Volunteers (1985)

Lawrence is a rich kid with a bad accent and a large debt. After his father refuses to help him out, Lawrence escapes his angry debtors by jumping on a Peace Corp flight to Southeast Asia, ... See full summary »

Director:

Nicholas Meyer

Writers:

Keith Critchlow (story), Ken Levine (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Hanks, John Candy, Rita Wilson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Lawrence Bourne III
John Candy	...	Tom Tuttle from Tacoma
Rita Wilson	...	Beth Wexler
Tim Thomerson	...	John Reynolds
Gedde Watanabe	...	At Toon
George Plimpton	...	Lawrence Bourne Jr.
Ernest Harada	...	Chung Mee
Allan Arbus	...	Albert Bardenaro
Xander Berkeley	...	Kent Sutcliffe
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Cicero (as Ji-Tu Cumbaka)
Guillermo Río	...	Sumo Guard (as Guillermo del Rio)
Jacqueline Evans	...	Aunt Eunice
Pamela Gual	...	Tammy the Stewardess
Philip Guilmant	...	Yale President (as Phillip Giulmant)
Chick Hearn	...	Announcer

Storyline

Lawrence is a rich kid with a bad accent and a large debt. After his father refuses to help him out, Lawrence escapes his angry debtors by jumping on a Peace Corp flight to Southeast Asia, where is assigned to build a bridge for the local villagers with American-As-Apple-Pie WSU Grad Tom Tuttle and the beautiful and down-to earth Beth Wexler. What they don't realize is that the bridge is coveted by the U.S. Army, a local Communist force, and a powerful drug lord. Together with the help of At Toon, the only English speaking native, they must fight off the three opposing forces and find out what is right for the villagers, as well as themselves.

---

Plot Keywords:

product placement | coca cola | one word title | laughing | falling in love | 

---

Taglines:

Ready or not, here they come

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alles hört auf mein Kommando

Filming Locations:

Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,184,360, 18 August 1985, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$19,875,740

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Pictures,Silver Screen Partners,TriStar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to an August 18, 1985 article in The New York Times, Nicholas Meyer stated that the Peace Corps director Robert Sargent "Sarge" Shriver, Jr. (a.k.a. Sargent Shriver) said this movie's screenplay was "like spitting on the American flag". The story reported that three changes were requested: "The (Peace Corps) agency asked Mr. Meyer to make three alterations in the script. Change Thailand to Burma, because the Peace Corps never was in Burma. Don't mention the C.I.A. in the same breath with the Peace Corps. And please change the name Peace Corps to something else". None of these were done. When the picture got released, Shriver was no longer the Peace Corps head and the Peace Corps organization endorsed the movie.

---

Goofs

In the graduation scene, the cable to the loan shark's earphone changes position between shots.

---

Quotes

John Reynolds: There's no one else, Bourne. Just you, me, and Mike
[holding up his knife]
John Reynolds: . Now get up.
Lawrence Bourne III: You know there was never a time where brains didn't triumph over brawn. And I've got brains.
John Reynolds: Oh, yeah?
Lawrence Bourne III: Hey, is that a Russian MiG-25?
John Reynolds: [looking up at the sky] Where?
[Lawrence punches John, knocking him off the bridge]

---

Crazy Credits

Tom Hanks' character has firstname "Lawrence". Hanks saves the village. As film fades to black for credits, a large group of "volunteers" gather around Hanks. Just as black for start of credits shows, chants of "Lawrence, Lawrence, Lawrence..." are heard. Absolutely a tribute to scene of O'Toole as Lawrence of Arabia marching across traintop to chants of "Lawrence, Lawrence, Lawrence..."

---

Connections

Referenced in There's Nothing Out There (1991)

---

Soundtracks

Heartbreak Hotel
Written by Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden and Elvis Presley

User Reviews

Excellent film spoofing many of the great classics.

"Volunteers" successfully spoofs more classic films than any other - from Casablanca, through Bridge over the River Kwai, to Lawrence of Arabia, they're all there if you're watching carefully enough.

It also offers a glimpse of a much younger, fresher and more natural Tom Hanks than the over-processed multi-millionaire product we see so much of today.

Full of belly-laughs and quick fire one liners, and packed with so many more subtle references that you'll have to pay close attention and watch it many times to pick up even half of them, this hilarious film really does the job. The Austin Powers and Naked Gun series are almost the only others packing this much fast paced humour into a feature film. Highly recommended!