Risky Business

Starring in the role that made him a household name, Tom Cruise leads this classic 80s film that ended up being a lot darker and profound than I expected. This isn't your typical teen sex comedy from the 80s. There's a lot of pointed commentary on capitalism, teen fantasy, and coming of age. Rebecca De Mornay is perfectly cast as the alluring, enigmatic call girl Cruise becomes entwined with and is instantly memorable in the role. Risky Business has a lot more to say than you might think and is worth checking out some 40 years later.

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.

RISKY BUSINESS is the smart and sexy 1983 teen comedy that brought intelligence to the genre and made a bonafide movie star out of Tom Cruise. Cruise is utterly winning as Joel Goodson, a high school senior excited about the prospect of having the house to himself when his parents go out of town for a few days; but things go from bad to worse when Joel crosses paths with a nubile prostitute (Rebecca DeMornay). This surprise hit brought an element of sophistication that was absent from a lot of the teen comedies that were populating the screen in the 1980's. This movie boasts a smart screenplay, imaginative direction, a memorable musical score, and on-target performances from Cruise, DeMornay, Curtis Armstrong, Joe Pantoliano (memorable as a slimy pimp), Bronson Pinchot, and Janet Carroll. Tom's sexy underwear dance to "Old Time Rock and Roll" has become Hollywood folklore. An instant classic upon release that still holds up over 20 years later.

Risky Business is the Quintessential Coming of Age Movies of the 1980's. Tom Cruise in his first memorable leading role, as an upper middle class high school student whose parents leave him "Home Alone" while away. No one has listened to Bob Seger the same since this one. Cruise is truly good in this one. He manages to walk the line between a naive kid, with a lot to learn and the heart throb he evolved into in years to come. Rebecca DeMornay is sexy and captivating in the most memorable role of her life. The supporting cast is very good in this and it is well Directed for sure. This movie is one part Ferris Bueller, one part Home Alone, and 100% Tom Cruise. This one holds up.

When this film was released, it was during the time of the "teen sex comedy" craze. Films like Class and Porky's were all about seeing scores of horny teens in the most raunchy escapades possible. However, this film and Fast Times at Ridgemont High can be seen as more being a little more serious than the others. Risky Business is definitely a commentary on how greed can corrupt an individual and what the consequences can be. Also, the acting in this film, as well as Fast Times, is light years away from Porky's and all films like it and it will always be a classic parable.