Fandango

Five friends (the self-named "groovers") go on one final fandango before graduating college and going on to life, war, marriage, etc. Their destination is the Texas desert where they plan to dig up Dom, the friend they buried on the night their group was formed.

The film is a wonderful mix of poignant life lessons and slapstick hilarity. The crew consists of slacker Gardner, life-troubled kenneth, weenie extraordinaire Phil, overweight divinity student Dorman, and unconscious Lester (the fifth groover). As they wind their way through the Texas scrub on their last adventure, each of them faces the approaching life after college in his own way, reacting to his fears and the failings of his friends in the draft years of the Vietnam War.

An unknown Kevin Costner pulls off the role of Gardner Barnes with an easy perfection that would convince you there must be something of Gardner in him. He's utterly convincing as the footloose rascal on a mission to evade life.

The other performances are respectable, including that of Judd Nelson in the role of uptight ROTC cadet Phil Hicks who despises the moral ambiguity of the other characters while starving for their affection.

Though this movie is not a well-known blockbuster, it holds up well against others of the same genre. Definitely worth the price of a rental, and with the February 2005 DVD release, a good addition to your collection. Good music, good humor, and great fun.

I saw this film this morning, I was transporting to those old films in which Spielberg is th executive producer, thisis a good movie, very nostalgic, this movie was never showd in Colombia and i am so happy to have the chance to watch it

Those were days

A very underrated and under-seen film - thanks to the clods at Amblin (presumably because no one in the cast resembled an alien). Great acting, writing, and directing (from Kevin Reynolds). One of the only films Costner has ever acted in where he didn't resemble a stick of wood. I love this movie through and through. The sky diving scene (which is apparently what the film is built around, Reynolds' student film 'Proof') is fantastically funny from beginning to end. Marvin J. McIntyre is a true hero. GREAT soundtrack from beginning to end. The opening credits alone are worth the price of the rental. And the climax scene at Waggner's wedding is one of the most romantic and sensitive wedding scenes ever committed to film.

Don't miss it.

Quite simply the best film I've ever seen and as someone mentioned earlier, the `perfect' film. I've never known a film to captivate me to such a degree, and by the time Kevin Costner holds aloft his farewell beer at the end, you feel as though you're saying goodbye to a lifelong friend. There are so many scenes throughout which seem so uncannily familiar that its almost eerie, yet so comforting to watch. In those final few minutes, you're treated to some of the most beautiful scores that you could possibly wish to hear, a handshake that could tell a thousand words, and a stunning landscape which is the final destination for a group of friends who make the perfect combination. This will always be more than just a film to me. It's a key to unlock all those wondrous emotions that you once experienced many moons ago.

On one level, "Fandango" may just seem like another nostalgia piece - in this case focusing on some college students in 1971 Texas. But it certainly has its moments. Kevin Costner and Judd Nelson make the most of their roles. If the movie has any problem, it's that it paved the way for director Kevin Reynolds to direct Kevin Costner in the brainless "Waterworld" (which itself paved the way for - gulp - "The Postman").

But one can ignore those and just bask in the fun here. You just may want to experience what the movie portrays. Also starring Sam Robards and Glenne Headly.

So, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you watch this "Fandango"?