St. Elmo's Fire
1985 · 108 min · Director: Joel Schumacher
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Seven friends - Alec, Billy, Jules, Kevin, Kirby, Leslie and Wendy - are trying to navigate through life and their friendships following college graduation. Alec, who aspires to political life, has just shown his true colors by changing his allegiance from Democrat to Republican, which freaks out girlfriend Leslie, who he wants to marry. Budding architect Leslie, on the other hand, has an independent streak. She believes she has to make a name for herself to find out who she is before she can truly commit to another person in marriage. But Leslie and Alec have decided to live together. Because Leslie refuses to marry Alec, he believes that justifies certain behavior. Kirby, who wants to become a lawyer and who pays for his schooling by working as a waiter at their local hangout called St. Elmo's Bar, and struggling writer Kevin are currently roommates. They are on opposite extremes of the romance spectrum. Kirby has just reconnected with Dale Biberman, a slightly older woman he knew in college who is now a doctor. He is madly in love with her and will do *anything* to impress her. Kevin, on the other hand, doesn't date and states he doesn't believe in love, making his friends speculate that he's a closet homosexual who is secretly in love with Alec. Kevin will eventually open himself up to the one friend who matters the most. Billy, married with a child, is the irresponsible one of the group who would rather sleep around and play the saxophone than face the realities of being an adult with family commitments. He still lives for the memory of his fraternity glory days. Virginal and sheltered Wendy, who comes from a wealthy family, works in a low paying social services job. Her family provides for all her financial needs. She is in love with Billy, who in turn takes advantage of her adoration of him. And most are concerned about Jules, who works in a bank, lives a life of excess in all facets and doesn't have the financial means to live that lifestyle. The question for all seven becomes whether their friendship can survive adult real life.
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Emotional fingerprint
St. Elmo's Fire (1985) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Nostalgia 30%, Empathy 25%, Melancholy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Nostalgia30%
- Empathy25%
- Melancholy20%
- Humor15%
- Hope10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Nostalgia, Empathy, Melancholy. Genres: Drama, Romance. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Nostalgia, Empathy and Melancholy. Its IMDb rating of 6.4/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 67/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Sadness
- Humor
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Love
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Sadness | Humor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Humor | 37 % | 18 % | 10 % | 30 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Humor | 38 % | 16 % | 11 % | 35 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 14′ | Humor | 38 % | 14 % | 11 % | 38 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 19′ | Humor | 40 % | 14 % | 11 % | 40 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 24′ | Humor | 41 % | 19 % | 16 % | 41 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 30′ | Humor | 39 % | 26 % | 21 % | 36 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 35′ | Humor | 43 % | 27 % | 20 % | 32 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 41′ | Tension | 48 % | 23 % | 18 % | 35 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 46′ | Humor | 43 % | 23 % | 18 % | 36 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 51′ | Humor | 38 % | 26 % | 18 % | 31 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 57′ | Sadness | 44 % | 30 % | 23 % | 25 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 62′ | Tension | 57 % | 39 % | 31 % | 19 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 68′ | Tension | 64 % | 45 % | 34 % | 15 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 73′ | Love | 56 % | 39 % | 30 % | 16 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Tension | 49 % | 34 % | 33 % | 19 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 84′ | Sadness | 53 % | 39 % | 40 % | 20 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 89′ | Tension | 64 % | 50 % | 45 % | 18 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 95′ | Empathy | 68 % | 59 % | 48 % | 15 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 100′ | Empathy | 59 % | 53 % | 43 % | 21 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 105′ | Love | 52 % | 43 % | 37 % | 32 % |
Man in a hole
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
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Cast
Howie Krantz
Ron Dellasandro
Judith
Welfare Woman
Myra
Maître d'
Details
- Directed by
- Joel Schumacher
- Written by
- Joel Schumacher, Carl Kurlander
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1985
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Nostalgia
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
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