Lucas is a promising kid, bright, inquisitive, knowledgeable, industrious, but for a boy aged 14 those qualities don’t count for much socially, his daily life in high school is a brave but hopeless struggle against cruel ridicule (nicknamed ‘leukoplakia’) and abuse on account of his frail figure, ‘miniature’ size and athletic ineptitude, while any demonstration of precocious erudition is frowned upon by his ignorant, dumber peers and seniors, fortunately with one remarkable exception: the studly football team captain, generally known as Cappie, gallantly protects the ‘shrimp’ and as soon as he gets to know Lucas appreciates his mind and courage, eager to learn from him. The arrival of an attractive new girl in his school and neighborhood proves a mixed blessing: Maggie becomes his best friend and companion, admiring his many talents, but inevitably she soon falls for Cappie the other way, so now his ‘big brother’ and protector seems little Lucas’s rival, however hard the hunk tries to stay friends…

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Trivia & Facts

* This is Winona Ryder’s debut film.
* ‘Ellen Degeneres’ was the other actress up for the part of Elise, which went to Courtney Thorne-Smith.
* The chorus featured in the rehearsal scene was the Viking Choir from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Illinois, though the picture was filmed at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. There was an additional scene that was cut of the chorus performing in the outdoor amphitheater and featuring an original song written for the film, “Learning How to Love”, also cut.
* Homewood-Flossmoor High School Viking Choir is the choir in the singing section (Uncredited)

Quotes: Character

Ben: Did you hear about Lucas? It’s suicide!
Rena: What do you mean?
Ben: He’s gone out for the football team!

Ben: Why’d Tragle have to kill himself and leave us with this jackass?
Tonto: Sex-crazed, that’s why.
Rena: He wasn’t sex-crazed! He was in love!
Tonto: With a dental technician?
Rena: Not everybody has to be beautiful to have someone fall in love with them.
Tonto: You don’t kill yourself over a dental technician.
Tonto: You ever hear of “Romeo and Juliet”?
Tonto: Was she a dental technician?
Rena: No, but people do kill themselves when they can have the one they love!

Promoting the Movie

- Petaluma teenager stars in movie “Lucas”