bregund This movie-length after school special with swear words beeped out was probably groundbreaking in 1982, but the expected moment of high courtroom drama and its "message" is delivered with all the ham-fisted finesse that must have seemed impressive to rural folks during a time when television consisted of three stations (four if you count PBS). As if to drive the point home that this is the 1980s, there is a montage set to rock music, ending in fake blood and a hospital stay. Watch the drunk driving scene closely, the driver is obviously a middle-aged stunt driver. In contrast to some of the superlatives thrown in Sheen's direction by other reviewers, I thought his performance in general was forced, such as when he went nuts over the spilled milk or started shouting in the courthouse; it is possible for Sheen to overact, and for low TV production values to be confined to only a few takes instead of the multiple ones that might have guaranteed a better portrayal of a struggling blue-collar worker who has been out of work for six months. So back to the "message", it's clear that incarceration exacerbates the issues that cause a man to be imprisoned in the first place, but it was a few weeks in the slammer, not a multi-year stretch in a federal prison. He could have read books or drew pictures to kill the time, so I'm calling BS on the message as it was portrayed. One last thing, that Ed Lauter was a solid character actor who nicely filled out any film he appeared in.

axlrhodes Martin Sheen is such a strong actor that he capable of lifting even the most mediocre of films.Im not saying that In The Custody Of Strangers is a bad film,on the contrary it is a good compact story with a strong message aimed at youngsters about the cause and effect of juvenile delinquency.The casting of Sheen and Estevez as father and son adds resonance to the story and helps lift the project above the level it would have otherwise have been at.A lot about the film has dated,the cheesy rock soundtrack featuring Billy Idol and the like traps it in its time but the message hasn't aged,do wrong,and you will open yourself up to having your life turned on its head.

Joseph P. Ulibas In the Custody of Strangers (1982) was another made-for-t.v. movie to star the father and son team of Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. As usual, the films that star Mr. Sheen as always thought provoking and they raise certain issues that effect people in general. A sort of a social message movie for the mainstream folks.The story is about a father and his wild son. He's a loud mouth fool who's always getting into his father's hair. One night he's out having a few pops whilst driving. Being a real careless teen, he's driving will under the influence. After being pulled over by the cops and booked for D.U.I., his father refuses to bail the young punk out. Dad feels that his ungrateful soon needs a reality check. But the police have no place for a minor (they probably didn't think a parent was dumb enough to leave a minor overnight in an adult jail).Well, you can imagine what happens to poor Emilio. Still wet behind the ears, a fellow drunk drunk tries to molest him. Not taking any smack from nobody, Emilio severely hurts the dude. The keystone cops have nothing else to do but lock-up Emilio for a longer stint in the gaol house. What's a young hot headed juvenile going to do? Meanwhile, Martin's feeling a little guilty tries to get his kid out but then he hears about Emilio's extracurricular activities. Will he ever see the light of day? A kid inside a man's gaol.Like I said, the movie raises a lot of questions about how juvenile perpetrators are treated by law enforcement. Another entertaining made-for-t.v.-movie starring the ever reliable Martin Sheen.Recommended.

antonius-2 This tale of a juvenile's nightmare voyage through delinquency and the harsh penal system is a well acted and at times moving story.Emilio Estevez as the angry young man Danny is excellent, in an early role which showed his promise and acting ability. He is indeed his father's son. His story is set against a backdrop of hopelessness and unemployment and his father's emasculation as the wage earner and hunter gatherer. Martin Sheen's character, Frank, is seeking employment having been laid off as foreman in the factory he's spent his adult career in. His frustration at having to almost beg for work, and fear of welfare, whilst his wife earns a wage and keeps the house is palpable and contributes to the rocky relationship with his volatile son. In these early scenes we see Danny cares for his family greatly, that he respects his father but feels embarassed for him.When Danny drunkenly wrecks a car his Frank lets him stew in the cells for a night to teach him a lesson. After he beats a dirty old lech in self defense he is remanded in the youth cells and is tragically sucked into the system, a system which fails him. His character's brutalisation and growing desperation are well conveyed by Emilio and are thrown into contrast later on when we see his father's and the family's fortunes improving with Frank getting a good new job out of state.When Danny is finally released we see a different young man. The closing scenes are poignant as Danny silently, hauntingly, watches his father (offscreen) laugh and play with his younger children. We suspect young Danny longs for those innocent days of youth and unquestioning love. Carefree days. Simple days. Happy days.