"Terminal Bliss" also tries to offer an anti-drug message, but the film is so overwrought and pretentious that the audience won't just be put off . . . it'll be put to sleep.
The lead role goes to Tim Owen as intelligent high schooler Alex, one of a group of wealthy, self-destructive teens who don't seem to do anything except take drugs and have sex.
Alex's best friend is John (Luke Perry), a James Dean wannabe who goes after Stevie (Estee Chandler), the new girl in school, just because Alex wants her.
John introduces Stevie to drugs, she finds herself pregnant and has an abortion and Alex goes into drug rehab - all in the film's first 15 minutes.
The idea here is that these are bright kids who are neglected by their parents, a plot element intended to lay blame for their behavior somewhere other than on their own shoulders. Mostly, we learn this from tossed-off lines of dialogue here and there (and a verbose voice-over narration by Alex).
There are also superfluous scenes devoted to lacrosse and water-skiing, apparently the sports of choice among spoiled rich kids.
Written and directed by first-timer Jordan Alan, who was all of 21 when he made this low-budget, independent movie a couple of years ago, "Terminal Bliss" is filled with closeups that give it that made-for-video look, not to mention loads of self-pity and teen angst, somber music and God's silence.
What the film needed instead was an interesting story and a sympathetic character or two.