Everyone has their own "coming of age" story, and many could probably peddle theirs on the big screen if they worked hard enough at it. "Risky Business" is one example of this age old theme, and a great one for exploring issues such as class conflict, peer pressure and parental expectations, all as they relate to the sexual awakening of a young upper middle class male.
This is the movie that launched Tom Cruise's career, and its success is due in a large part to his great performance as the lead character, Joel Goodson. Joel is an earnest, hard working high school student who wants to do the right thing, but is also possessed with desires (aren't we all) and an intense curiosity about life beyond his well manicured front lawn. To help him explore these desires are three friends who all seem to be a little more experienced and less inhibited than himself. This appears to be the source of much of Joel's problems. Joel, in a nutshell, needs to prove to himself and the world that he is more than just a ""Goodson".
Now one will note that right off the bat, "Risky Business" offers a little more than the usual coming of age fare. There is depth, style, good music and a carefully crafted mingling of dreamlike sequences with real life sequences. All of this serves to create the proper mood for the play out of Joel's inner conflicts. And the conflict that haunts Joel the most in the opening hour of the movie is the one between sex and success. The message: If you pursue one, you will sacrifice the other. Among those hammering home this theme are Joel's parents who fear that one day, the egg they brought into the world will hatch into a bad egg. So what happens when they leave home for a three day weekend, leaving their big house in the suburbs all to Joel? Well, keep an eye on that egg....
Joel is tempted, and the empty house soon becomes a playground for the play out of his fantasies. "Egged" on by his friends, he invites over Lana (Rebecca de Mornay), a beautiful and classy working girl from downtown who represents everything he desires. They have sex, but soon after the fantasy begins to spiral out of control. For one, Lana has friends, and they seem intent on taking over Joel's house. All of this means that Joel's future is now in jeopardy. The egg meanwhile disappears for a time and when it reappears, it now has a crack in it...
OK, so now we have arrived at the nexus of the movie's message, and it is one that many have argued about over the years. Personally, I find it abhorant that anyone's life should be ruled by a credo that says that sex and a successful working life are mutually exclusive. This seems a problem unique to Joel. Yet Joel's solution to this problem is only one of many, and really, I mean, turning your folks house into a cathouse for a few days doesn't rank up there as one of the smartest decisions that a young man could make. But hey, Joel will never be the bad egg that his parents fear, and the risk he took COULD be seen as a sign that he possesses some qualities that will serve him well later in life. Is that why his misdeed lands him a spot at Princeton, and ONLY why? I don't really have a problem with the message, having faced similar circumstances in my own life a long time ago.
Anyway, through it all, Joel maintains a sort of sheepish attitude, smiling his way through much of the movie. But he also gets scared when he's REALLY in trouble (i.e when it comes to Dad's car). Otherwise, he seems way too genuinely nice to be a bad egg. And also, he falls in love with Lana, the scheming working girl and business woman who strangely becomes his mentor, both sexual AND career wise. To me, it all works in a crazy sort of way. His sexual awakening is balanced and augmented by a tutoring in how to respect the power of money. Maybe Joel can have BOTH his sex and his success in life after all...thanks to Lana...?
So, but there is even more to Risky Business than that. Consider the great, hypnotic music by Tangerine Dream,and some truly memorable dreamlike sequences including one on a subway late in the movie. All of this brought emotional impact to the movie in addition to the conflict and inner tension. It was enough to almost bring one to tears. So how can Joel's parents not be happy with the outcome of all this? Joel knows his place in life, and he has securely positioned himself for future success. And that he had this little adventure only broadened his horizons a little while provided him with one heck of a real life fantasy!
In conclusion, all of this secured "Risky Business's" place as probably the best coming of age movie to come out of Hollywood in the 1980's. And it also served as a springboard for Tom Cruise, who was justly praised for making it all happen through Joel Goodson, the earnest and appealing high schooler, who deftly transformed his sexual fantasies into a great career move. "Risky Business" is aptly named, and should not be missed.
This is the movie that launched Tom Cruise's career, and its success is due in a large part to his great performance as the lead character, Joel Goodson. Joel is an earnest, hard working high school student who wants to do the right thing, but is also possessed with desires (aren't we all) and an intense curiosity about life beyond his well manicured front lawn. To help him explore these desires are three friends who all seem to be a little more experienced and less inhibited than himself. This appears to be the source of much of Joel's problems. Joel, in a nutshell, needs to prove to himself and the world that he is more than just a ""Goodson".
Now one will note that right off the bat, "Risky Business" offers a little more than the usual coming of age fare. There is depth, style, good music and a carefully crafted mingling of dreamlike sequences with real life sequences. All of this serves to create the proper mood for the play out of Joel's inner conflicts. And the conflict that haunts Joel the most in the opening hour of the movie is the one between sex and success. The message: If you pursue one, you will sacrifice the other. Among those hammering home this theme are Joel's parents who fear that one day, the egg they brought into the world will hatch into a bad egg. So what happens when they leave home for a three day weekend, leaving their big house in the suburbs all to Joel? Well, keep an eye on that egg....
Joel is tempted, and the empty house soon becomes a playground for the play out of his fantasies. "Egged" on by his friends, he invites over Lana (Rebecca de Mornay), a beautiful and classy working girl from downtown who represents everything he desires. They have sex, but soon after the fantasy begins to spiral out of control. For one, Lana has friends, and they seem intent on taking over Joel's house. All of this means that Joel's future is now in jeopardy. The egg meanwhile disappears for a time and when it reappears, it now has a crack in it...
OK, so now we have arrived at the nexus of the movie's message, and it is one that many have argued about over the years. Personally, I find it abhorant that anyone's life should be ruled by a credo that says that sex and a successful working life are mutually exclusive. This seems a problem unique to Joel. Yet Joel's solution to this problem is only one of many, and really, I mean, turning your folks house into a cathouse for a few days doesn't rank up there as one of the smartest decisions that a young man could make. But hey, Joel will never be the bad egg that his parents fear, and the risk he took COULD be seen as a sign that he possesses some qualities that will serve him well later in life. Is that why his misdeed lands him a spot at Princeton, and ONLY why? I don't really have a problem with the message, having faced similar circumstances in my own life a long time ago.
Anyway, through it all, Joel maintains a sort of sheepish attitude, smiling his way through much of the movie. But he also gets scared when he's REALLY in trouble (i.e when it comes to Dad's car). Otherwise, he seems way too genuinely nice to be a bad egg. And also, he falls in love with Lana, the scheming working girl and business woman who strangely becomes his mentor, both sexual AND career wise. To me, it all works in a crazy sort of way. His sexual awakening is balanced and augmented by a tutoring in how to respect the power of money. Maybe Joel can have BOTH his sex and his success in life after all...thanks to Lana...?
So, but there is even more to Risky Business than that. Consider the great, hypnotic music by Tangerine Dream,and some truly memorable dreamlike sequences including one on a subway late in the movie. All of this brought emotional impact to the movie in addition to the conflict and inner tension. It was enough to almost bring one to tears. So how can Joel's parents not be happy with the outcome of all this? Joel knows his place in life, and he has securely positioned himself for future success. And that he had this little adventure only broadened his horizons a little while provided him with one heck of a real life fantasy!
In conclusion, all of this secured "Risky Business's" place as probably the best coming of age movie to come out of Hollywood in the 1980's. And it also served as a springboard for Tom Cruise, who was justly praised for making it all happen through Joel Goodson, the earnest and appealing high schooler, who deftly transformed his sexual fantasies into a great career move. "Risky Business" is aptly named, and should not be missed.