Risky Business
Risky Business
R
6.6
·

1983

·

98m

Risky Business

Summary

Meet Joel Goodson, an industrious, college-bound 17-year-old and a responsible, trustworthy son. However, when his parents go away and leave him home alone in the wealthy Chicago suburbs with the Porsche at his disposal he quickly decides he has been good for too long and it is time to enjoy himself. After an unfortunate incident with the Porsche Joel must raise some cash, in a risky way.

Director, Screenplay

Paul Brickman

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

December 11, 2018

5

***Entertaining teen comedy with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay, but disturbingly dishonest***

“Risky Business” (1983) stars Tom Cruise as a preppy teen from the Chicago suburbs. When his parents leave for a trip, he has the house to himself and enlists the services of a call girl (Rebecca De Mornay), which leads to serious and amusing problems.

This is the film with the iconic sequence of Cruise lip-syncing in private to Bob Seger’s "Old Time Rock and Roll." We’ve all done it. In any case, “Risky Business” is similar to “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986), but with the artiness of “Less than Zero” (1987) minus the melancholy.

As far as all-around entertainment goes, this is an easy 7/10, but I have to lower my grade due to the glorification of prostitution. Yes, I realize it’s a teen comedy and you have to roll with it to enjoy it, which I did and did.

But the portrayal of prostitution & prostitutes is strictly fantasyland and I find it disingenuous and irresponsible. Would all these guys seriously be so hot for these women who have sex with several strangers every work day? Am I the only one who finds this gross? Wouldn’t at least some of them be concerned about STDs? Wouldn’t the loose lifestyle of prostitution negatively affect the women, psychologically and spiritually? Wouldn’t there be signs of “wear and tear”? Of course none of these types of realities are addressed.

The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes and was shot in Highland Park, Illinois, & the Chicago area.

GRADE: C

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$6,200,000.00

Revenue:

$63,541,777.00

Keywords

chicago, illinois
high school
brothel
coming of age
prostitution
playful