Please remember that a film doesn't have to be perfect, or even close, to be worthwhile. If it contains some interesting and memorable elements, than it has lasting value. Having said that, let me address this one, and refute some of the accusations of "cliché." Let's start with the setting. The opening sequence around town, and the football practice scenes, portray a combination of gritty urban reality and unrefined sylvan ambiance, with remarkable effectiveness. Interestingly, I don't necessarily think that living in a small, woodsy town, having close family and friends, and working with your hands, is such a terrible fate. If your mill closes down, there are other towns within commutable distance, to work in. What if this movie was set in the Spring? Maybe that part of the country is lovely in Spring. So we are shown the region with a slanted spin, as it is set in the Fall. I lived in a depressed logging town at about the time of this movie, but the difference is that it was totally isolated. Conversely, Ampipe, the town in this movie, is not far from Pittsburgh and its' suburbs. Nevertheless, I get the basic depressed vibe, and I'm sure it existed. Tom Cruise brought heart to this role. There's a scene where he is no longer the cocky jock, but rather simply a boy, in need of a mother, and seeking refuge in the reassuring arms of his father. What a uniquely gentle moment for a film about a high school football player. There was nothing cliché about it, and Cruise pulled it off with savvy. For the record, no one is "stuck" in any town in America. What about Junior College, what about just moving to a bigger town? So of course I don't buy the clichéd "stuck in this town without a way out" theme entirely. The gentility of the young couple's sex scene, where they lose their virginity is not clichéd. It is tasteful, sensitive, and totally believable. Tom Cruise's character looks a bit scared, in awe, and very conscious of the significance of the moment. Again, beautifully played. Lea Thompson is lovely in this film, and does a masterful job of portraying a teen in love. She sees that her boyfriend is self-centered, but she has the sixth sense of a small town girlfriend, that helps her see his the finer aspects of his character. We used to rely on real "girls" to provide balance in society, and bring out the best in a man. The music is simply great. "All The Right Moves," and "Blue Skies Forever," are 80s gems, and convey the optimism of a unique cultural time period. There are two apology scenes by men, that are done nicely, and with simple conviction. It's fresh to see men say they are sorry, and to really mean it. Cruise's best scene involves confronting his stubborn football coach in an alley and intermittently sprinting away, while throwing his hands up in confounded ire. Beautifully executed. He has talent, and perhaps should have pursued more gritty underdog roles than he has. What I loved best, was the portrayal of the mixture of hope, potential, vitality, sexuality, and angst that color one's last two years of high school. To be an upperclassman, athletic, in love, invincible, and free.
Review of All the Right Moves
