Losin' It (1983)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writer:

Bill L. Norton (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

They were boozin' it, brusin' it and cruisin' it, but mostly they were . . .

Plot:

Set in 1965, four rowdy teenage guys travel to Tijuana, Mexico for a night of partying when they are joined by a heartbroken housewife who is in town seeking a quick divorce.

Plot Keywords:

Teen Sex Comedy | Cult Comedy | Cult Favorite | Female Nudity | Independent Film

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Woody
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Dave
John Stockwell	...	Spider
John P. Navin Jr.	...	Wendell
Shelley Long	...	Kathy
Henry Darrow	...	Sheriff
Hector Elias	...	Chuey
Daniel Faraldo	...	Taxi Driver #1
Mario Marcelino	...	Pablo
Rick Rossovich	...	Marine
James Victor	...	Lawyer
Kale Browne	...	Larry
Enrique Castillo	...	Taxi Driver #2
Cornelio Hernandez	...	Big Guy in Jail
Hector Morales	...	Watch Seller

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Calexico, California, USA

Company:

Tiberius Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene when Dave (Jackie Earle Haley) is flirting with the bar girl, her hand is wrapped around her cup. When Dave drops the Spanish Fly into her drink the cup is standing alone at the center of the table. In the next shot her hand is back around the cup again.

Quotes:

[Spider comes back with a condom]
Spider: I forgot my rubber.
Spider's Whore: Did you remember to bring your dick?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Retrosexual: The 80's" (2004)

Never had it

Don't let the cast and director fool you. This is a teen sex comedy that's just as bad as any of the dozens (hundreds?) that Hollywood churned out back in the 1980s. Bad enough that this turkey wastes the talents of future stars Tom Cruise and Shelley Long. What's worse is that this was directed by Curtis Hanson (you know, of "L.A. Confidential" and "Wonder Boys" fame -- THAT Curtis Hanson.) I realize he was just an up-and-coming director at the time, but surely he must have taken one look at the script and realized it didn't have a chance. (Maybe he was gambling this film would be another "Porky's" and skyrocket him to fame. He gambled wrong.)

Even if you're a die-hard Cruise fan, you're advised to stay away. Cruise, at this time, had yet to hone the persona upon which he would build his career. In other words, he isn't his usually funny, cocky self this time around, but instead comes across as bland, dull, and surprisingly lifeless. Shelley Long, on the other hand, is quite good in her thankless role as a runaway bride headed to Tijuana for a quickie divorce. Too bad the script doesn't give her anything funny to do.

Also, since this is a teen sex comedy, I should mention that there's almost no raunch and nudity at all. Basically, this film is ninety minutes of three teen-aged jerks raising havoc in T.J., getting into lots of dumb bar fights and a few car chases with the usual Hollywood Mexican stereotypes.

Bottom line: compared to this film, "Top Gun" (which also starred Cruise and John Stockwell) is deserving of ten Academy awards.)