The Boost

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title: "The Boost" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1988-films", "1988-drama-films", "1988-independent-films", "1988-romantic-drama-films", "films-directed-by-harold-becker", "films-scored-by-stanley-myers", "films-about-substance-abuse", "films-about-cocaine", "american-independent-films", "american-romantic-drama-films", "1980s-english-language-films", "1988-american-films", "english-language-independent-films", "english-language-romantic-drama-films"] description: "1988 drama film by Harold Becker" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boost" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1988 drama film by Harold Becker ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]

Field	Value
name	The Boost
image	Boostposter1988.jpg
caption	Theatrical release poster
director	Harold Becker
producer	Daniel H. Blatt
writer	Ben Stein
Darryl Ponicsan
based_on
starring	James Woods
Sean Young
John Kapelos
Steven Hill
Kelle Kerr
music	Stanley Myers
cinematography	Howard Atherton
editing	Maury Winetrobe
distributor	Hemdale Film Corporation
released
runtime	95 minutes
country	United States
language	English
gross	$784,990
::

| name = The Boost | image = Boostposter1988.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Harold Becker | producer = Daniel H. Blatt | writer = Ben Stein Darryl Ponicsan | based_on = | narrator = | starring = James Woods Sean Young John Kapelos Steven Hill Kelle Kerr | music = Stanley Myers | cinematography = Howard Atherton | editing = Maury Winetrobe | distributor = Hemdale Film Corporation | released = | runtime = 95 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = $784,990

The Boost is a 1988 American drama film directed by Harold Becker and based on the book Ludes: A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream by Ben Stein. It stars James Woods, Sean Young, John Kapelos, Steven Hill, June Chandler and Amanda Blake.

Plot

Lenny Brown is a real-estate hustler looking to strike it rich. He is married to Linda, a paralegal and amateur dancer. The two struggle financially but are deeply committed to each other. Linda vows to stick with her husband until she "falls off the earth."

After Lenny botches a job interview by being over zealous, one of the interviewers, Max Sherman, sees Lenny's talent as a salesman and offers to move him and his wife to California where he and Max will sell lucrative investments in tax shelters.

Everything is suddenly first-class for Lenny and his wife and they enjoy a very lavish lifestyle. However tax laws abruptly change and they find themselves $700,000 in debt.

Their circumstances become increasingly desperate, worsened by a friend Joel Miller, who introduces both to cocaine for "a boost." Lenny and Linda both become addicted. They lose their home, car and jobs. Linda becomes pregnant, but falls and suffers a miscarriage after using cocaine.

Lenny's life unravels rapidly as cocaine addiction gets the better of him. He gets clean temporarily and conceives one last great business opportunity. However due to anxiety his addiction reasserts itself and he irrationally blows the deal in a fit of anger. This culminates in Lenny severely beating Linda and putting her in the hospital. She is protected from Lenny while recovering and finally breaks with him permanently. She later falls for the doctor who is treating her.

As the end credits roll, we see Lenny still using cocaine in his filthy apartment. He has been relating his tale to a visiting New York friend, blaming others for his failures, and is reduced to a babbling shell of himself.

Cast

• James Woods as Lenny Brown
• Sean Young as Linda Brown
• John Kapelos as Joel Miller
• Steven Hill as Max Sherman
• Kelle Kerr as Rochelle
• John Rothman as Ned Lewis
• Amanda Blake as Barbara
• Barry Jenner as Billy

Reception

The Boost opened December 23, 1988 on 9 screens. It received mixed reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half of a possible four stars, calling the film "one of the most convincing and horrifying portraits of drug addiction I've ever seen."

Woods received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead.

References

References

1. "The Boost".
2. Ebert, Roger. (December 23, 1988). "The Boost".
3. "The Boost". [[Turner Broadcasting System]] ([[Time Warner]]).
4. (December 28, 1988). "Weekend Box Office Report".
5. Maltin, Leonard. (August 2009). "Leonard Maltin's 2010 Movie Guide".
6. "1989 Nominees".

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