Themes: Kids in Trouble, Going Straight, Fighting the System
Main Cast: John Travolta, James Walters, Heather Graham, Richard Jordan, Linda Fiorentino
Release Year: 1991
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
John Travolta stars as a hip music teacher in this old-fashioned pseudo-musical set in 1955, the dawn of the rock n' roll era. Travolta is Jack Cabe, a musician on the run in Texas for murdering a man during a recording session. Attempting to elude the law, Jack takes refuge at the Benedict School for Boys, where he is hired as a music instructor by school director Eugene Benedict (Richard Jordan). At the school, he sets teen rebel Jesse Tucker (James Walters) straight by introducing him to the new music called rock n' roll. But Jack doesn't just stop there, and soon all the youngsters are snapping their fingers to the devil's music instead of keeping time to John Philip Sousa. This steers Jack on a collision course with Eugene, who doesn't appreciate the rhythm and the blues of rock n' roll. As if that weren't enough, Jesse has taken it into his head to seduce Sara (Heather Graham), Eugene's beautiful daughter. Meanwhile, Jack has problems of his own. With the law closing in on him, he is ready to take it on the lam to another state. But the big school concert is coming up and he doesn't want to let his students down. Should he stay to play the gig and risk arrest, or elude the law and take off down the road to freedom? ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Scott Coffey - Bradley; Glenn Quinn - Alan; Michael Bacall - Big Boy; Julie Ariola - Girl's Home Director; James Avery - Midnight Rider; Patrik Baldauff - Mr. Hawkins; Pamela Bellamy-Franklin - Orphanage Cook; Chris Blasman - Orphan; Charles Fowlkes - Eyes; Redmond Gleeson - Minister; Tera Hendrickson - Featured; Sam Hennings - Travis Parker; Jeremy Kent Jackson - Young Bell Ringer; Gwyneth Paltrow - Rebecca; Kristina Simonds - Rachel; Charles Earl Taylor - Deputy; Renee Tenison - Girl in Bar; Jerry Tullos - Bandstand MC; Linda M. Womack - Singer; Danielle von Zerneck - Toby; Nancy Nayor; Michelle Johnston - Loretta
Credit
P. Michael Johnston - Art Director, Michelle Johnston - Choreography, Eduardo Castro - Costume Designer, Jeffery Hornaday - Director, Seth Flaum - Editor, Randy Edelman - Composer (Music Score), William Matthews - Production Designer, Robert Brinkmann - Cinematographer, Lindsley Parsons, Jr. - Producer, Robert Simonds - Producer, Jim Duffy - Set Designer, Joe Gayton - Screenwriter
