Main Cast: Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling, Ronny Cox, Harold Sylvester
Release Year: 1985
Country: US
Run Time: 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
According to high school wrestler Matthew Modine, a spiritual "Vision Quest" is necessary for him to decide his future. Thus, Modine starts behaving in a manner that amazes even himself. The crowning achievement of Modine's new outlook on life is his romance with 21-year-old artist Linda Fiorentino. Somehow, all of this boils down to the standard "underdog makes good at crucial sports event" finale. Essentially Rocky and Breaking Away redux, Vision Quest is saved by the spirited performances of its young protagonists. Of historical value is the brief appearance by Madonna, whose voice is heard throughout on the film's music track. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Harold Becker's modest film about a high school wrestler's coming-of-age isn't long on originality but it's a far more solid and affecting film than most '80s teen fare. The story focuses on an 18-year-old wrestler (Matthew Modine) who is preparing intensely for the state championship while keeping his eye on a hot, young woman (Linda Fiorentino) who has drifted into town. The film's premise can make it seem like one of the numerous Rocky (1976) clones that flooded theaters in the '80s, and although it has predictable elements, it's filled by a more interesting and recognizably human group of people than is usually the case with such films. Like Rocky (1976), most such stories have a working-class setting which is barely sketched out, but seems to automatically imply the need for escape. Vision Quest is set in similar territory, but has respect for the milieu and its well-observed characters. Modine is appealing as the eager, hardworking kid, and Fiorentino fits the bill perfectly as the sexy, knowing boarder. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Charles Hallahan - Coach; J.C. Quinn - Elmo; Daphne Zuniga - Margie Epstein; Frank Jasper - Shute; Roberts Blossom - Grandpa; James Gammon - Kuch's Dad; Jana Marie Hupp - Sally; Gary Kasper - Otto; Raphael Sbarge - Schmoozler; R.H. Thomson - Kevin; Madonna - Special Appearance; Forest Whitaker - Bulldozer; Jay Bonnett - Thompson Teammate; Tony Christianson - Thompson Teammate; Ted Collins - Thompson Teammate; Darrell Briggs - Referee; Tom Elkins - Announcer; Judith Hansen - Elsie; David Haugen - Student Manager; Kevin Kahl Lease - Exercise Leader; Fred Miles - Louden's Opponent; Sean Morgan - Injured Salesman; Ken Pelo - Hoover, Team Coach; Paul Spangenberg - Thompson Medic; Cash Stone - Official; Nancy Klopper
Credit
Nancy Klopper - Casting, Susan Becker - Costume Designer, Harold Becker - Director, Maury Winetrobe - Editor, Adam Fields - Executive Producer, Stan Weston - Executive Producer, Tangerine Dream - Composer (Music Score), Christopher Franke - Composer (Music Score), Cheri Minns - Makeup, William Malley - Production Designer, Owen Roizman - Cinematographer, Peter Guber - Producer, Jon Peters - Producer, Jeff Haley - Set Designer, Joseph P. Mercurio - Special Effects, Darryl Ponicsan - Screenwriter, Douglas Day Stewart - Screenwriter, Terry Davis - Book Author
n. A period of spiritual seeking among certain Native American peoples, often undertaken as a puberty rite, that typically involves isolation, fasting, and the inducement of a trance state for the purpose of attaining guidance or knowledge from supernatural forces.
Modine plays a Spokane high schoolwrestler who falls in love with an older woman, an aspiring artist from New Jersey on her way to San Francisco. The film includes an appearance by Madonna, her first in a major motion picture, playing a singer at a local bar/restaurant (filmed at the Big Foot Tavern on North Division in Spokane), where she performs the songs "Crazy for You" and "Gambler".
In this coming-of-age story, Louden Swain (Modine) is a high school wrestler who has just turned eighteen and decided that he needs to do something truly meaningful in his life. Against the wishes of those around him, he embarks on a mission to drop two weight classes in order to challenge the toughest opponent, Brian Shute (Frank Jasper)—a menacing 3-time state champion from nearby rival Hoover High School, who has never been defeated in his high school career. In his zeal to drop from 190 pounds to 168 pounds, against the wishes of his coach (Charles Hallahan) and teammates, he disrupts the team around him and creates health problems of his own.
Meanwhile, his father (Ronny Cox) has taken on a boarder named Carla (Linda Fiorentino) from Trenton, New Jersey, passing through on her way to San Francisco. Though she is older, Louden begins to fall in love with her and begins to lose sight of his goals as a wrestler. Worse, his drastic weight loss culminates in an unhealthy situation in which he gets frequent nose bleeds due, Louden claims, to a lack of iron in his diet (which costs him a match that he should have won). He and Carla finally admit their love for one another, but she realizes this is distracting him from his goals. She decides to move out and continue on to San Francisco, but not before seeing Louden's big match in which he defeats Shute in the final seconds with an over-under hip toss.
The film had moderate success in theaters in the U.S. in 1985, earning a gross of $13 million. It has received a "fresh" rating of 64% at Rotten Tomatoes and has become somewhat of a cult classic among middle and high school wrestlers for its various wrestling scenes, in particular Louden's extreme weight loss measures and workout regime.
Book
The movie was based on the novel of the same name by Terry Davis, filmed at Spokane's Rogers High School (referred to as Thompson High School in the film). The school building has gone through major renovations since the filming, with the only recognized characteristic being the school's front entrance (Interior cafeteria scenes were filmed at Ferris High School on Spokane's South Hill and some of the locker room scenes were filmed in the Shadle Park High School boys locker room).
Differences from the book
Louden wrestles at 147, not 168.
Thompson High School, which was used in the film, appears to relate more toward Spokane's North Central High School was actually based on Spokane's Shadle Park High School, North Central's rival school, where author Terry Davis graduated from (Shadle's team made a brief appearance as Sherman High School).
In the book, Carla was living with Louden, but for longer than the movie version and was actually settled down with him, living in Spokane.
Gary Shute was the actual name of the character in the book that Louden was going to wrestle (the book ends when their match begins). He was also from Evergreen High School; rather than Hoover High School (which appears in the movie to be based on Mead High School).
In the book Otto Laft had a much larger role than in the movie.
Elmo, the cook who works with Louden, was actually a black former boxer, and Gene Tanneran, Louden's English teacher, was white and going out with a cheerleader. In the movie, Tanneran is a black former basketball player, and Elmo is white.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack to the motion picture was released by Geffen Records on February 12, 1985. It was re-named Crazy for You in some countries such as Australia and the UK due to the new popularity of pop singer Madonna and her song "Crazy for You".
