Side Out

"Monroe Clark" (C. Thomas Howell) is flying out to Los Angeles to work during the summer for his wealthy "Uncle Max" (Terry Kiser), who happens to be a real estate lawyer. Monroe's first job is to serve eviction notices to those who cannot pay their rent. In the process of serving a notice on a famous beach volleyball player named "Zack Barnes" (Peter Horton), he also meets an attractive cocktail waitress by the name of "Samantha" (Courtney Thorne-Smith). One thing leads to another, and before he knows it, another person named "Wiley Hunter" (Christopher Rydell) convinces him to team up with him in a beach volleyball competition. And then things begin to get interesting. Anyway, for a beach movie, this wasn't too bad. Although the plot was somewhat routine and the acting was barely adequate, the thing that kept this movie entertaining was the fast-paced sports action and some nice-looking ladies, including Harley Jane Kozak (as "Kate Jacobs"), Kathy Ireland ("Marie"), and the aforementioned Courtney Thorne-Smith. Again, it's a beach movie, so one shouldn't expect too much from it. I rate it as average.

Mostly fair or bad actors, very average script, some nauseating cliche scenes, relies mostly on big 80s hair and C Thomas Howell's 11/10 looks. But hey, someone had to put a cap on al the lousy 80's movies...even if this one waited until the 90's.

The story is actually reasonable, and CT is a solid actor, but so many improbables. Would you get into a hearse with a total stranger?

If you like volleyball, this is your only movie, so you should see it. If you like CT Howell, he's kind of at peak hotness, still a beautiful guy but old enough to finally have some masculinity.

I recently rewatched Side Out (1990) on Tubi. The story follows a law student who moves to California for a summer job, only to get swept up in the world of beach volleyball. His growing obsession with the sport and his knack for hustling start to consume him. His passion catches the attention of a former volleyball legend, and together, they aim to leave their mark on the California volleyball scene.

Directed by Peter Israelson in his only major film project, Side Out stars C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders), Peter Horton (Children of the Corn), Courtney Thorne-Smith (Ally McBeal), Kathy Ireland (Necessary Roughness), and Harley Jane Kozak (Parenthood).

I must have seen this movie on HBO a hundred times as a kid, and it brings back the nostalgic charm of '80s sports films with its familiar characters, life lessons, and predictable but satisfying ending.

The cast is fun and well-suited to their roles. The dialogue is exactly what you'd expect, with a few clever lines and a generally authentic vibe. The conclusion is straightforward and predictable, but it adds to the charm of this lighthearted, feel-good film.

In conclusion, Side Out isn't groundbreaking, but it's a fun watch if you're looking for a bit of nostalgia. I'd rate it a 5-5.5/10 and recommend it only if you go in with the right expectations.

How can anyone say this is not a great movie? Sure, you know what's going to happen, and it's lame, and silly, but so what? There are plenty of songs you hear that you know how they're going to sound less than 20 seconds into it. Pro wrestling is fake, but it's not about that. This movie is fun. People who look into it, and try to analyze the movie are missing the point. It's not Citizen Kane, or Schindler's List. The point is, there's a time and a place for those movies. This movie isn't supposed to be that. It's thoughtless fun, an escape just like anything else. Had a bad day, wanna relax without putting ANY thought into anything, just watch this movie. It brings a smile to my face every time i watch it. Where else will you get a movie with a guy named Wiley, or get to hear Terry kaiser say "I'll even throw in a company car." Classic, simply classic cheese ball movie.

C. Thomas Howell and Courtney Thorne-Smith are the only two in the cast that really display any acting talent, but the parts are so poorly written that even they have trouble. The real focus of anybody watching this movie shouldn't be the plot (it's terrible) or the acting (equally bad), and god forbid that you try to follow the poorly-thought-out dialogue...the real focus of the movie is beach volleyball. The addition of such high-caliber players as Smith, Stoklos, Dodd, and Steffes saves this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed watching such incredible players, even though the games were scripted.

Anyone think Kiraly will show up in Side Out 2?