McCarthy survived a period of serious alcohol misuse and sought treatment. He built and maintained sobriety. He became a father, traveled extensively, wrote professionally, directed television, published books, and revisited his past through documentary filmmaking. His youthful fame remained part of him without becoming the only part. That distinction may explain why he appears relatively detached from nostalgia even while accepting that fans experience his old movies differently.
For viewers who loved those films, there is nothing wrong with nostalgia. Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Mannequin, and Weekend at
