Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975)

It is a performances centric movie

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

The first must-see film of the year.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This movie was a vehicle for Linda Blair - but don't let that deter you from checking it out.Linda plays Sarah Travis, who as the movie begins already has a problem with alcohol. Her parents' recent divorce (and her mother's remarriage) and her move to a new school are not helping things. Slowly everything in her life slides right down the hill and into her river of alcohol. Some of the movie is custom-made for Linda Blair - she gets to sing at a party, her boyfriend has his own horses and lets her groom them (Linda LOVED horses, the teen magazines dutifully reported) - but the message of the movie rings clear. Remarkably powerful scene: Linda goes to an AA meeting, and little Bobby (Eric Olsen, then starring in "Apple's Way") steps forward and shares that his alcoholism made him "so damn disgusted with myself" that he knew he had to get help.It's not accurate to say Sarah hits rock bottom. She THINKS she hits rock bottom, and then learns the hardest way possible just how much further she could fall.A powerful movie, HIGHLY recommended.

Contains spoilers Teenage alcoholics - not only a problem of the seventies. An insecure future, divorced families, spending too much time with the wrong 'friends' -drinking to give their lives a 'future' to kill time - to show others that they aren't different - that they're tough - that they're a member of the gang they joined. Sarah (Linda Blair) - fifteen - the youngest child of a divorced family. She has to live with her mother and step-father - her older sister has her own family. Sarah isn't very lucky - she's missing the dad she loves - and he dotes her on her when he's around. When she finds out her mother has arranged a blind date to a party, Sarah is furious. After she realizes it's with Ken (Mark Hamill), seventeen, popular at school, owner of a horse called Daisy and wants to become a veterinarian, she changes her mind. Sarah gets very drunk behind Ken's back. Because he likes Sarah, he feels responsible for all, allowing her parents to blame him for the incident. They spend some time together, and he shows her his horse. Sarah continues drinking, despite Ken wanting her to stop. She attends an AA meeting, but leaves because she feels she isn't an alcoholic. She makes an effort to stop drinking, though.One evening Sarah and Ken are babysitting. She tells him that she wants more - wants him all for herself - while Ken isn't interested in forcing their relationship - he wants it in the way it is. They end up in an argument and Ken leaves her. Sarah is very frustrated and starts drinking again. She gets very drunk and is found in a stupor by the crying child's angry parents. Sarah's mother and her step-father finally realize the extent of her drinking. She tells them that it wasn't Ken - that it was she who was responsible for the alcohol in the house. Sarah pleads to go live with her real father - and her mother agrees. But then Sarah finds out that her idolized father has feet of clay - he doesn't want her because he has his own problems. The world around Sarah collapses. Going on a drinking spree she steals Ken's horse, Daisy. Ken runs after them but can't catch them before they ride into traffic. The horse gets hit by a car and must be destroyed. Sarah survives uninjured. She cries for forgiveness - but Ken coldly walks away - the pain of the loss of his horse that meant so much to him still on his face. He wants nothing more to do with her. Sarah finally realizes only she can help herself and commits for treatment. "I'm an alcoholic." Words that shocked her parents - words that makes them realize that they failed themselves, too. And for Sarah - it's her first step into a future without alcohol.Mark played his role very well. He's warm and gentle - frustrated and devastated - gives a nice and easy performance. He brought realism and believability in his role that he changed a bit. In the original script, Ken was colder - a youth that has only his own future in view. His emotional scene at the end of the film is outstanding.Linda Blair, as usual is outstanding, she begins to have a nice body in this one, the future looks good for the rising star!

Please make this movie available to the public either by vhs or DVD it is one of the most memorable movies I have seen in my life !!!! Linda Blair is Amazing in it. This movie has haunted me for 20 years, I never knew the name of this movie until the internet came along. Now I have been in a mad frenzy to find this movie somewhere. Please, Please make it available. I have to have this movie. It is a Classic.

They just don't make made-for-tv movies like they did in the '70s! This is one of my favourite tv movies from that era. Linda Blair plays her character flawless, and makes her role believable. Although it hasn't been on TV for over 10 years now, it's a movie that is a memorable one. It follows the trials and tribulations of a girl that just wants to fit in to her new surroundings, family situation, and school. The two scenes that stick out in my mind are: 1. Linda Blair singing "It's too late"(Carole King),2. Her AA councillor mentioning that alcohol gives at the beginning, then starts taking away from your life. I have never forgot that statement! It would be nice if this movie was available on VHS/DVD, because it is one of Linda Blair's best movies