Vision Quest (1985) User Reviews

Trite Plot, Sappy Star; so WHY is it so GOOD?

[Bob-45 · 7/10 · 28 October 2004]

While I bought the soundtrack to 'Vision Quest' while the movie was still new, I didn't bother to see the movie until recently. While a great soundtrack and a braless Linda Fiorentino was quite appealing, the 'high school wrestler' plot didn't interest me at all. A few years later, after seeing the sappy Matthew Modine in 'Married to the Mob, ' I lost all interest in 'Vision Quest'. However, after catching (I wish) Linda Fiorentino in 'Men in Black,' and finding 'Vision Quest on ENCORE, I thought, 'What the heck? It's free.' So, my wife and I snuggled in and watched. We were glad we did. Sure, Modine was sappy, but so was his character, Loudan Swain. Loudan's a goofy kid who just turned 18. He's also smart and athletic and decent. He's a wrestler and he plans to beat the best high school wrestler in the state. Loudan wants this not for glory or awards; he just believes he can do it and makes a superhuman effort to lose the weight required to compete in the champ's weight class. His buddy, Kuch, who fancies himself an American Indian, observes Loudan is making a 'vision quest' for self discovery. During Loudan's journey and 'rite of passage to manhood' he meets Carla, a street smart, sexy girl three years his senior. Loudan falls for Carla and now has two dreams, to fight the champ and to win Carla.

Daryl Ponicson ('The Last Detail,' 'Cinderella Liberty) wrote the fine, incisive screenplay from the novel by Terry Davis. The movie has a lot to say about life and how dedication leads to genius. The language is rough, but quite natural. Linda Fiorentino has the movies funniest line, which refers to the 'Holland Tunnel', but J. C. Quinn, who plays Modene's chef friend, has the most poetic monologue, regarding Pele and soccer. Even though things don't work out exactly as Loudan expected, he's uplifted and exhilarated and you will be, too.

The outstanding soundtrack contains music by Tangerine Dream, Journey, REO Speedwagon and Madonna, among others. While the songs were not written for the movie (except, probably the Oscar worthy 'Crazy for You'), they work extremely well. Credit director Howard Becker ('The Onion Field,' 'Sea of Love') for getting the best from his talented cast of actors and musicians. 'Vision Quest' is not a great movie, but a good one. I give it a '7'.

The High School Wrestlers Bible

[truthfromabove · 8/10 · 24 December 2011]

From middle school to high, i watched this movie at least 4 times each wrestling and freestyle season. This movie depicts the weight cutting, inner team competitiveness, and young athlete determination of high school. But at the same time, it shows a young man juggling a job and "womanly needs". Shute is probably the coolest "villain" of all sport movies, and his scene with the pole and bleacher walk makes every schoolboy thank god they never wrestled him. Louden is your unlikely hero, but its realistic when you grow with him and watch him work for it. The acting in this movie is nothing to marvel at, but it does not hold or distract you from a great story. Even though i rated this movie a 7, it is one of my favorites, and is a true hidden gem.

Decent effort doesn't quite score a pinfall

[magnummania · 7/10 · 20 November 1999]

A slightly different spin on the traditional Underdog Athlete Overcomes the Odds storyline, Vision Quest is a decent film for most viewers (for those who have actually endured the challenges of the collegiate wrestling world, the movie is practically required viewing!). Modine and Fiorentino, who went on to better-known films such as Equinox and Jade, respectively, are solid if unspectacular in roles as a high school wrestler and the world-weary object of his desires. Among the other notables who appear in the movie: a young Forrest Whitaker, James Gammon, Michael Schoeffling (Sixteen Candles), and Madonna, who contributed "Crazy For You" and "Gambler" to an underrated soundtrack. The wrestling sequences are gritty and realistic, as are the frequent portrayals of training. But the screenplay's dialogue is often choppy and does little to develop the potentially interesting characters. Subplots are hinted at but are not followed through with. And there is a lack of smooth transition between sequences. Still, Vision Quest is watchable and worthwhile as a rental (if you are a wrestler, this is especially true).

It was made for the wrestlers and fans!

[glentom1 · 7 October 2004]

Its not hard to understand why some viewers would dislike this movie, since less than .1% of the worlds population ever wrestled in a competitive environment.

But, for those that have, and for the friends and parents of those wrestlers, this movie is a solid 9/10 rating. The movie hits on every aspect of this sports tortuous rigor: losing weight every week, not eating, training, and the mental gymnastics involved with having to believe that you can beat anyone at anytime.

And most realistically, this movie also shows the hardships of doing what every other high school kid does, in combination with the rigors of the sport. They have love relationships, they have classmates, they have to deal with the teachers and coaches, as well as their own family, plus they have to deal with their own teammates each week who may want to take over the top position at their weight.

As one who had over 100 high school matches (15 years before the making of this movie), I can confirm that there is no better movie than this about high school wrestling. When you rate this movie you should not think about how good it is among all other movies, rather you should rate it solely based on its ability to achieve the objective of accurately portraying its subject.

I guess that some would think Louden is not a "team player", but wrestling is an individual sport, no matter how others would want to portray it (although if you win your team gets points). Now that this diatribe (which it might be to some) is about over, I will summarize as follows: Do not watch the movie if you don't care about seeing an exceptionally good story about high school wrestling, you won't like it!

Likable '80s Flick

[james-obeirne · 7/10 · 15 July 2008]

Don't let the title, or the fact that this movie is about wrestling, deter you as it almost did me. Vision Quest is not a campy sci-fi flick, nor is it about a sweaty muscle head frolicking around in a leotard to Cyndi Lauper; it's an entertaining tale with hints of the irreplaceable 1980's luster that most of the great films from that era provide.

Louden Swain is sort of a goofy character, but he's authentic and ironclad. Louden drives through the experiences of youth with all the wonder and ferocity anyone could hope for. A combination of solid writing and acting render him a palpable character who's easy to empathize with. The northwestern city atmosphere helps.

Linda Fiorentino puts out a relatively deep character, and her looks don't hurt anything. There are some good performances elsewhere; happily, there really aren't many two dimensional characters to speak of.

Initially, the movie feels a little kitsch, but if you stick with it, you'll find it's more about coming of age and romance than sports. Not really a mind-blowing script or anything too memorable, but not at all a bad way to blow ninety minutes.

Another one of those "growing up" movies...

[moviedude1 · 6/10 · 5 January 2004]

Modine is a high school wrestler who's just turned 18 and is in so much of a hurry to grow up. In the first 45 minutes of the movie, he's chosen 3 or 4 different careers. (Ah! To be young, again!) The movie follows all the basic plot lines concerning coming of age that does stand the test of time, because, even though this movie is almost 20 years old, a lot of the kids today can relate to it.

Along the way, Modine's father (Cox) has lost his job, Modine decides to move down, not just one, but two, weight classes to take on the best wrestler in the state, and a very pretty Jersey girl (Fiorentino) shows up on his doorstep to take up all his spare "thinking" time.

This is really not a bad movie. It examines some of what goes on in someone's head when they get in the frame of mind that they want something that just about everyone else feels is unattainable for them. Modine does a very good job in bringing the character of Louden to believability, and the surrounding cast puts in a good effort as well. It is a better-than-average teen flick movie, but not much (but I think it's only because I haven't been a teen ager in so long, myself).

6 out of 10...

Still a fun movie

[Ghenghy · 9/10 · 31 March 2002]

I've been a fan for over 10 years, both my daughters love this movie, and as a former HS wrestler I'm probably hooked for life. Begs to be remade with less emphasis on the goo goo eyes for Linda Fiorentino but Matthew Modine is just terrific, both as kid on a mission and a wrestler. 9/10

I love it, even though the filmmakers ruined an adaptation of a wonderful novel. (spoilers for the novel and movie)

[vertigo_14 · 6/10 · 10 December 2004]

I love the 80s. I love teen 80s movies. I love 'Vision Quest,' (as sappy as it may have been). But they took Terry Davis' wonderful novel and killed everything about it that made it wonderful.

The novel and the movie are about the same thing: a teenager named Louden Swain who is on a Vision Quest to prove his worth (to himself, if no one else). The novel, of the bildungsromane sorts (consult your dictionaries, kiddies), was about a much more adult Swain who uses wrestling as a metaphor for struggles in his own life and thing he sincerely appreciates about the people around him,which he starts to analyze more when he goes up against an extremely tough wrestling opponent, state champion Shoop. He's a pretty admirable character.

The movie is about a horny teen who's vision quest ("finding his place in the circle"), which pretty much only concerns wrestling heavyweight Shoop as a way to "make his mark" when he enters manhood (he's turning 18). Although, the quest becomes jeopardized when a cynical drifter, Carla (Linda Florentino) comes to town and changes Louden's life. Actually, her presence is not so profound in the end.

The movie is decent if you don't mind the awkwardness of Modine's portrayal of the character, as well meaning as Louden Swain may be. He's more dignified in the novel, despite only being a teenager. You still get a good story and, eighties fans are sure to enjoy the movie, despite trashing the novel. If they did ever remake this movie (and I hope to god, that no one in mainstream Hollywood gets the idea to do so), it is the one case in which they should consider sticking to the novel.

Look for the elusive Michael Schoeffling as Louden's friend, Kuch. Forrest Whitakker, Daphne Zunigan , and Raphael Sbarge all have minor roles (though Forrest Whittaker already made a name for himself in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' three years earlier). Plus, Madonna briefly appears as a club singer to perform 'Crazy for You,' and 'Gambler,' both of which are on the soundtrack.

See the movie. Read the novel. And enjoy.

Don't be afraid to chase your dreams

[jimbospence1 · 10/10 · 6 August 2006]

Any time I need to get psyched up this is the movie I think about. I learned watching it back in the 80's that if you have a dream you have to go after it because nobody is going to give it to you. It doesn't matter if you are a wrestler, a financial analyst, an astronaut or a bartender everybody has a dream. Louden set a goal, had a plan and went after what he wanted, that's what we all need to do. This movie has had a great effect on my life. I guess everybody has their own motivational tools and cheesy or not this is one of mine. From the peg board climbing scene to the Pele description scene to the warm up scene playing out to "Lunatic Fringe" before his match with Shute this movie, in my opinion is an inspirational masterpiece. I really wish they would re-release the soundtrack because I can't find it anywhere.

Strong performances and writing

[eddiec-1 · 7/10 · 19 December 2018]

Strong performances and writing lift this up and make it well worth the time.

Waste of a great book

[mingo-2 · 1/10 · 6 September 2000]

This movie takes a great book about a real human relationship, and turns it into Porkys. In the book, Louden's motivation is not just to loose his virginity. In fact I don't recall that it was mentioned if he WAS a virgin or not. But this bit of teenaged fluff took out the parts were he treats the female lead like a human being.

classic eighties movie

[james_horatio · 9/10 · 12 June 2004]

We used to watch this before big games. I especially like the Ronnie James Dio / Don Henley / Madonna soundtrack.

whatever happened to shute??? I hate wrestling but this is a classic underdog story.

Linda Fiorentino says she really likes 'big hands'. Hilarious. The wrestler character here is only about 100 times more believable than the Emilio Estevez character in Breakfast Club. Linda Fiorentino has great 80's hair in this film. The scenes with him climbing up the peg wall are the best non-Shute scenes by far. This picture has really solid naturalistic dialogue.

It Seemed Realistic

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 30 March 2006]

I'm no authority on high school wrestling. I know I hated it in Phy Ed. Having your face pushed into that sweaty mat. That's no reason to not praise this movie. I don't believe that lack of knowledge of a subject should have anything to do with one's enjoyment. It was really interesting to see what high school wrestlers must go through to rise to the top of their game. Matthew Modine is very good. He has the failings of youth; the inconsistencies. He has drive but never really believed in himself to the point of attaining the top spot. There is, of course, the kid and the older woman part which seemed to be a big deal in the eighties. There were several movies like this. But it all gets down to the goal, the wrestling. Facing off against the main guy who looks like a truck going up and down those steps. It also has to do with a mysticism that people were beginning to see. The slight edge that makes the good great comes from within because with so many people on the planet, there is going to be an equal everywhere. This movie is about how to make that leap. I thought it was a pretty good film.

Nosebleeds, Sweatpants and an Awful Film

[MySportsComplex · 2/10 · 4 March 2011]

This film, which features Madonna about the time she hit it big, stands as the only major studio work about high school or collegiate style wrestling. The film tells the story of Louden Swain, a high school senior who has been wrestling for barely two years. Because of his "balance" and natural gifts, he's already a state champion and the best in his weight class. But that's not enough. The tall and lanky wrestler, played by Matthew Modine, decides that the path to glory is to starve and sweat himself down two weight classes so that he can challenge the unbeatable 3-time state champion, Brian Shute. Shute trains by walking up and down stadium bleachers holding an 18 inch wooden telephone pole.

For Swain, making weight is a long and arduous process, consisting of constant running and frequent nosebleeds. Swain's sanity and competence are questioned by everyone else in his drab suburb of Spokane, WA. Meanwhile his only inspirations come from a beautiful, feisty 20-something wild flower named Carla, played by Linda Fiorentino, who drifts into town and bunks with Swain and his dad for a while.

All in all there are a lot of problems with this film. First off, the writers have little understanding of Wrestling as a sport. Matches end for no reason and scoring is inconsistent. In one scene, the home team forfeits the match simply because the away team has taken the lead, meaning the last couple wrestlers forgo their matches. Anyone who knows Wrestling remotely knows that this doesn't happen. Imagine your hometown baseball team is down 10-0 in the 3rd Inning. Even the Cubs would finish that game.

Also, like with Chess, champions in Wrestling are never made in a matter of two seasons. But inaccuracy and uninformed fantasy aside, there's more.

When not starving himself and risking his health to reach his goal, our "hero" is babbling on about virtues and character. Yet in one scene he tries to force himself sexually on his house guest/love, Carla, before she punches him in the face (prompting nosebleeds, again), only to have it brushed under the rug when she shows up to cheer him on at his wrestling meet.

In the end, boy wins girl, boy beats the unbeatable champion, and returns to high school and a normal diet. But Vision Quest will leave you and anyone who's not an anorexic, nerdy, sexually deviant excuse for an athlete wondering what the hell you've just watched for two hours.

But social issues and hang-ups aside, Vision Quest is just a bad, bad film.

written by Andy Frye, MySportsComplex.blogspot.com

Wrestling Is More Than A Sport...

[possumopossum · 17 February 2007]

...It's a way of life. Anyone who has ever wrestled, as I have, has learned lessons that stick with them for the rest of their lives. Even those who never make it to a tournament, or who don't get past being an "exhibition" wrestler learns these lessons. More than any other sport, wrestling teaches valuable lessons about self reliance, self determination, self confidence, and to get through life without making excuses for failure. It also teaches about setting lofty goals and not giving up when things go wrong, about what it takes to succeed in any station in life. This movie conveys these lessons well. Many folks who say this is a typical eighties movie should also know that the lessons it teaches are timeless, no matter what time period is depicted here. It could easily have been set in the fifties, sixties, nineties, right up to the present day and still say what it has to say. It's really a shame that real wrestling hasn't caught on too well in this country because it has some valuable life lessons to teach for those who become involved with it. Because when it gets right down to it, life is one big wrestling match. That is the theme of the movie, and it dramatized it very well.

Sentimental Journey

[daoldiges · 6/10 · 13 June 2023]

I remember seeing Vision Quest in 1985 with one of my then best friends Myla. She saw it first and insisted that I go see it with her for her second time because the lead character reminded her so much of me (I was also a super dedicated college athlete). So I saw it with her and did really enjoy it. The soundtrack in particular was good and that is what holds up the most during my recent rewatching of this 80's flick. It was an early Modine film and his performance still holds up. The Fiorentino character seemed to be trying just a tad bit too hard to be tough but I went with it for the larger effort of the film and i still found Vision Quest to have been a decent viewing all these years later.

68 Dodge Flatbed For Sale

[msmmole · 6/10 · 8 February 2006]

We have the truck that was used in the movie and are wanting to sell it please contact me at [e-mail] if interested in making an offer.It is in good shape with few modifications and would be fun to have as a piece of memorabilia from the movie or as a farm or work truck. I don't have anymore info as the late father of my boyfriend purchased the truck after the movie and has since died and we bought it from his business. to quote "This is really not a bad movie. It examines some of what goes on in someone's head when they get in the frame of mind that they want something that just about everyone else feels is unattainable for them. Modine does a very good job in bringing the character of Louden to believability, and the surrounding cast puts in a good effort as well. It is a better-than-average teen flick movie, but not much (but I think it's only because I haven't been a teen ager in so long, myself)."

Classic watch

[n-g-s · 9/10 · 6 December 2021]

This is a great movie. A kid turning adult is just trying to figure his life out. Setting his goal to beat Shute and how hard he works to achieve that goal makes it a motivating movie. I still use some of the soundtrack during workouts.

The love story is a great twist that can always distract from goals.

It can be a hard movie for people to understand because wrestling is a sport many don't understand I'm general.

Commitment, work ethic, teenage confusion, love. Great flick.

Pretty decent yarn

[grahamsj3 · 7/10 · 24 January 2002]

This is a decently done flick that deals with growing up as a teenager. Matthew Modine is excellent as Louden Swayne, a high school wrestler. He's just turned 18 and hasn't "done anything yet" and thinks that it's time to make a splash. He decides to take on the toughest guy in the state (Shute) in wrestling. Problem is, he's 2 weight classes too heavy, so he begins to lose weight rapidly. Just about this time, a slightly older girl (Linda Fiorentino) gets stranded in town and ends up staying with Louden and his dad for a while. Naturally, Louden falls hard for this beauty (hey, so did I!) and she unwittingly proves quite a distraction to his goal of beating Shute. I've read some comments that Fiorentino is a little masculine in this film, but I disagree. Modine is perfect in this role and acts just like a dumb, love-struck, silly teenage boy would act in that situation (including a humorous scene where she catches him sniffing her panties). Look for good acting from Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, JC Quinn and Ronny Cox. I like this flick pretty well - it's entertaining and fun to watch. Isn't that what the whole industry is about?

The best wrestling movie ever made!

[DesertFlamingo · 10/10 · 19 December 2020]

This movie is a classic! I remember watching it when it first came out in 85. Watched again recently and is just as good as when it came out. Highly recommend! The scene that you hear Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider is awesome! Matthew Modine nails it! 🤼‍♀️

Classic 80's Movie

[Rob-266 · 7/10 · 23 October 2009]

This is a classic 80's movie that's actually quite enjoyable. The acting is a little uneven, but not enough to ruin the film. The monotone performance of Linda Fiorentino contrasts with Matthew Modine's child-like wonderment persona, yet they still somehow have chemistry.

The character, Louden Swain, is a die-hard optimist who has big dreams for the future. Matthew Modine does an inspiring job in becoming this character. Bottom-line, this movie is all Modine. He carried this film and it would never have worked without him.

Whenever I call in at work, this is my "go to" movie that I pop in to pass the time. It's a fun movie that you can watch over and over again. Yes, parts of it are quite cheesy but that's what makes it even more amusing. Great 80's soundtrack too! Enjoy!

-RM

Rape quest

[peterpants66 · 5/10 · 4 February 2010]

This is a movie about wresslin, to be more accurate High School wresslin, the toughest of its kind, and no one on earth has a clearer understanding of this fact then young Matthew Modine. The movie starts off pretty basic, Modine lives with his uncaring pop Ronny Cox and Linda Fiorentino plays a young artist caught in the middle of their world. The movie gets going right away and the training sequences are excellent, although i cant tell if MM actually wrestled at any point in his life, he does an alright job portraying the weight cutting, nose bleeding, underwear inspecting-jock in this weird movie about strange bedfellows. Linda Fiorentino looks good in this movie for five seconds then she just starts looking downright grisly. The more the movie went on the more she started to look like a guy. And with all the hype of the star wrestler appropriately named "shoot", his bark is much bigger then his bite as the climactic match has as much pop as a flat soda in the middle of a pizza party. The movie is pretty good albeit racked with totally uninspired performances from everyone except Steve Perry who's belting out some eighties single he threw together after Journey broke up. This is nothing amazing, its just o.k. in my book, i would have liked to see more training and more fighting, the nemesis wrestler Modine must face who everyone in the movie is absolutely terrified of gets little screen time, and the side story with Linda Fiorentino is unnecessary in my opinion and was added to make this a date movie. So throw on your singlet and fire up some plain popcorn for this barn-buster. 5 thumbs. meh.

Still the best H.S. wrestling movie

[rob_lewis-244-686672 · 9/10 · 20 February 2015]

After 30 years this is still the best High School wrestling movie out there. Fox Catcher was horrible in comparison. I don't recommend this for anyone unless they are in the sport. Most people won't understand what it takes to make a choice to change your life. To make a change when good natured people in your life are trying to sway you from your goal. The movie is a great example of self determination you don't see often in movies anymore. O.k. A perfect example. IMDb is saying that isn't enough information. I should have been able to wrap this up in the first sentence. You must conform to the box that has been prepared to receive your thoughts. Trust me the movie is worth seeing.

Worth Watching

[pmtelefon · 6/10 · 10 July 2023]

The '80s was the greatest decade when it came to teen movies. There were some clunkers but most of those teen movies were either good or very good. "Vision Quest" is another one of the good ones. It has a good cast and they all do a nice job. Mathew Modine gives a very nice performance. Ronny Cox does a nice job too. A dreamy Linda Fiorentino does a nice job as well after she stops doing that "ay yo" New Jersey thing. The sound track is also very good. Yet despite all of its strong points, "Vision Quest" somehow misses the mark. It doesn't connect the way it should. I've seen this movie quite a few times. But for some reason, I never really think about watching it.

It's True! It's True!

[Micsta · 1/10 · 28 December 2000]

It's True! It's True!

That high school wrestlers do live a hard lifestyle but this film was bad at expressing it. First off, if you are going to meet a state champ it'll be better to have shown that you worked your way up to him by a tournament then some scheduled meet. As alumni of my high school wrestling team my final match was against a defending state champ and my story was twice as better and more fun than Vision Quest except with the trip with the hot girl. The bottom line is that Vision Quest is a horrible film even for 1985 for expressing the life of high school wrestler.