Vision Quest (released in the UK and Australia as Crazy for You) is a 1985 American coming-of-age drama film starring Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino and Ronny Cox. It is based on Terry Davis' novel Vision Quest. Modine plays a Spokane high school wrestler 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, where she performs the songs "Crazy for You" and "Gambler". In some countries, the title of the film was changed to market on Madonna's emerging fame and the popularity of the song "Crazy for You".
Vision Quest | |
---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Harold Becker |
Produced by | Jon Peters Peter Guber |
Screenplay by | Darryl Ponicsan |
Based on | Vision Quest by Terry Davis |
Starring |
|
Music by | Tangerine Dream |
Cinematography | Owen Roizman |
Edited by | Maury Winetrobe |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $13 million |
Screenplay
Louden Swain is a high-school wrestler who has just turned 18 and decided that he needs to do something truly meaningful in his life. He embarks on a mission to drop two weight classes to challenge the area's toughest opponent, Brian Shute, a menacing three-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 and teammates, he disrupts the team around him and creates health problems of his own.
Meanwhile, his father has taken on a boarder named Carla from Trenton, New Jersey, passing through on her way to San Francisco. Though she is older, Louden falls 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 nosebleeds due, Louden claims, to a lack of iron in his diet (which costs him a match that he should have won). The two finally admit their love for each other, but Carla realizes she 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 pins Shute in the final seconds with a lateral drop.
- Matthew Modine as Louden Swain
- Linda Fiorentino as Carla
- Michael Schoeffling as Kuch
- Ronny Cox as Larry Swain
- Harold Sylvester as Gene Tanneran
- Daphne Zuniga as Margie Epstein
- Charles Hallahan as Coach
- J.C. Quinn as Elmo
- R.H. Thomson as Kevin
- Raphael Sbarge as Schmoozler
- Forest Whitaker as Balldozer
- Roberts Blossom as Grandpa
- James Gammon as Kuch's father
Production took place in Spokane, Washington, in the fall of 1983. The film was shot at Rogers High School in northeast Spokane, referred to as "Thompson High School" in the film. Interior cafeteria scenes were filmed at Ferris High School on Spokane's South Hill. Some of the locker room scenes were filmed in the boys' locker room of Shadle Park High School in northwest Spokane. Madonna's scene was filmed at the Big Foot Tavern on North Division Street in Spokane. Other scenes were shot at The Onion Restaurant downtown and the North Central High School gym.
The film had moderate success in theaters in the U.S. in 1985, earning a gross of $13 million. It has received a rating of 54% at Rotten Tomatoes and has become a cult classic.
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic |
The soundtrack to the motion picture was released by Geffen Records on February 12, 1985; it was renamed 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".
The soundtrack does not include "No More Words" by Berlin, nor the background instrumental music by Tangerine Dream, which was released on the fan project Tangerine Tree 73: Soundtrax.
The album peaked at #11 in the Billboard charts.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Only the Young" |
| Journey | 4:01 |
2. | "Change" | Holly Knight | John Waite | 3:14 |
3. | "Shout to the Top!" | Paul Weller | The Style Council | 4:18 |
4. | "Gambler" | Madonna | Madonna | 3:54 |
5. | "She's On the Zoom" |
| Don Henley | 3:18 |
6. | "Hungry for Heaven" |
| Dio | 4:12 |
7. | "Lunatic Fringe" | Tom Cochrane | Red Rider | 4:20 |
8. | "I'll Fall in Love Again" | Sammy Hagar | Sammy Hagar | 4:11 |
9. | "Hot Blooded" |
| Foreigner | 4:24 |
10. | "Crazy for You" |
| Madonna | 4:08 |
Total length: | 40:24 |
In 2009, interest in a remake was generated after Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame expressed interest. E! News claimed a script existed which Lautner reportedly approved.