IMDb > Rumble Fish (1983)
Rumble Fish
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Rumble Fish (1983) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 14 | slideshow) Videos (see all 3)
Rumble Fish (1983) -- Rusty James, an absent-minded street thug struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, and longs for the days when gang warfare was going on.
Rumble Fish (1983) -- Rusty James, an absent-minded street thug struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, and longs for the days when gang warfare was going on.
Rumble Fish (1983) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   10,655 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Writers:

S.E. Hinton (novel)
S.E. Hinton (screenplay) ...
more

Contact:

View company contact information for Rumble Fish on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

21 October 1983 (USA) more

Genre:

Drama more

Tagline:

The Motorcycle Boy's Never Coming Back more

Plot:

Rusty James, an absent-minded street thug struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, and longs for the days when gang warfare was going on. full summary | add synopsis

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination more

User Comments:

Stylish, more (94 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Matt Dillon ... Rusty James

Mickey Rourke ... The Motorcycle Boy

Diane Lane ... Patty

Dennis Hopper ... Father

Diana Scarwid ... Cassandra

Vincent Spano ... Steve

Nicolas Cage ... Smokey

Chris Penn ... B.J. Jackson (as Christopher Penn)

Laurence Fishburne ... Midget (as Larry Fishburne)

William Smith ... Patterson the Cop
Michael Higgins ... Mr. Harrigan
Glenn Withrow ... Biff Wilcox

Tom Waits ... Benny
Herb Rice ... Black Pool Player
Maybelle Wallace ... Late Pass Clerk
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Filming Locations:

Sapulpa, Oklahoma, USA more


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Author S.E. Hinton claims that the script to this movie was written "on one of the first personal computers" in less than two weeks. more

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the arcade, Rusty James is playing the video game "Pole Position", but the sound effects are from the game, "Pac Man". more

Quotes:

[first lines]
Midget: Biff Wilcox is looking for you, Rusty James. He's gonna kill you, Rusty James.
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lord of War (2005) more

Soundtrack:

Don't Box Me In more


FAQ

A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Why is this film in black and white?
more
26 out of 32 people found the following comment useful.
Stylish,, 19 May 1999
10/10
Author: barfly99 (patrickleedazzle@hotmail.com) from London, England

Francis Ford Coppola's most personal film is also one of his best - in its own way just as good as APOCALYPSE NOW and THE GODFATHER films. Those who wonder why Mickey Rourke is so revered by cult film fans need look no further than his almost-hypnotic performance as The Motorcycle Boy. But Matt Dillon is just as good as his younger brother, and when you also have the likes of Nic Cage, Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, and Chris Penn in the supporting cast, you know it's a once-in-a-lifetime movie. The look of the film - a sparse black-and-white urban landscape - is perfect, as is Stewart Copeland's atmospheric music. But aside from the visual and aural pyrotechnics, what really singles this out as a bona fide classic is its spot-on portrayal of disaffected youth. When Hopper describes to Dillon how Rourke has simply been "miscast in the play", I still feel shivers running down my spine...

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (94 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Rumble Fish (1983)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
coppola's most beautifully shot film? teejay6682
Score luvehorror
one line that should have been in the movie Krown
Rumble Fish or The Outsiders ufodoubleg
What is your take on Midget? jsisgod
ITALIAN FESTIVAL KICKS OFF WITH FREE SCREENING OF RUMBLE FISH bm206996
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
River's Edge The Outsiders The Last Picture Show Mean Creek The Basketball Diaries
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.