Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

When eccentric man-child Pee-Wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens,

Stars:

Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Reubens	...	Pee-wee Herman (as Pee-wee Herman)
Elizabeth Daily	...	Dottie
Mark Holton	...	Francis Buxton
Diane Salinger	...	Simone
Judd Omen	...	Mickey
Irving Hellman	...	Mr. Crowtray
Monte Landis	...	Mario
Damon Martin	...	Chip
David Glasser	...	BMX Kid
Gregory Brown	...	BMX Kid
Mark Everett	...	BMX Kid
Daryl Keith Roach	...	Chuck (as Daryl Roach)
Bill Cable	...	Policeman #1
Peter Looney	...	Policeman #2
Starletta DuPois	...	Sgt. Hunter

Storyline

The cartoonish and childish character Pee Wee Herman goes on a big adventure for the first time ever when his beloved shiny new bicycle is stolen by his nemesis Francis Buxton, a fellow man-child and neighborhood rich "kid." And he sets off on an obsessive cross-country journey, determined to recover it. Pee-wee's awkward and childish attempts to be cool and mature.

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Plot Keywords:

bicycle | man child | alamo | fortune teller | waitress | 

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Taglines:

You will believe a man can ride a bike.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Grande Aventura de Pee Wee

Filming Locations:

1846 Oxley St., South Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$40,900,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Aspen Film Society

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Pee-wee is hitchhiking to the Alamo, the Texas-shaped sign he holds up has a big star on it indicating his destination. But the star isn't where the actual Alamo is located (San Antonio). Instead the star is over Bracketville, the location of the Alamo facade used in many western and period movies.

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Goofs

Pee-Wee and Simone are talking about "your big butt" at night time, but when the shots cut back to Andy listening at the door, his ambient lighting shows that these shots were taken during the day.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pee-wee: Look out, Mister Potato Head!

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Connections

Referenced in Charlie's Angels (2000)

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Soundtracks

"TEQUILA"
Written by Chuck Río
Performed by The Champs
Courtesy of Challenge Records

User Reviews

Why it's my favorite Tim Burton movie

I absolutely love everyone of Tim Burton's movies, but if I had to pick which one was my favorite, this would be the one. Why you ask? Well, first of all, this movie has everything. And I do mean everything. Horror, comedy, family fun, you name it. This movie scared me so much when I was a kid. I mean come on, that scene when you see all those clowns and the dinosaur, not to mention the "Large Marge" scene, were scary.

Simply put, I could pop this one in and easily watch it for lots of fun. Not saying that Tim Burton's other movies aren't fun, but this one can be watched under any circumstances. It's like the reason BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA is my favorite John Carpenter movie.