User Reviews

Ron Petrie (Keanu Reeves) is a teenager who has a police record and is a pariah in the apartment block where he lives with his mother. He falls in with a gang whose members are plotting to attack an elderly person, but backs out and returns home to face the justice system. Meanwhile, Ron's mother is behind on her rent and under pressure by a landlord (Sean McCann) who has more lust than scruples.

This well-meaning drama from the National Film Board of Canada is weighted by wooden acting (although Reeves' wood is appropriate and McCann puts some life in his role) and a story which adds nothing fresh to the genre. Ron's encounter with the gang is tense at first, but soon becomes unconvincing. The resolution is especially weak. "One Step Away" is a minor part of Reeves' road to stardom.

-Tony

"One Step Away" is an American half-hour short film from 1985 and most people who worked on this one have long retired from the industry and that seems to include director Robert Fortier as well as writer Joe Wiesenfeld, at least an Emmy nominee decades ago. Now as for the cast ov this almost 35-year-old movie I cannot say too much except that there is Keanu Reeves playing the central male character around the age of 20 of course. Today he is in his mid-50s and this one here was from very early in his career when he wasn't famous already. You could still say that he is a contender for biggest movie star on the planet without a big awards nomination for his acting, maybe the number one even as he is still headlining blockbusters, has been for decades, and virtually never playing supporting characters. Now lets take a look at this one we have here. It is not a failure, but not bad either really. Generic 80s stuff with sleeveless shirts and young men struggling with authority. You could say Reeves fits the character nicely as a whole, but honestly the acting by everybody involved here is as forgettable as the script. I kinda liked the ending as it felt realistic over fake happy. No idea if they planned on making a series based on these 30 minutes, but I guess not. And that is okay as I probably would not have kept watching. So overall, I think without the cast inclusion of Reeves this film would be long forgotten by now. Oh well it sorta is with him too, isn't it? And he admittedly does not add a whole lot here. If he stands out for any reason, then that is only because everything around him is even weaker. Only watch for nostalgia purposes if you are a huge huge Keanu Reeves fan. Otherwise you are not missing much. Thumbs down.