Edit
Storyline
Ben Crandall, an alien-obsessed kid, dreams one night of a circuit board. Drawing out the circuit, he and his friends Wolfgang and Darren set it up, and discover they have been given the basis for a starship. Setting off in the ThunderRoad, as they name their ship, they find the aliens Ben hopes they would find... but are they what they seem? Written by
Liz Jordan <c9310494@alinga.newcastle.edu.au>
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Taglines:
You don't need a driver's license to reach the stars.
See more »
Motion Picture Rating
(MPAA)
Rated PG for some mild language and action, and a brief scene involving beer
|
See all certifications »
Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
The film was never finished, and was released as a work in progress when the studio decided to move up the release date and release the film as it was, telling director
Joe Dante that he was finished and they were going to go ahead and release what he had at that point.
See more »
Goofs
At 07:16 on the DVD, "2517 Davana County School District" is written on the side of the school bus, but at 49:58, the sheriff's helicopter lands by a sign reading "Davanna County" and at 50:51, deputy Gordon reads a copy of the "Davanna County Gazette".
See more »
Quotes
Ben Crandall:
[
to Steve Jackson, a school bully]
Elephantitis is when something gets bloated and ugly like your ASS.
See more »
Connections
References
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
See more »
Soundtracks
"LESS THAN PERFECT"
by
Gene Stashuk and
Michael Becker
Courtesy of Red 7
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.
See more »
All kids should watch this - between the ages of 6 and 13. I saw this when it came out on video - I was 8 - don't know how I missed it at the cinema - it couldn't have had a big release in the UK. I loved the detail and imagination within this movie - like the one dream that the three boys all share, the sphere they create from their computer, the guard dog they give bubble gum to, the amusement ride seat they turn into their spaceship, with windows made from the fronts of washing-machines and TVs. And our three heroes make a great team. They are all very different in character, yet share that same dream of escape and adventure. Ethan Hawke is the main hero - the one that most viewers will relate to - the average 80's kid hooked on television, daydreaming during school lessons and a huge crush on the girl next door. River Phoenix is his nerdy computer-whiz friend with an Einstein-like crazy father (played by James Cromwell) and Jason Presson is the mature, yet weird kid with a troubled home-life. The magic of this movie is in its innocence and the dreams that the kids are able to turn into reality. The first half is pure 80's kids' adventure movie. The second half becomes pure "Dante", as it dives into 50's-style B-movie sci-fi - exactly what Dante is referencing and sending up, yet paying homage to at the same time. What our heroes find out in space is certainly not what they expect or what we expect. They feel let down by their discovery and in some way, we do too. But there are so many great scenes in this film - the chemistry between the 3 main actors is great - they really bond well together and we get drawn into the film because of Dante's attention to detail in these characters. It's a funny combination of child adventure and B-movie sci-fi but kids will love it, and as you grow up, you learn to see (like many great kids' films) many new details that pass you by as a kid but keep you entertained all over again from a different perspective. A highly overlooked 80's adventure movie, almost as good as The Goonies, but far less commercial, due to Dante's unique approach. Go and see it now, or see it again or watch it with your kids - you will all love it.