''Grandview, U.S.A.'' is a 1984 American

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Randal Kleiser John Randal Kleiser (born July 20, 1946) is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter and actor, best known for directing the 1978 musical romantic-comedy film '' Grease''. Biography John Randal Kleiser was born in Lebanon ...

, and starring

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...

Patrick Swayze Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...

C. Thomas Howell Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor. He has starred in the films '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', ''Red Dawn'', ''Secret Admirer'' and '' The Outsiders''. He has also appeared in '' Gett ...

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough as Stacy Hamilton in '' Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). Sh ...

Carole Cook Mildred Frances Cook (born January 14, 1924), professionally known as Carole Cook is an American actress. known for appearances on ''The Lucy Show'' and ''Here's Lucy'' Life and career She was born Mildred Frances Cook on January 14, 1924, in ...

Ramon Bieri Ramon Arens Bieri (June 16, 1929 – May 27, 2001) was an American actor who starred in many films and TV shows. Television work Bieri starred as the title character in the NBC sitcom ''Joe's World'', from December 1979 to July 1980, playing ...

John Cusack John Paul Cusack (; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and political activist. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his ol ...

Joan Cusack Joan Mary Cusack (; born October 11, 1962) is an American actress. She received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the comedy-drama '' Working Girl'' (1988) and the romantic comedy '' In & Out'' (1997 ...

, M. Emmet Walsh,

Michael Winslow Michael Leslie Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor, comedian and beatboxer billed as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his roles in all seven '' ...

Troy Donahue Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor and singer. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early years Born in New York City, Donahue was ...

and

Steve Dahl Steven Robert Dahl (born November 20, 1954) is an American radio personality. He is the owner and operator of the Steve Dahl Network, a subscription-based podcasting network. Dahl gained a measure of national attention after organizing and hostin ...

. The original music score is composed by

Thomas Newman Thomas Montgomery Newman (born October 20, 1955) is an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career that has spanned over four decades, he has scored numerous films including '' The Player'' (1992); '' The Sh ...

. It was filmed on location in

Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada *Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...

and Fairbury, Illinois. After being out of print on VHS for many years, the movie was finally released on DVD for the first time on October 4, 2011.

Plot

Tim Pearson, a Grandview High School senior, wants to study oceanography in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. His father Roger loans him his brand new Cadillac to go to the prom with Bonnie Clark. Later, making out in the car near a stream, it rolls in, so they walk to "Cody's Speedway" for a tow. When Bonnie's father comes for her, he punches Tim in anger. Mechanic Michelle "Mike" Cody defends him, and has local demolition derby driver Ernie "Slam" Webster tow the car with Tim. Slam stops at the bowling alley asking for his wife Candy, who hasn't been there, suspecting she is cheating. The next morning, when Tim visits his father at work, he tells Tim he does not want him to drive his car again. Running into Mike, he thanks her for helping him with the car and asks to drive in the derby. Tim goes out to the Speedway, where he meets Mike's mentally challenged brother, Cowboy. Later on that night, Mike goes to the bar to see her uncle Bob, asking to borrow $10,000 to fix up the Speedway. He doesn't have it, but wants to help. Just then, they both hear a drunken Slam beating on a video game. Mike and Bob help him out to his truck, and she and Slam talk about old times. Hungover at work the next morning, Slam's boss sends him home. When he arrives, he finds Candy with Donny. Enraged, he jumps on his car demanding she come back to him, in the process Donny shoots himself in the foot. At the hospital, Candy doesn't press charges, but won't come home. She files a restraining order so Slam cannot be within 50 feet of her. That night, when Mike sees Slam sleeping in his truck, she comforts him, believing he does not really love Candy but is only afraid of being alone. Later, he invites Mike out to dinner but she can't. (She has a County Commission meeting, but doesn't say so.) Tim and his dad also go to the meeting, and he tells him he's declining his ISU scholarship to go to Florida to study oceanography; Roger isn't too pleased. At the Town Hall, Roger asks Tim to get something in his office. There, he sees the Speedway renovation plans. At the meeting, Mike requests more time to get the money to fix up the Speedway, but the commission won't give it to her. Tim reveals they plan to put a country club and golf course on Mike's land. (Roger has already bought all of the adjacent property to the Speedway and will go bankrupt if the deal doesn't go through.) Tim then argues with his father and leaves. Tim runs into Mike, who thanks him for saving her place. Going for a burger, she invites him over, and they spend the night together. Mike offers Tim a car to drive in the Derby. In the morning Slam shows up, finding them in bed together; he leaves upset, thinking Mike turned him down because of Tim. Later on that day, Roger apologizes to Tim about the fight. He asks Tim to reconsider

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...

, but he still wants to go to Florida. At the Speedway, Mike sells her old cars to make extra money, upsetting Cowboy, who runs off crying. Slam goes to his house and sees his stuff on the lawn, getting wet under the lawn sprinkler. Donny taunts him by the door with a shotgun, telling him he called the cops. Slam leaves with his wet things. Later that night, at the Demolition Derby, Tim is competing against Slam in the race. At the climax, Slam crashes into Tim, injuring him. Thinking he did it on purpose, Mike sends him off the track. Then, as Candy and Donny are having sex in his house, Slam bulldozes it and he is arrested. As Tim and Mike drive home from the hospital, they see firetrucks and find the Speedway has burned down. Mike asks her mother what had happened, but she doesn't know. In the morning, however, the police discover that the gas tank was unlocked. Cowboy had started the fire because Mike sold the old cars. Tim and Mike talk, and she admits she is in love with Slam. Mike bails Slam out of jail and he offers to help fix the Speedway, but she says she'll sell to Roger so they can afford to start a life together. She then asks him for a favor. Tim is on his way to Chicago. As the bus leaves a car comes alongside, forcing him off; Slam gives Tim the old car and money for his trip to Florida. Mike and Slam, now a couple, go to the local parade.

Cast

as Michelle 'Mike' Cody *

as Ernie 'Slam' Webster *

as Tim Pearson *

as Candy Webster *

as Betty Welles *

John Philbin John Philbin (born April 27, 1960) is an American actor who is best known for his appearances in the films '' North Shore'', ''Return of the Living Dead'', ''Point Break'' and '' Tombstone''. Early life Philbin began surfing at 12. He studied a ...

as Cowboy *

as Roger Pearson *

Elizabeth Gorcey Elizabeth Gorcey (born January 1, 1962) is an American filmmaker, actress, and writer. She has held leading roles in films such as ''Kidco'' and ''Footloose (1984 film), Footloose'' while also producing and directing films which include ''Just An ...

as Bonnie Clark * M. Emmet Walsh as Mr. Clark *

Kathryn Joosten Kathryn Joosten (born Kathryn Rausch; December 20, 1939 – June 2, 2012) was an American actress. Her best known roles include Dolores Landingham on NBC's ''The West Wing'' from 1999 to 2002 and Karen McCluskey on ABC's '' Desperate Housewives ...

as Mrs. Clark *

as Donny Vinton *

William Windom William Windom (May 10, 1827January 29, 1891) was an American politician from Minnesota. He served as U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1869, and as U.S. Senator from 1870 to January 1871, from March 1871 to March 1881, and from November 1881 ...

as Bob Cody *

as Spencer *Camilla Hawke as Mrs. Pearson *Melissa Domke as Susan Pearson *

as Johnny Maine *

as Mary Maine *Bruno Alexander as Forman (credited as Bruno Aclin) *Fred Lerner as Tucker Smith *Tim Gamble as Larry Hurlbuck *

Larry Brandenburg Larry Brandenburg (born May 3, 1948) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous television shows and films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual ...

as Mickey *

as "Moose" the DJ *

Fern Persons Fern Gwendolyn Persons (née Ball; July 27, 1910 – July 22, 2012) was an American film and television actress and a member of the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists from 1937 until her death. Her fil ...

as Teacher *Milford Watson as Jail Bird Extra

Soundtrack

# "Take Me Home to Grandview, U.S.A." by

Air Supply Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. It consists of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five ...

# "School Is Out" by

Jack Mack and the Heart Attack Jack Mack and the Heart Attack is an American soul and R&B band that was formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. Their debut album, ''Cardiac Party'', was produced by Glenn Frey of The Eagles on Irving Azoff's Full Moon Records/ Warner Bros ...

# "No One Left at All" by Angel and the Reruns # "Get Up and Dance" by Larry Michaels # "Steely Man" by

Frank Musker Frank John Musker (born 1951) is a British songwriter and composer. Most prolific in the 1980s and 1990s, he worked with artists such as Sheena Easton, the Babys, Robert Miles, Jennifer Rush, Bucks Fizz, Air Supply, Lucio Battisti, Zucchero, ...

# "Would It Be All Right to Come Back Home" by Rosalie Winkler Karalekas # "Maybe We Won't Have to Say Goodbye" by Rosalie Winkler Karalekas # "Let's Talk It Over in the Morning" by Sammy Vaughn # "Nightpulse" by Roger Love # " Der Kommissar" by

Robert Ponger Robert Ponger (born 1950, Vienna) is an Austrian songwriter and record producer, most famous for his work with Austrian singer Falco. Ponger produced and shared writing credits on Falco's first two solo albums, 1982's ''Einzelhaft'' and 1984's '' ...

and Falco # "This Time" by

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

# "Face the Odds" by

Gerard McMahon Gerard Thomas McMahon, also known as Gerard McMann and G Tom Mac, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who specialises in creating music for films and TV. His gothic rock anthem "Cry Little Sister" was recorded ...

# "Running Wild, Running Free" by Eddie & the Tide # "No Rest for the Wicked" by

Mark Goldenberg Mark Goldenberg (born April 10, 1952) is an American guitarist and songwriter, noted for his session work and composition of successful songs for Linda Ronstadt, the Pointer Sisters, and others. Biography Early career Raised in Chicago, Illin ...

# "In Need of Love" by Herns and Ray # "I Want to Do It with You" by

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, bl ...

References

External links

* * * * * {{Randal Kleiser 1984 films 1980s teen drama films American coming-of-age drama films American teen drama films Films directed by Randal Kleiser Films set in Illinois Films shot in Illinois American independent films Livingston County, Illinois Pontiac, Illinois Warner Bros. films Films scored by Thomas Newman CBS Theatrical Films films 1984 drama films 1980s coming-of-age drama films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films

Plot

Cast

Soundtrack

See also

References

External links