Mad Love MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 Content: -2 1/2

From the moment teen Matt Leland (Chris O'Donnell) lays his eyes on Casey Roberts (Drew Barrymore), it is love at first sight. He is fascinated by how she is unrestrained by societal norms and living at the edge of danger. As their relationship develops, Casey has an increasingly negative effect on Matt as she encourages him to cut class and skip his SAT exam. When Casey's parents threaten to send her away to boarding school, Casey attempts suicide and ends up in a psychiatric hospital. But Matt helps her escape, and they take off on a wild trip from Seattle to Mexico. Along the way they are captured by a rough character, but manage to steal his car and continue their journey. Sadly, however, Casey continues to be plagued with mental problems. MAD LOVE is an intense story about two rebellious teenagers who truly love each other. It will probably appeal primarily to girls between the ages of 12-16.

Casey is the source of many of the film's objectionable elements. She smokes much of the time, and her dialogue is permeated with frequent uses of crudities, obscenities and profanities. Mentally disturbed, she threatens Matt with a gun, but doesn't harm him. Matt and Casey are shown in an explicit sex scene, and sex is implied in other bedroom scenes. All during their escapades, though, Matt phones home regularly to report that they are safe, and eventually decides they should return home. Unfortunately, after it's all over, Casey concludes that their unrestrained affair has been good for her. Also, the couple suffers no adverse consequences for their rebellion and disobedience. MAD LOVE has a touch of realism and pathos, but is too sexually explicit, and has too much offensive language and too many misleading messages to be good viewing for teenagers.

Preview Reviewer: Krista Kay Bontrager
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution, 3900 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91521