Fandango (1985)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Kevin Reynolds

Writer:

Kevin Reynolds (writer)

Release Date:

25 January 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It's the privilege of youth.

Plot:

Five college buddies from the University of Texas circa 1971 embark on a final road trip odyssey across the Mexican border before facing up to uncertain futures, in Vietnam and otherwise.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | College | Road | Trip | Male Nudity

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Gardner Barnes
Judd Nelson	...	Phil Hicks
Sam Robards	...	Kenneth Waggener
Chuck Bush	...	Dorman
Brian Cesak	...	Lester Griffin
Marvin J. McIntyre	...	Truman Sparks
Suzy Amis	...	The Girl
Glenne Headly	...	Trelis
Pepe Serna	...	Gas Station Mechanic
Elizabeth Daily	...	Judy
Robyn Rose	...	Lorna
Stanley Grover	...	Phil's Dad
Jane A. Johnston	...	Phil's Mom
Don Brunner	...	Heckler #1
Michael Conn	...	Heckler #2

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alpine, Texas, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

Kevin Costner auditioned for and lost a part in the student film on which Fandango is based, the same part he later played in the feature film.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the film, when Gardner is on the hill overlooking the wedding ceremony lights going out, the sky is much brighter behind him on the face close ups. When it returns panoramic, it is now early evening again....

Quotes:

Judy: Then she had her utopian tubes removed.
Gardner: "No That's fallopian darlin'.
Judy: Fallopian? Them's books of the bible silly... first and second fallopians!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Return to 'Giant' (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Farmer's Trust

Fantastic coming-of-age road movie

Five friends (the self-named "groovers") go on one final fandango before graduating college and going on to life, war, marriage, etc. Their destination is the Texas desert where they plan to dig up Dom, the friend they buried on the night their group was formed.

The film is a wonderful mix of poignant life lessons and slapstick hilarity. The crew consists of slacker Gardner, life-troubled kenneth, weenie extraordinaire Phil, overweight divinity student Dorman, and unconscious Lester (the fifth groover). As they wind their way through the Texas scrub on their last adventure, each of them faces the approaching life after college in his own way, reacting to his fears and the failings of his friends in the draft years of the Vietnam War.

An unknown Kevin Costner pulls off the role of Gardner Barnes with an easy perfection that would convince you there must be something of Gardner in him. He's utterly convincing as the footloose rascal on a mission to evade life.

The other performances are respectable, including that of Judd Nelson in the role of uptight ROTC cadet Phil Hicks who despises the moral ambiguity of the other characters while starving for their affection.

Though this movie is not a well-known blockbuster, it holds up well against others of the same genre. Definitely worth the price of a rental, and with the February 2005 DVD release, a good addition to your collection. Good music, good humor, and great fun.