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"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 and so one shouldn't expect too much from it. I rate it as average.

This is one of the truly great volleyball movies of all time. Not that I can think of any other volleyball movies that were released. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed it when I first saw it. Remember, this came out in 1990, so of course it may not be up to par with todays standards of movies, but the same could be said about the original Star Wars trilogy. This movie is what got me into volleyball back in the day (my high school years). I'd recommend it to anyone. In fact, it comes out on DVD in early July. It's at least worth the rent! I'd give it 9 out of 10 stars.

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?

If you lower your standards and go in there expecting a B-movie, this one is fabulous. First of all, the cast:Peter Horton, C. Thomas Howell (wow, he grew up), Terry Kiser (he's alive for this one!), lovely Courtney Thorne-Smith. Even Kathy Ireland shows up... This movie came out right around the time that I was getting serious about volleyball, so of course my gang and I simply LOVED it. Of course it is totally unrealistic: a guy from nowhere ends up playing in an AVP final in 2 weeks! I wish. Anyway, it's also great to see all the legends of the game: O'Bradovich, Sinjin, Randy, Hov, Dodd, many of whom I have since met in person, wow, it doesn't get better than this. Even if you don't like volleyball, there's a decent plot. If you're a B-movie fan, you can't skip this movie. If every movie must have a deep inner meaning and soul to it, or has to make a statement, by all means skip it.

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.