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 (as Damon Landis)
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.

---

Plot Keywords:

bicycle | man child | alamo | search for stolen bicycle | stolen bicycle | 

---

Taglines:

The story of a rebel and his bike.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

9 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pee-wees irre Abenteuer

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$99,184, 28 July 1985, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$40,900,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Aspen Film Society

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

2 actresses who voiced relatives/immediate family members of Cathy Cavadini's 2 most famous characters: Tanya Mousekewitz from An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) and Fievel's American Tails (1992) and Blossom from The Powerpuff Girls (1998) and The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002) are both in this movie: Erica Yohn who plays Madame Ruby voices Mama Mousekewitz (Tanya's mother) in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991). Cathy Cavadini reprised her role (and voiced Yasha Mousekewitz (Tanya's baby sister) ) in Fievel's American Tails (1992) but Erica Yohn did not and Elizabeth Daily who plays Dottie voices Buttercup (Blossom's sister) in The Powerpuff Girls (1998) and The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002)

---

Goofs

When Andy is listening to the "your big but" talk at night time, his ambient lighting shows that these shots were taken during the day.

---

Quotes

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

---

Alternate Versions

Even though it's not listed in the case, there are deleted scenes not in the theatrical nor video release in the DVD version.

---

Connections

Referenced in The To Do List (2013)

---

Soundtracks

Skip to My Lou
(uncredited)
Traditional

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.