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.

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Plot Keywords:

man child | search for stolen bicycle | bicycle | alamo | 1980s | 

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Taglines:

The story of a rebel and his bike.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the actors in this film also appeared with Paul Reubens in Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986), albeit in very different roles from the ones they play here.

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Goofs

As Pee-wee is rescuing the animals from the burning pet shop, He brings the dogs out and tells them to "sit." In a close up shot, they in fact do sit on command but in the very next shot from further away, the dogs are all scattered about the sidewalk walking around.

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Quotes

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

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Alternate Versions

There are at least 2 fullscreen versions of the film. An open matte version that shows off more vertical picture than the theatrical widescreen (the earliest VHS releases are this way), and a pan-and-scan cropped version, cropped from the theatrical widescreen.

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Connections

Spoofed in Star Tours (1987)

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Soundtracks

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

Somehow Succeeds

"Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" seems to be a prime example of a mess of a movie. However, I cannot help but like this strange film. Tim Burton's direction is uncanny and Paul Reubens' amazing enthusiasm as the title character make this film one of the strangest over-achievers in the history of the cinema. Actually a good film that never seems old or dated. 4 stars out of 5.

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

9 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pee-wee's Big Adventure

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,545,847, 11 August 1985

Gross USA:

$40,940,662

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$40,940,662

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