucas, Kerri Green is excellent as the new girl in town, and Charlie Sheen gives one of his best screen performances as the sympathetic jock. Winona Ryder is also notable in her screen debut, as a girl with a crush on Lucas.