Risky Business (1983)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Paul Brickman

Writer:

Paul Brickman (written by)

Release Date:

5 August 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Joel had all the normal teenage fantasies...cars, girls, money. Then his parents left for a week, and all his fantasies came true. [UK Theatrical]

Plot:

A Chicago teenager is looking for fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand.

Plot Keywords:

Porsche | Friend | House | Money | Erotica

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Joel Goodsen
Rebecca De Mornay	...	Lana
Joe Pantoliano	...	Guido
Richard Masur	...	Rutherford
Bronson Pinchot	...	Barry
Curtis Armstrong	...	Miles
Nicholas Pryor	...	Joel's Father
Janet Carroll	...	Joel's Mother
Shera Danese	...	Vicki
Raphael Sbarge	...	Glenn
Bruce A. Young	...	Jackie
Kevin Anderson	...	Chuck (as Kevin C. Anderson)
Sarah Partridge	...	Kessler
Nathan Davis	...	Business Teacher
Scott Harlan	...	Stan Licata

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:14 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | Sweden:11 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:16 (1983)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Geffen Company, The

Trivia:

In the DVD commentary, Diane Lane says that Tom Cruise got the script for the film while shooting The Outsiders (1983) and had asked Lane to audition for the role of Lana. Her father later told the producers there was "no way his daughter was playing a twenty-something hooker".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the brothel scene, when the hooker places her hand on the boy's knee and scares him away, we see a drummer and a pianist playing in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, but we hear a recorded version of "D.M.S.R" by Prince. They are also visible just before Joel complains to Lana that some of the girls are wearing his mother's clothing, and once again we hear recorded music.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joel Goodson: [voiceover] The dream is always the same. Instead of going home, I go to the neighbors'. I ring, but nobody answers. The door is open, so I go inside. I'm looking around for the people, but nobody seems to be there. And then I hear the shower running, so I go upstairs to see what's what. Then I see her; this...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: Pinske Business (#2.8)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

MANNISH BOY

She's In Product, He's In Sales

Risky Business and All The Right Moves are the two films that launched Tom Cruise's career as brat pack film star. Unlike so many of his contemporaries from the Eighties, he's proved to have staying power and will no doubt continue to do so.

All The Right Moves established Cruise as a dramatic actor, but Risky Business is a fun comedy about a hormone driven teenager who when the folks go away from his Chicago suburban home and he's left to play, he gets himself in all kinds of problems. First dialing up call girl, Rebecca DeMornay and then not having enough coin of the realm to pay her. Then getting mom's treasured glass egg stolen. And then getting the family car driven into Lake Michigan.

But Cruise and DeMornay, who is having trouble with her pimp Joe Pantoliano, hit on the brilliant idea that there's a market out there for his group of eager overachievers. And Tom's house becomes quite the swinging brothel.

Risky Business turns out to be pretty funny business. Best scene in the film involves Tom with Princeton interviewer Richard Mazur. You've got to love the way this boy gets into the Ivy League. Second best scene involves Tom and the family car as it plunges into the lake and then gets hoisted out.

Tom's definitely proved to have staying power in show business. I can see his character in Risky Business growing up to be Jerry Maguire.