Vision Quest (1985)

· by · in 1985. ·

Synopsis:

In order to challenge himself, Louden Swain (Matthew Modine, Full Metal Jacket), a high school wrestler, decides to compete against the toughest wrestler in a lower weight category. However, Swain’s infatuation with a jaded artist (Linda Fiorentino, The Last Seduction) threatens to derail his goals.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“Last week, I turned 18. I wasn’t ready for it. I haven’t done anything yet. So I made this deal with myself. This is the year I make my mark.”

Even though Vision Quest has a plethora of well-recognized elements of the sports movie formula, it tweaks the recipe just enough to make it a little less predictable. The film never feels like a copycat, despite the fact that it borrows heavily from classic sports movies like Rocky (1976), Breaking Away (1979) and The Karate Kid (1984).

This adaptation by Darryl Ponicsan (The Last Detail) of Terry Davis’s 1979 novel of the same name, directed by Harold Becker (The Onion Field), is one of my favorite sports movies of the era. It’s well acted, and Owen Roizman’s (The French Connection) cinematography is outstanding. It’s also pretty unique in some areas.

While it may not be the most original movie out-there, Vision Quest does offer a few surprises. For example, unlike other sports movies, the main character could hardly be described as an underdog. He is in fact an accomplished student-athlete. This isn’t the story of a nobody triumphing over adversity. It’s about a gifted kid who realizes that the only way he can grow as a person is to find ways to challenge himself.

From that perspective, this is an unusual coming-of-age story. And you don’t have to be into sports to enjoy the movie — it’s above all, a human story designed to appeal to all demographics. My only criticism is that the ending is nauseatingly predictable. Here was a great opportunity to try something different, but they blew it.

I must acknowledge that Modine’s likability is a big factor in the success of the movie. Despite being in his mid 20s, Modine is believable as a normal teenager. And sexy Linda Florentino is the bomb as the “older woman” Modine falls for (by the way, Florentino and Modine are about the same age). Pop star Madonna has a small role as a bar singer. She performs a few songs, including “Crazy for You” and “Gambler.”

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

Vision Quest has a lot of good qualities. I loved the small town atmosphere, and I liked all the characters, specifically Matthew Modine’s. The kid isn’t perfect, but his attitude is commendable — it’s refreshing to see a character in a teen movie who never wants to stop learning. As an extra bonus, the film has a killer soundtrack that features music by Madonna, Journey and John Waite. Color, 107 minutes, Rated R.

Theatrical Trailer:

Madonna’s “Crazy for You”:

8 responses to “Vision Quest (1985)”

  3. As my wife is a huge fan of this, I have owned it on DVD for years…it gets a spin every so often so we can be transported back to the 80’s – works as a great double bill with “Say Anything!”

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  4. Funny you should mention liking the soundtrack…it was the Journey song that led me to the movie way back when…then I never got the chance to see it, and finally did, decades later, just a few months ago!

    I liked the movie too…especially now, I think, because it took me back to 1985, whereas if I’d seen it back then, it just would’ve been a ‘current’ film for me. And like you, I enjoyed the story, as well as Matthew’s (and Linda’s) performance…and I seriously don’t remember the ending, so maybe that proves it WAS a forgettable one!

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      • I agree…many cool soundtracks for these films (‘The Last American Virgin’ and ‘Valley Girl’ come to mind); sadly, I’d say we’ll never see the ’80s style of teen movies ever again, either.

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