When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.
- Awards
- 2 nominations
Paul Reubens
- Pee-wee Herman
- (as Pee-wee Herman)
Damon Martin
- Chip
- (as Damon Landis)
Daryl Keith Roach
- Chuck
- (as Daryl Roach)
Professor Toru Tanaka
- Butler
- (as prof. Toru Tanaka)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPaul Reubens said that he, Phil Hartman, and Michael Varhol had never written a screenplay prior to this film. They purchased a book by Syd Field on how to write screenplays and did exactly what the book said. As a result, this movie is sometimes used in screenwriting classes because it fits the screenwriting paradigm perfectly - the film is 90 minutes long and the script is 90 pages long. The first act ends at Page 30 / 30-minute mark, the second act ends at Page 60 / 60-minute mark, etc.
- GoofsWhen Pee-wee and Simone watch the sunrise they enter a red T-Rex, but exit a green T-Rex, because it was being lit with a red spotlight.
- Quotes
Pee-wee: There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.
Dottie: I don't understand.
Pee-wee: You don't wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel. So long, Dott.
- Alternate versionsThere are at least 2 fullscreen versions of the film. An open matte version that shows off more vertical picture than the theatrical widescreen (the earliest VHS releases are this way), and a pan-and-scan cropped version, cropped from the theatrical widescreen.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: The Worst Films of 1985 (1986)
- SoundtracksBurn in Hell
Written by Dee Snider
Performed by Twisted Sister
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Featured review
Okay, so it loses a bit of steam in the final third, but that's true of most movies. It still rates a ten. The first film by Paul Ruebens, Tim Burton and the incomparable film composer Danny Elfman, it bubbles with the pure joy and exuberance of three talented people playing with a brand new toy. No film has ever been more fun to watch.
Reubens' media crucifixion in the early 90's was a crime against pop culture. America's snickering sanctimony stifled and virtually silenced one of the few original voices in the entertainment industry. I'm only thankful that Pee-wee lives on in video-land, so that my children and I can continue to enjoy his film and television work (the new DVD of "Big Adventure", by the way, is a treasure).
Pee-wee Herman, it's time to come back! Your loyal fans await your triumphant return. And to all those sicko name-callers out there, we have only one thing to say:
"I know you are, but what am I?"
Reubens' media crucifixion in the early 90's was a crime against pop culture. America's snickering sanctimony stifled and virtually silenced one of the few original voices in the entertainment industry. I'm only thankful that Pee-wee lives on in video-land, so that my children and I can continue to enjoy his film and television work (the new DVD of "Big Adventure", by the way, is a treasure).
Pee-wee Herman, it's time to come back! Your loyal fans await your triumphant return. And to all those sicko name-callers out there, we have only one thing to say:
"I know you are, but what am I?"
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- La gran aventura de Pee-Wee
- Filming locations
- Wheel Inn Restaurant - 50900 Seminole Drive, Cabazon, California, USA(Truck stop and dinosaurs)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $6,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $41,047,344
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,545,847
- Aug 11, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $41,047,344
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Sound mix
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