Volunteers (1985)

Director:

Nicholas Meyer

Writers:

Keith Critchlow (story)
David Isaacs (writer)

Release Date:

16 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Ready or not, here they come

Plot:

Lawrence is a rich kid with a bad accent and a large debt. After his father refuses to help him out...

Plot Keywords:

Bridge | Peace Corps | Communist | Southeast Asia | Debt

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tom Hanks	...	Lawrence Whatley Bourne III
John Candy	...	Tom Tuttle
Rita Wilson	...	Beth Wexler
Tim Thomerson	...	John Reynolds
Gedde Watanabe	...	At Toon
George Plimpton	...	Lawrence Bourne Jr.
Ernest Harada	...	Chung Mee
Allan Arbus	...	Albert Bardenaro
Xander Berkeley	...	Kent Sutcliffe
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Cicero
Guillermo Río	...	Sumo Guard
Jacqueline Evans	...	Aunt Eunice
Pamela Gual	...	Tammy the Stewardess
Philip Guilmant	...	Yale President
Chick Hearn	...	Announcer

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Spain:T | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Venezuela

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

Tom Hanks and 'Rita Wilson' met while filming this movie and married three years later. Rita Wilson originally met Tom Hanks in 1981 on the set of "Bosom Buddies" (1980) when she guest-starred as Peter Scolari's Satan-worshiping girlfriend. But their relationship wasn't kindled until they were reunited on the set of this movie

Goofs:

Continuity: In the graduation scene, the cable to the loan shark's earphone changes position between shots.

Quotes:

John Reynolds: Bourne? Hey, I got a telegram about you.
[Reads telegram]
John Reynolds: You must have some kind of pull back home.
Lawrence Bourne III: Well, we do like to consider Washington our back yard.
John Reynolds: Yep; never seen anything like it. Waiver of training, physical, background check; immediate assignment to the Peace Corps at Loon Ta.
Lawrence Bourne III: What! Loon Ta! You mean I'm in the Peace Corps? There, there must be some mistake!
Tom Tuttle: Hey, Larry, you going to Loon Ta? So am I.
Lawrence Bourne III: Wait a minute, don't tell me he's going too!

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

A consistently underrated movie.

Volunteers is a consistently underrated movie. I usually agree with the typical video guide reviews, but I fall out of bed on this one. Volunteers is a very funny, well written, well acted film. It is so packed with humour it reminds me of the old Mad Magazines with the jokes written in the margins. Some of the humour is rather subtle and the dialogue rolls right over it. If you're not paying attention, you might miss it.

Tom Hanks is perfect as Lawrence Bourne III, the Ivy League cad. John Candy is at the top of his form as the brainwashed Tom Tuttle from Tacoma. Geddy Watanabe as the "street smart" Thai gives a performance on par with his Long Duc Dong of Sixteen Candles. And Rita Wilson is totally convincing as the idealistic Peace Corps volunteer out to teach the masses the advantages of Self-Styling Adorn.

If you don't think the ratings are off on this one, I suggest this test. Watch Splash and Volunteers back to back and see which one you think is funnier. Both star Hanks and were made at about the same time. Splash was highly rated by the guides while Volunteers was given mediocre ratings. I think the ratings should be reversed.