In 1986, Reeves made a foray into television films, including NBC’s Babes in Toyland, Act of Vengeance and Brotherhood of Justice. He made his first motion picture appearances in Peter Markle’s Youngblood, in which he played a goalkeeper, and in the low-budget romantic drama, Flying. He was cast as Matt in River’s Edge, a crime drama about a group of high school friends dealing with a murder case, loosely based on the 1981 murder of Marcy Renee Conrad. The film premiered in 1986 at the Toronto International Film Festival to a largely positive response. Janet Maslin of The New York Times describes the performances of the young cast as “natural and credible”, with Reeves being described as “affecting and sympathetic”.[38]
In 1988, Reeves starred in several dramas aimed at teen audiences, including as the lead in The Night Before, a comedy starring opposite Lori Loughlin, The Prince of Pennsylvania and Permanent Record. Although the latter received mixed reviews, Variety magazine praised Reeves’s performance, “which opens up nicely as the drama progresses”.[39] His other acting efforts included a supporting role in Dangerous Liaisons, which earned seven nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, winning three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.[40]
