Made in U.S.A. (1987)

Two misfit best friends, Dar and Tuck, leave their dying coal-mining town with only one goal in mind - to reach sunny California and hook up with some beach babes. On the road, they meet gun-crazy outlaw Annie, and she takes over.

Director:

Ken Friedman

Writers:

Zbigniew Kempinski (story), Nick Wechsler (story)

Stars:

Judith Baldwin, Lori Singer, Marji Martin

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judith Baldwin	...	Dorie
Lori Singer	...	Annie
Marji Martin	...	Ma Frazier
Adrian Pasdar	...	Dar
Chris Penn	...	Tuck
Tiny Wells	...	Pa Frazier
Jacqueline Murphy	...	Cora
Frank Beddor	...	Bud
Marie Antoinette Bresadola	...	Waitress
Mark Carlton	...	Ford Salesman
Scott Casey	...	Redneck in Gas Station
Pete Concha	...	Elderly Indian
Lionel Croll	...	Garage Owner
Cindi Dietrich	...	Girl in Trans-Am
Anthony Duran	...	Lonny

Storyline

Two men from Pennsylvania give up hope in their small run down coal mining town, and head off in search of the beaches of California. The two steal cars as they travel across the USA and are joined by a wild young woman.

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Plot Keywords:

best friend | girl | native american | sex in a car | stealing a car | 

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Taglines:

They were cruising to the coast when they hit a detour named Annie.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lori Singer and Chris Penn both appeared in Footloose (1984)

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Soundtracks

Life is Hard
Written by Pat MacDonald (as Pat McDonald)
Performed by Timbuk 3
Copyright 1986 I.R.S. Music/Mambadadi/Atlantic Music Corp.

User Reviews

an 80's cult road movie

Like most people I saw this movie by accident. I then hunted down a copy on VHS and found it in a bargain bin at my local Blockbuster. This film gets better on repeat viewing. As a fan of road movies this film is an unappreciated little gem. Like other lost films of the 80's, like Miracle Mile, I hope a DVD will be released eventually. Why is it worth checking out? 1. It stars the late, great Chris Penn and 80's bad boy Adrian Pasdar, of another 80,s cult classic, Near Dark ,fame. 2. The sound track arranged by Sonic Youth, inc. tracks by Timbuk 3 and World Party, like any good road movie ,is excellent, e.g. Wild At Heart and Easy Rider. 3.What makes this different, unlike most road movies, is that it shows the America not of wonderful scenery and natural beauty but of ecological and economic decline during the era of Reagonomics. 4. The cinema-photography is extremely powerful, showing us a normally unseen side of the American landscape. 5.With its unsympathetic characters, on the road, looking for redemption in one form or another,the film is a nod to Easy Rider. But this being the 80's they travel by stealing cars or trucks, pass through ecological disaster areas and the goal of their quest is a beach babe in a surfing magazine. The possible reason for the film's disappearance? 1.Lori Singer. Lori Singer. Lori Singer.Oh ,dear remember her? a flaky character played by Miss Kooky 1988. 2. The wolf.This story thread just does not make any sense at all. All cult films must have some moments of imperfection. But for it's bravery in going against the grain in the era of Rambo it deserves some recognition.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 1987 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Made in U.S.A.

Filming Locations:

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, San Diego County, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), Hemdale

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1