X
- 1985
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 47 m
- 1985
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 47 m
Summary A high school wrestler in Spokane, Washington (Matthew Modine) has trouble focusing on his training regimen when a beautiful young drifter (Linda Fiorentino) takes up temporary residence at his home.
Directed By: Harold Becker
Written By: Terry Davis, Darryl Ponicsan
- 1985
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 47 m
- 1985
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 47 m
Vision Quest
55
6.8
Where to Watch
Summary A high school wrestler in Spokane, Washington (Matthew Modine) has trouble focusing on his training regimen when a beautiful young drifter (Linda Fiorentino) takes up temporary residence at his home.
Directed By: Harold Becker
Written By: Terry Davis, Darryl Ponicsan
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 12 Critic Reviews
55
33% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
50% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
17% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 12 Critic Reviews
55
33% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
50% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
17% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
The sweet, funny, funky screenplay by Darryl Ponicsan (from Terry Davis's novel) is beautifully directed by Harold Becker ("The Onion Field," "Taps"), who gets performances so true and winning from his actors that you're smiling through the entire film. [25 Feb 1985, p.85]
Vision Quest survives by means of a few powerhouse weapons. One
of them is Darryl Ponicsan's screenplay, adapted from the novel by Terry
Davis, that tells the story with restraint, tenderness and a solid respect for
theme. Another is director Harold Becker, who succeeds, most of the time, in
touching the sensitive nerves of this tale without fraying them. Best of all are a couple of winning performances: Matthew Modine as a
high school wrestler intent on beating an unbeatable state champ and Linda
Fiorentino as the hard-as-nails drifter who wanders into his life. [15 Feb 1985, p.J]
The imposing Fiorentino helps adjust the gender balance, Modine gives his customary un-showy performance and Ponicsan tries to find a few fresh-seeming angles in his coming-of-age scenario. Still, it does cover awfully familiar ground.
Unfortunately, Harold Becker's direction seems deliberately designed to pull the material toward the bland and conventional—toward easy payoffs and Rocky-style inspirational melodrama.
Credibility and even simple logic seem to have gotten short shrift in its transposition to the screen from a highly praised first novel by Terry Davis. The result is a film of some lovely and funny moments, with some appealing people, that finally disappoints.
The one bright spot in this film is Modine's performance as Louden. Modine is so earnest and likable that even the oft-seen "big match" climax holds your attention. But a fine leading performance and a muscle-bound villain can't rescue this trite tale.ick. [15 Feb 1985, p.30]
It does contain some curiously overwrought dialogue. People say "Go for it!" a lot, but then Louden will observe, with the bright eyes of a man on the edge of a modest revelation: "The nice thing about working out all the time is that you have a lot of nocturnal emissions." Don't laugh; this line actually stirs something deep inside the heroine, and Carla's eyes, like the sensibilities of an entire audience out in the seats, go suddenly, irretrievably soft. [16 Feb 1985, p.C7]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 4 User Ratings
6.8
75% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
25% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 4 User Ratings
6.8
75% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
25% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
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