Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)

A computer wiz woman/W.Goldberg works at a computer terminal in a NYC bank. One day she gets a strange message and breaks the code. Suddenly, she finds herself in the middle of dangerous spy business.

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writers:

David Franzoni (story) (as David H. Franzoni), David Franzoni (screenplay) (as David H. Franzoni)

Stars:

Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, John Wood

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Terry Doolittle
Stephen Collins	...	Marty Phillips
John Wood	...	Jeremy Talbott
Carol Kane	...	Cynthia
Annie Potts	...	Liz Carlson
Peter Michael Goetz	...	Mr. Page
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Archer Lincoln
Sara Botsford	...	Lady Sarah Billings
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Mark Van Meter (as Jeroen Krabbe)
Vyto Ruginis	...	Carl
Jonathan Pryce	...	Jack
Tony Hendra	...	Hunter
Jon Lovitz	...	Doug
Phil Hartman	...	Fred (as Phil E. Hartmann)
Lynne Marie Stewart	...	Karen

Storyline

Terry works for a bank, and uses computers to communicate with clients all over the world. One day she gets a coded message from an unknown source. After decoding the message, Terry becomes embroiled in an espionage ring. People are killed, and Terry is chased. Throughout she remains in contact with this unknown person, who needs Terry to help save his life.

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Plot Keywords:

computer | chainsaw | circular saw | pay phone | lyrics | 

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Taglines:

A Dangerously Funny Movie

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Terry works at the Manhattan Main Branch of the First National bank of New York.

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Goofs

When the bank security guard is talking on the phone, there is a shot of his security monitor, which shows Terry pacing up and down by her desk. What is also visible from that angle is the light grid hanging from the ceiling.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Male Broadcaster: [click] ... House has issued a series of clarifications of several of the President's statements at his nationally televised news conference last night. In addition to responding to a question about abortion with a three-minute answer about taxes and confusing his Attorney General with his Chief of Staff, the President apparently forgot that Hawaii is a State, referring to it as, "one of our strongest allies in the Pacific." A White House spokesman explained that the President had ...

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Alternate Versions

A version shown sporadically on WTTG-TV in Washington is heavily edited and has numerous bits of dialogue and key scenes removed, including the conversation between Terry Dolittle and Liz Carlson in the kitchen.

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Connections

Referenced in Michael Jackson: Liberian Girl (1989)

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Soundtracks

Tales of the Vienna Woods, Op.325
(uncredited)
Composed by Johann Strauss
[At the British Consulate ball]

User Reviews

IT'S A GAS GAS

There aren't not that many female directors around and Penny Marshall is one of the few who scored some hits with her movies in the eighties ("She's having a baby", "The hard way") and of course "Jumpin' Jack Flash", one of those delicious comedies from the eighties that aren't dated, and that aren't silly. Whoopi Goldberg who was a bit the hot "strange" spot from Hollywood since her appearance in "The color purple" did some nice comedies from which this one must be one of the finest. She plays the role of Teresa aka Terry, a weirdo who is obsessed by movies and books, and during daytime she spend eight hours in a bank behind a computer (a must for pcfreaks to see how dated they are!!!). Her hilarious boss Mr James Page (Peter Michael Goetz) forbids her to chat, she obeys till Jumpin Jack Flash knocks. She can't resist the power not to respond and soon she discovers that Jumpin Jack Flash is a CIA-agent who is somewhere in East Europe (it was still a cold war) and he begs him to help. Sooner as Teresa thinks she has become a target from the KGB as well and as you can guess she ends up in dangerous hilarious situations (or are you kidnapped any day in a phone booth?). Absolutely do not to try to understand the plot, there isn't one and if there should be some it has no meaning...it's just a CIA-agent who runs for the KGB, that's all but that's not the reason why you should watch this, it's just to see a fine comedy that stands for 90 minutes of entertainment.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Knock, Knock

Filming Locations:

515 North Bundy Drive, Brentwood, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,006,610, 13 October 1986

Gross USA:

$29,844,101

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$29,844,101

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lawrence Gordon Productions, Silver Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1