1988
PG-13
Orion Pictures
1 h 31 m

1988
PG-13
Orion Pictures
1 h 31 m

Summary It's recruiting time and despite being short and scrawny, Johnny Walker is America's hottest young football prospect. His dilemma: should he take one of the many offers from college talent scouts or should he attend the local state college with his girlfriend and give up his football career?

Directed By: Bud S. Smith

Written By: Steve Zacharias, Jeff Buhai, David Obst

1988
PG-13
Orion Pictures
1 h 31 m

1988
PG-13
Orion Pictures
1 h 31 m

Johnny Be Good

Name: Johnny Be Good
Genre: Comedy, Sport
Released: 1988-03-25
Duration: 1 min 31 s
Rating: 10
Cast: Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Gleason, Uma Thurman, Steve James

Metascore Overwhelming Dislike Based on 8 Critic Reviews

User Score Available after 4 ratings

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Where to Watch

Directed By: Bud S. Smith

Written By: Steve Zacharias, Jeff Buhai, David Obst

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Overwhelming Dislike Based on 8 Critic Reviews

0% Positive
0 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

100% Negative
8 Reviews

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Metascore

Overwhelming Dislike Based on 8 Critic Reviews

0% Positive
0 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

100% Negative
8 Reviews

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Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

The New York Times

But mostly the satire is as dated as the recruiters' plaid jackets, as lame as the Johnny Walker joke.

By Caryn James FULL REVIEW

Chicago Tribune

Buried somewhere in the screenplay are some Robert Altman-esque satirical intentions, in which the wildly corrupt college football recruitment process is offered as a panoramic image of frenzied American venality. But Bud Smith's broad, colorless direction removes whatever sting the material may once have had, edging the action instead toward sub-"Police Academy" slapstick-flying pizzas, exploding fire extinguishers, mass fist- fights that break out for no discernible reason. [25 March 1988, p.D]

By Dave Kehr FULL REVIEW

Chicago Tribune

A dim-witted teen comedy and romance about an ace high school football player who has to fight off college recruiters as well as the father of the girl he's dating. Neither part of the film works, save for a few throwaway gags about recruiting. [25 March 1988, p.A]

By Gene Siskel FULL REVIEW

Chicago Sun-Times

The screenplay for this movie bears every sign of being a first draft - a quick and dirty one. The movie doesn’t feel written, it feels dictated. Three authors are listed, and from the way their movie plays, they must have sat around in an office somewhere trying to get all of their cliches in a row.

By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW

Miami Herald

Johnny Be Good -- hah! Johnny Be Terrible is more like it. This dopey football comedy loses major yardage in the first scene and never recovers. Scene one: A high school coach turns a prayer for a state championship into a foul-mouthed speech so loathsome that you expect the Almighty to smite him. If only He had, film goers would have been spared this hell of a movie. [29 March 1988, p.B6]

By Hal Boedeker FULL REVIEW

Washington Post

I doubt if I could stand to be in the same state as anyone who liked the new Anthony Michael Hall film "Johnny Be Good." If Chuck Berry were dead, he'd be spinning in his grave.

By Hal Hinson FULL REVIEW

TV Guide Magazine

Johnny be worthless.

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Production Company Zacharias-Buhai Productions, Orion Pictures

Release Date Mar 25, 1988

Duration 1 h 31 m

Rating PG-13

Genres

Tagline Every college in the country wants Johnny. 'Cause when he's good he's very very good. And when he's bad he's better.

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Awards

Razzie Awards

• 1 Nomination

Johnny Be Good

Where to Watch

Where to Watch

Top Cast

Anthony Michael Hall

Johnny Walker

Robert Downey Jr.

Leo Wiggins

Paul Gleason

Wayne Hisler

Uma Thurman

Georgia Elkans

Steve James

Coach Sanders

Seymour Cassel

Wallace Gibson

Michael Greene

Tex Wade

Marshall Bell

Chief Elkans

Deborah May

Mrs. Walker

Michael Alldredge

Vinny Kroll

Jennifer Tilly

Connie Hisler

Jon Stafford

Bad Breath

Peter Koch

Pete Andropolous

Howard Cosell

Howard Cosell

Jim McMahon

Jim McMahon

George Hall

Grandpa Walker

Lucianne Buchanan

Lawanda Wade

Tony Frank

Joe Bob

Tim Rossovich

Gas Attendant

Robert Downey Sr.

NCAA Investigator

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Details

Details

Awards

Awards

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