Before “Top Gun: Maverick” and the seven “Mission Impossible” films, there was Tom Cruise in the Ray-Bans.
This week, I am throwing it all the way back to 1983 to review the teen sex comedy “Risky Business.” The film was a huge hit, propelled Cruise to superstardom, made Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” a teen anthem and helped make Ray-Ban Wayfarers a thing once again.
The plot centers around a high school senior named Joel Goodson (Cruise), who lives with his well-to-do parents in the Chicago suburbs. Early on, we get the impression that his parents are a bit anal, obsessed with status and wealth. Joel’s father wants him to go to Princeton, which gives Joel massive anxiety about grades, college boards and the like. Joel is tightly wound and although he’s the best-looking guy in his friend group, it becomes clear that he hasn’t had sex yet — yet another cross for him to bear.
While his parents are away, his friend Miles (Curtis Armstrong of “New Girl”) convinces Joel to loosen up. He promptly raids the liquor cabinet, dances around in his underwear to “Old Time Rock and Roll” and even takes his dad’s Porsche for a joy ride around the suburbs. However, Miles tells Joel that he hasn’t gotten crazy enough. “Sometimes you just gotta say ‘what the (expletive),’” Miles explains. With that in mind, Miles calls a prostitute from the personal ads to take Joel’s virginity. It’s pre-cell phone, obviously, so when Miles literally eats the piece of paper with the prostitute’s phone number on it, Joel has no way to cancel the date.
Much to his surprise, a transvestite shows up. Joel pays for the transvestite to leave, but not before he gets the number for a young prostitute named Lana (Rebecca DeMornay). Lana shows up in the middle of the night, stays with Joel and the next day tells him that it’s $300 for her services. “Can I send it to you?” Joel asks innocently.
When Joel heads to the bank to cash a bond, Lana splits, taking Joel’s mother’s prized Steuben glass egg. Then, the hijinks really begin. Joel needs to get the egg back from Lana, who is on the run from her pimp Guido (Joe Pantoliano). Lana turns Joel’s house into a makeshift brothel and the two go into business together. Get it? “Risky Business.”
Guido isn’t happy when he finds out that Lana is now working for a teenager and cutting into his profits.
“Risky Business” pushes all the right buttons as far as 1980s movies are concerned. It’s a got a big name (Cruise), some gratuitous sex scenes and a killer soundtrack. It’s no wonder high school kids lined up to see it and helped it gross nearly $64 million at the box office. Critics also loved “Risky Business,” and it was considered one of the best films of 1983, though it didn’t win any major awards.
Joel became an iconic role for Cruise, who went on to make a plethora of wonderful films, including “Top Gun,” “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Jerry Maguire” — just to name a few.
DeMornay didn’t make it as big. Lana was her breakout role as well, but her film choices didn’t mirror Cruise. She never became the household name that he is today.
“Risky Business” is dated, but it still holds up well. Technology would ruin the plot today, which is a good thing. It will likely never be re-made.
“Risky Business” is rated R for sexual situations, adult language and adult themes. You can watch “Risky Business” on Max, Prime Video, Vudu and Tubi.
Chris Morelli is the managing editor of The Centre County Gazette.
