80sfilms

In the spring on 1988, my best friend and I went to the theater to see “that film with the geek from Sixteen Candles in it.”

The film, Johnny Be Good, was about football, so we weren’t expecting much, but we were in for quite a surprise.

Sometime in the span of a few years, Anthony Michael Hall morphed from scrawny geek to hot guy. And his cohort, Robert Downey Jr., wasn’t too shabby either.

In the film, Hall played Johnny Walker, a high school football stud being recruited by big names. 

His girlfriend, Georgia, isn’t too thrilled with the recruitment tactics of some of the schools, and when Johnny starts to let all the accolades go to his head, everyone gets a bit tired of his schtick.

The film, directed by Bud Smith, co-stars Paul Gleason, Jennifer Tilly and Uma Thurman (as Georgia). Look for Howard Cosell, Jim McMahon and Robert Downey Sr. in small roles as well.

Johnny Be Goodis an often-overlooked 80s film, and for Hall, marked his transition from co-star to bonafide leading man. His previous roles included Weird Science (1985), The Breakfast Club (1985), Sixteen Candles (1984), and Vacation (1983). Hall built on his successful movie career by going on to star in the television drama “The Dead Zone”, where, ironically, he played a guy named Johnny.

Downey Jr. was just getting his feet wet in acting in the 80s as well, after having co-starred with Hall in Weird Science. He moved on to roles in The Pickup Artist (1987), Less Than Zero (1987), and Chances Are(1989). After hitting a few bumps in the road, Downey Jr. is currently enjoying a strong comeback and has exhibited excellent acting in films such as Iron Man (2008), Charlie Bartlett (2007), Zodiac (2007), A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005).

Thurman retained both her beauty and her underrated acting ability, parlaying both into roles both large and small in films such as Beautiful Girls (1996), Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Hysterical Blindness (2002) (TV), and The Life Before Her Eyes (2007).

For those who enjoy morality comedy/dramas, as well as fans of Hall, Johnny Be Good is a great 80s film about the choices we make in life, and how those choices affect everyone around us in one way or another.

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