Mad Love (1995 film)

Mad Love
Promotional movie poster for the film
Directed by	Antonia Bird
Produced by	Steve Golin David Manson
Written by	Paula Milne
Starring	Chris O'Donnell Drew Barrymore Matthew Lillard Joan Allen
Music by	Andy Roberts
Studio	PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Propaganda Films
Distributed by	Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s)	May 26, 1995
Running time	93 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$15,453,274

Mad Love is a 1995 romantic drama film directed by Antonia Bird and starring Chris O'Donnell, Drew Barrymore and Matthew Lillard. The screenplay was written by Paula Milne. The original music score is composed by Andy Roberts.

Synopsis

Straight-laced Matt Leland (O'Donnell) falls in love with Casey Roberts (Barrymore), the new girl in school from Chicago. After he helps her escape from an acute psychiatric ward, they run away as they both deal with her severe mental illness (likely borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder.)

Casey is eccentric in nature. Her carefree attitude is attributed to a part of her illness, in which she can experience severe highs and lows of emotion. It is from this truth much of the film's central appeal and plot are based upon, in that her mutual love and joy can be so extreme yet dangerously flawed.

Heading toward Mexico, Casey begins to experience symptoms of depression again. Matt, trying to help her, becomes scared. After she threatens suicide, and also threatens to kill him, they return to Seattle and their families, where she agrees to start taking medication.

Main cast

Actor	Role
Chris O'Donnell	Matt Leland
Drew Barrymore	Casey Roberts
Matthew Lillard	Eric
Joan Allen	Margaret Roberts
Jude Ciccolella	Richard Roberts
Amy Sakasitz	Joanna Leland
Kevin Dunn	Clifford Leland
Elaine Miles	Housekeeper

Reception

Variety published a mixed review by critic Emanuel Levy. He labeled the film as "yet another variation on amour fou and love on the run that makes little sense and fails to reach the heart". He also commented that "large sections of the pic are immensely likable" and highlighted aspects such as the realistic portrayal of mental illness. The media service LoveFilm also gave a mixed review, calling the film a "b-movie road adventure".

Soundtrack

• "Love Buzz" – Nirvana
• "Slowly, Slowly" – Magnapop
• "Citysong" – Luscious Jackson
• "Glazed" – Rocket from the Crypt
• "Scratch" – 7 Year Bitch
• "Mockingbirds" – Grant Lee Buffalo
• "Let's Go for a Ride" – Cracker
• "Haydn String Quartet No.1 3rd Movement" – Joseph Haydn
• "Ultra Anxiety (Teenage Style)" – Madder Rose
• "Icy Blue" – 7 Year Bitch
• "Here Comes My Girl" – Throneberry
• "Fallout" – Fluorescein
• "Ah Fuggi Il Traditor" – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• "Stutter" – Elastica
• "Shakin' Shakin' Shakes" – Los Lobos
• "Let Freedom Ring (Volumes 4, 5 e 6)" – Mark Germino
• "Mona Lisa Overdrive" – Head Candy
• "As Long as You Hold Me" – Kirsty MacColl

External links

• Mad Love at the Internet Movie Database
• Mad Love at AllRovi
• Mad Love at Rotten Tomatoes