Ruffed Up Tuff

THERE'S A DEATHWISH in this movie. From the opening scene, in which the protagonist Morgan Hiller (James Spader) narrowly averts decapitation by a slashing car aerial, to the final fight, involving everything from dart guns to fireaxes, the smell of blood hangs heavy in the air. And the strangest aspect of this adolescent brinksmanship is its complete premeditation--every character consciously seeks out dangerous situations and harrowing relationships.

Several recent films, most notably The Outsiders, have played on this adolescence violence theme in an apparent attempt to link youthful energy, usually directed against others, with some kind of statement about what it means to be young in America. But Tuff Turf reaches a new nadir of gratuitous violence masquerading as moral message. What makes this especially curious is the true lack (in the first part of the movie, at least) of overt sex. The film really does try to convey a feeling of "nice guys finish first" while attempting to retain a real-world grounding.

Parts of the movie succeed quite well in creating a mood of realism, in particular a "Southern California atmosphere." Motion and speed are used extensively, along with the obligatory car scenes, to frequently impart a very real sense of vibrancy. Unfortunately, this exciting aspect of the movie, somewhat reminiscent of a souped-up West Side Story, is shortchanged by the moralizing attempts.

The core of the plot--the pursuit of Frankie (Kim Richards), a tough Los Angeles high school girl, by Morgan, a new kid transplanted to L.A. from a Northeastern private school--progresses through a series of scenes utilizing that of both body and machines, mainly cars. Morgan's first day at school is marred by the destruction of his bike under a roaring hot-rodder, and that was motivated in turn by his breakup, while on his fast-moving bike (of course), of a violent mugging the night before. Surprise, surprise Frankie's boyfriend Nick (Paul Mones) was the foiled mugger, and after recognizing Morgan at school as the law-abiding. Knight-in-Shining-Armor, he orders his remarkably violent gang to trash Morgan's bike. Further surprise--Morgan is captivated by Frankie, even though she is taunting him right beside her boyfriend, and his bike is lying in ruins at his feet.

The rest of the movie follows a somewhat predictable Romeo and Juliet plot. Morgan retains his interest in Frankie; Nick is a jealous, violent sexist who regards Frankie as his personal "property" (which he calls her to her face several times): the respective families are suitably insensitive to the budding love of their offspring. The important scenes are almost all clashes of Nick and his henchmen with Morgan, and they are quite incredible in their high level of tension, fear, and brutality.

Truly enjoyable interludes break up the inevitable progression of the story. The most endearing character, Jimmy (Robert Downey), fills a comic relief role perfectly. He befriends Morgan on the rather hectic first day. Subsequently he helps several scenes attain a refreshing originality missing from the bulk of the work. He is an atypical California rock musician, with a quirky sense of humor. The best scene of the entire movie begins with the pursuit of Morgan by Nick's car (the same one which demolished his bike). Just at the moment when you think he will be killed by the raging Ford Mustang, out pops Jimmy from the driver's seat! He obtained it from Nick's brother. The two boys pick up Frankie and a friend, and crash a country club party in the "Valley," with all the predictable play on differing socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, Jimmy's rock music background forges a logical link to another of the movie's strong points its hard-driving, heavy-on-the-bass music.

BUT SO MUCH OF the movie founders on false morality that these fresh, energetic outlooks on American youth are lost. Morgan's family scene is the worst facet of this. One of the foundations of his stubborn pursuit of Frankie is supposed to be his bad relationship with his mother and his jealousy of his brother. But the reasons for these feelings are never fully explored; Morgan just gives vague intimations at various times of his "alienation" from his previous rich boy, New England prep school self. The premise of the family's move is odd as well; Morgan's father is supposed to have lost his business, but why move all the way across the country? Again, we are not told.

Tuff Turf tries to reconcile two essentially irreconcilable methods of artistically treating youth in America--either powerfully, viscerally, and almost animalistically, like West Side Story, or neurotically and confusedly like any one of a number of Robby Benson movies. If Morgan Hiller is really a perceptive, intelligent New England prep school teenager, why does he fall so quickly in love with a rather stupid Los Angeles gang girl, thereby subjecting himself to violent beatings and possible death? And if he is a hopeless romantic, why does he have such neurotic, pseudo-intellectual conversations and relationships with the people around him? We do not know, and Tuff Turf makes little attempt to tell us.