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The film was produced by Stephen Deutsch, with Phillip Goldfarb as co-producer. [[Gary Morton]] of [[Lucille Ball|Lucille Ball Productions]] was executive producer. The production was filmed over seven weeks in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the early spring{{nowrap| of 1983.<ref name=fbjtai/><ref name=ppfmpa>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BNtaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=om0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4804%2C3709941 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |last=Dalton |first=Terry |agency=Associated Press |title=Film-making in Pa. turns into a reel moneymaker |date=March 17, 1983 |page=13}}</ref>}} The recently closed sixty-year-old high school ({{coord|40.3217|-78.9217}})<!-- on Somerset Street, now the site of UPMC cancer center-->, the former campus of [[Greater Johnstown High School]], was used as the location of the film, along with {{nowrap|[[Point Stadium]].<ref name=rethill/>}} Actress Thompson was inserted as a new student at [[Ferndale Area Junior/Senior High School|Ferndale Area High School]] for three days prior to {{nowrap|shooting.<ref name=jsamsa/><ref name=fbjtai/><ref name=altgund>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/11/28/Scotts-WorldNEWLNActress-Lea-Thompson-goes-undercover/1687438843600/ |publisher=UPI |agency=(archives)|last=Scott |first=Vernon |title=Actress Lea Thompson goes undercover |date=November 28, 1983 |accessdate=June 25, 2018}}</ref>}} Cruise was similarly inserted into Greater Johnstown High School, but was recognized immediately.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Johnstown Sees Film As Rescuer |date=March 15, 1983 |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post |page=A2 |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=308tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cM4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3979,3783945&hl=en |accessdate=December 20, 2012 }}</ref> (His only notable film part at the time was in ''[[Taps (film)|Taps]]'' in [[1981 in film|1981]]; ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]''<!--March 25--> and ''[[Risky Business]]''<!--August 5--> were yet to be released.)
The film was produced by Stephen Deutsch, with Phillip Goldfarb as co-producer. [[Gary Morton]] of [[Lucille Ball|Lucille Ball Productions]] was executive producer. The production was filmed over seven weeks in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the early spring{{nowrap| of 1983.<ref name=fbjtai/><ref name=ppfmpa>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BNtaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=om0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4804%2C3709941 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |last=Dalton |first=Terry |agency=Associated Press |title=Film-making in Pa. turns into a reel moneymaker |date=March 17, 1983 |page=13}}</ref>}} The recently closed sixty-year-old high school ({{coord|40.3217|-78.9217}})<!-- on Somerset Street, now the site of UPMC cancer center-->, the former campus of [[Greater Johnstown High School]], was used as the location of the film, along with {{nowrap|[[Point Stadium]].<ref name=rethill/>}} Actress Thompson was inserted as a new student at [[Ferndale Area Junior/Senior High School|Ferndale Area High School]] for three days prior to {{nowrap|shooting.<ref name=jsamsa/><ref name=fbjtai/><ref name=altgund>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/11/28/Scotts-WorldNEWLNActress-Lea-Thompson-goes-undercover/1687438843600/ |publisher=UPI |agency=(archives)|last=Scott |first=Vernon |title=Actress Lea Thompson goes undercover |date=November 28, 1983 |accessdate=June 25, 2018}}</ref>}} Cruise was similarly inserted into Greater Johnstown High School, but was recognized immediately.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Johnstown Sees Film As Rescuer |date=March 15, 1983 |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post |page=A2 |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=308tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cM4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3979,3783945&hl=en |accessdate=December 20, 2012 }}</ref> (His only notable film part at the time was in ''[[Taps (film)|Taps]]'' in [[1981 in film|1981]]; ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]''<!--March 25--> and ''[[Risky Business]]''<!--August 5--> were yet to be released.)


==Release==
==Reception==
The film was released in autumn 1983 and has a score of 53% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 19 reviews,<ref name="RTreviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_the_right_moves|title=All the Right Moves(1983)|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=March 19, 2012}}</ref> and a score of a generally favorable 62% on [[Metacritic]] based on 7 reviews. Jay Carr from ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' stated "Cruise is believable as an athlete," and [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "a well-made but sugar-coated working-class fable about a football star."<ref name="Metacritic1">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/all-the-right-moves|title=All the Right Moves|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=March 19, 2012}}</ref> Locally, Ed Blank of the ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'' saw it as flawed, but captured the look of {{nowrap|Johnstown,<ref name=rmppflw>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PBkeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6mEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7058%2C3644242 |work=Pittsburgh Press |last=Blank |title='Right Moves' flawed but captures the look of Johnstown|first=Ed |date=October 21, 1983 |page=B10}}</ref>}} and Marylynn Urucchio of the ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'' rated it as elementary {{nowrap|but uplifting.<ref name=asirmve>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XK5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0G0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7066%2C5312802 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=Acting scores in 'Right Moves' |last=Urucchio |first=Marylynn |date=October 21, 1983 |page=27}}</ref>}}
The film was released in autumn 1983 and has a score of 53% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 19 reviews,<ref name="RTreviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_the_right_moves|title=All the Right Moves(1983)|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=March 19, 2012}}</ref> and a score of a generally favorable 62% on [[Metacritic]] based on 7 reviews. Jay Carr from ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' stated "Cruise is believable as an athlete," and [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "a well-made but sugar-coated working-class fable about a football star."<ref name="Metacritic1">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/all-the-right-moves|title=All the Right Moves|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=March 19, 2012}}</ref> Locally, Ed Blank of the ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'' saw it as flawed, but captured the look of {{nowrap|Johnstown,<ref name=rmppflw>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PBkeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6mEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7058%2C3644242 |work=Pittsburgh Press |last=Blank |title='Right Moves' flawed but captures the look of Johnstown|first=Ed |date=October 21, 1983 |page=B10}}</ref>}} and Marylynn Urucchio of the ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'' rated it as elementary {{nowrap|but uplifting.<ref name=asirmve>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XK5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0G0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7066%2C5312802 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=Acting scores in 'Right Moves' |last=Urucchio |first=Marylynn |date=October 21, 1983 |page=27}}</ref>}}


Revision as of 13:54, 12 July 2018

All the Right Moves
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Chapman
Written byMichael Kane
Produced byStephen Deutsch
Starring
CinematographyJan de Bont
Edited byDavid Garfield
Music byDavid Richard Campbell
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • October 21, 1983 (1983-10-21)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$17,233,166[1]

All the Right Moves is a 1983 American sports drama film directed by Michael Chapman and starring Tom Cruise, Craig T. Nelson, Lea Thompson, Chris Penn, and Gary Graham. It was filmed on location in Johnstown, Pennsylvania,[2][3][4] and Pittsburgh.

Plot summary

Stefen "Stef" Djordjevic (Cruise) is a Serbian American high school defensive back who is gifted in both sports and academics. He is seeking a college football scholarship to escape the economically depressed small western Pennsylvania town of Ampipe and a dead-end job and life working at the mill like his father and brother Greg. He dreams of becoming an engineer right after he graduates from college. Ampipe is a company town whose economy is dominated by the town's main employer, American Pipe & Steel, a steel mill struggling through the downturn of the early 1980s recession. Stef gets through his days with the love of his girlfriend, Lisa Lietzke (Thompson), and his strong bond with his teammates.

Most of the film takes place after the big football game against undefeated Walnut Heights High School. Ampipe appears headed to win the game, when a fumbled handoff in the closing seconds—as well as Stefen's pass interference penalty earlier in the game—leads to a Walnut Heights victory. Following the game, Coach Burt Nickerson (Nelson) lambastes the fumbler in the locker room, telling him he "quit" the game. When Stefen retorts that the coach himself quit, the coach kicks him off the team.

In the aftermath, disgruntled Ampipe fans vandalize Coach Nickerson's house and yard. Stefen is present and is a reluctant participant, but is nonetheless seen by Nickerson as the vandals flee. From there, Stefen deals with personal battles, including dealing with the coach blackballing him among colleges because of his attitude and participation in the desecration of Nickerson's yard and house. Stefen gets in an argument with Lisa, and his best friend Brian (Penn) declines college and plans to marry his pregnant girlfriend.

Frustrated by what Nickerson did, Stefan angrily confronts his former coach which ends in a shouting match out in the street. But Lisa decides to talk to Nickerson's wife to try and help. In the end, Nickerson realizes he was wrong for blackballing Stefan. He has accepted a coaching position on the West Coast at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and offers Stefen a full scholarship to play football there, which he accepts.

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Stephen Deutsch, with Phillip Goldfarb as co-producer. Gary Morton of Lucille Ball Productions was executive producer. The production was filmed over seven weeks in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the early spring of 1983.[4][6] The recently closed sixty-year-old high school (40°19′18″N 78°55′18″W / 40.3217°N 78.9217°W / 40.3217; -78.9217), the former campus of Greater Johnstown High School, was used as the location of the film, along with Point Stadium.[3] Actress Thompson was inserted as a new student at Ferndale Area High School for three days prior to shooting.[2][4][7] Cruise was similarly inserted into Greater Johnstown High School, but was recognized immediately.[8] (His only notable film part at the time was in Taps in 1981; The Outsiders and Risky Business were yet to be released.)

Reception

The film was released in autumn 1983 and has a score of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews,[9] and a score of a generally favorable 62% on Metacritic based on 7 reviews. Jay Carr from The Boston Globe stated "Cruise is believable as an athlete," and Janet Maslin of The New York Times called it "a well-made but sugar-coated working-class fable about a football star."[10] Locally, Ed Blank of the Pittsburgh Press saw it as flawed, but captured the look of Johnstown,[11] and Marylynn Urucchio of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette rated it as elementary but uplifting.[12]

Among the unfavorable reviews, TV Guide called the movie "cliche-riddled" and Richard Corliss of Time called it a "naive little movie (that) hopes to prove itself the Flashdance of football."[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "All the Right Moves (1983)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  2. ^ a b Urrichio, Marylynn (April 4, 1983). "Johnstown scores as movie site again". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 21.
  3. ^ a b "Town has illusion". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. March 15, 1983. p. 19.
  4. ^ a b c "Film brings Johnstown temporary aid". New York Times. Associated Press. March 21, 1983. p. A11.
  5. ^ "Yes? -Mrs. Nickerson, my name is Lisa Lietzke quotes". Subzin.com. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  6. ^ Dalton, Terry (March 17, 1983). "Film-making in Pa. turns into a reel moneymaker". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. p. 13.
  7. ^ Scott, Vernon (November 28, 1983). "Actress Lea Thompson goes undercover". UPI. (archives). Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  8. ^ "Johnstown Sees Film As Rescuer". The Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. March 15, 1983. p. A2. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  9. ^ "All the Right Moves(1983)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  10. ^ a b "All the Right Moves". Metacritic. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  11. ^ Blank, Ed (October 21, 1983). "'Right Moves' flawed but captures the look of Johnstown". Pittsburgh Press. p. B10.
  12. ^ Urucchio, Marylynn (October 21, 1983). "Acting scores in 'Right Moves'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 27.
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