As with most Joel Schumacher films, this one is beautifully shot. The locations of the film stand out and never overshadow the characters as they go on about their lives.

St. Elmo's fire is not comedy-driven and there isn't much of a plot. This is more of a slice of life piece about a group of young people embarking on their careers and lives. The soundtrack works well, the music was good for the time.

Andie MacDowell and Andrew McCarthy are great in their respective roles even if Andie's character doesn't speak much. Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson make honest attempts with the material they are given, and they aren't horrible, but both actors have done much better in lesser roles or maybe they needed more of a role. The other members of the cast just appear to be plodding through the script but that may be what the script called for; if this is the case they did well.