All the Right Moves (1983)

A high school football player desperate for a scholarship and his headstrong coach clash in a dying Pennsylvania steel town.

Director:

Michael Chapman

Writers:

Pat Jordan (article), Michael Kane

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Lea Thompson, Craig T. Nelson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Stefen Djordjevic
Craig T. Nelson	...	Nickerson
Lea Thompson	...	Lisa
Charles Cioffi	...	Pop
Gary Graham	...	Greg
Paul Carafotes	...	Salvucci
Chris Penn	...	Brian (as Christopher Penn)
Sandy Faison	...	Suzie
James A. Baffico	...	Bosko
Mel Winkler	...	Jess Covington
Walter Briggs	...	Rifleman
George Betor	...	Tank
Leon	...	Shadow (as Leon Robinson)
Jonas Chaka	...	Mouse (as Jonas C. Miller)
Keith Diamond	...	Fox (as Keith Ford)

Storyline

Sensitive study of a headstrong high school football star who dreams of getting out of his small Western Pennsylvania steel town with a football scholarship. His equally ambitious coach aims at a college position, resulting in a clash which could crush the player's dreams.

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Plot Keywords:

female full frontal nudity | male full frontal nudity | coach | college | steel worker | 

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Taglines:

He plays to win

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

All Right

Filming Locations:

Conemaugh, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,625,486, 23 October 1983, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$17,233,166

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lucille Ball Productions, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Three schools were used to portray Walnut Heights. Johnstown's Votech, as seen when the Ampipe bus arrives for the big game. The locker room scenes were shot at Westmont High School, approximately twenty miles from the Vo-tech. The scene in which the team is getting on the bus to go home after the game, where Stefan is not allowed on the bus, was filmed in the parking lot of Westmont Junior High.

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Goofs

When Stefan goes to the field to ask the coach to play in the game, his hair is blowing in the wind. In the reverse angle, his hair is laying down flat.

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Quotes

[to the players in the locker room]
Steff: Listen up, ladies. Brian Riley is going to USC, motherfuckers!
Brian: All I have to do is maintain my fantastic 2.0 grade-point average, and everything is cool.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #22.217 (2006)

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Soundtracks

Hold Me Close To You
(Party)
Performed by Stephanie Mills
Music by Louis St. Louis
Lyrics by Janet Alhanti
Produced by Brooks Arthur and Stephanie Mills

User Reviews

an under-rated piece of entertainment

A few years ago, I bought the video version of All The Right Moves without having seen it before. I loved it! The characters kept my eyes glued to the screen for the whole 90 minutes.

I emphasized with Stef's internal struggle to rise above his surroundings. Stef, played by one of my fave actors Tom Cruise, is similar to his character Joel from Risky Business. Both Stef and Joel have high hopes for their futures and almost jeopardize them.

As with his character Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, Craig T. Nelson plays a football coach who is rough around the edges but has the capacity to redeem himself later.

Lea Thompson's Lisa has more value to the movie than just another girlfriend figure. She too has hopes for the future and feels cheated by the athlete-favored scholarship programs. When Stef verbally pushes her away, she doesn't immediately forgive him; she pulls him into her world first.

Nobody (so far) has mentioned the sound track; it's my favorite part of the movie. The songs do a superb job of setting the tone for the given scene. For example, when Stef is rounding second base with Lisa in the car, the bus ride to the big football game, the party, and the end credits. Sometimes, I watch ATRM just to hear "Blue Skies Forever," sung by Frankie Miller.

All the Right Moves is a good film to watch if you like high school football; are expecting an athletic scholarship; or if you don't like your coach. This movie paved the way for other football flicks like Varsity Blues. Look for it on The Family Channel or at used-movie stores.