IMDb RATING
5.7/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
Unable to find work after a past felony, graduate John Wisdom and his girlfriend embark on a cross-country bank-robbing spree in order to aid American farmers.Unable to find work after a past felony, graduate John Wisdom and his girlfriend embark on a cross-country bank-robbing spree in order to aid American farmers.Unable to find work after a past felony, graduate John Wisdom and his girlfriend embark on a cross-country bank-robbing spree in order to aid American farmers.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
Ernie Brown
- Motel Manager
- (as Ernie Brown)
Nicholas Shields
- Gun Salesman
- (as Nick Shields)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
why is this movie not on DVD?
and why when i ask if they've seen it do people look at me like i've got three heads?
and why have most of the IMDb comments ripped into it? its great!!OK its no empire strikes back or shawshank redemption but it does the job.good story,good soundtrack,demi moore,what else do you want? i have no doubt that some pretentious English lit grad budding movie reviewer is gonna shoot me down but it ticks all my boxes,if you've not seen it check it out, good old 80's semi post brat pack action pack fun!! that is of course my opinion, you are entitled to yours also.
and why when i ask if they've seen it do people look at me like i've got three heads?
and why have most of the IMDb comments ripped into it? its great!!OK its no empire strikes back or shawshank redemption but it does the job.good story,good soundtrack,demi moore,what else do you want? i have no doubt that some pretentious English lit grad budding movie reviewer is gonna shoot me down but it ticks all my boxes,if you've not seen it check it out, good old 80's semi post brat pack action pack fun!! that is of course my opinion, you are entitled to yours also.
Ever have one of those days where things just kind of get out of control and REALLY go from bad to worse? John Wisdom seems like a normal-enough guy who did the same stupid things we all did at that age, except he went a little further. He "borrowed" a car and got caught. Now, forever branded a convicted felon, he sees his future as a series of minimum wage jobs and boredom. One day that all changes, and it goes out of control. Watch the movie for the rest of the story. You won't be dissappointed. Hint: Watch ALL of the movie.
It's a great story, very believable with some action and excellent chemistry between its' stars, Demi Moore and Estevez. Tom Skirret plays his father, who doesn't know how to help his son. Actually, he hasn't a clue what to do. It's part fantasy and real Americana. This movie is a sleeper.
It's a great story, very believable with some action and excellent chemistry between its' stars, Demi Moore and Estevez. Tom Skirret plays his father, who doesn't know how to help his son. Actually, he hasn't a clue what to do. It's part fantasy and real Americana. This movie is a sleeper.
The critics love dubbing this "Wis-dumb", but I've never understood the harshness. Sure, this film isn't amazing, kind of in one ear out the other entertainment, but in my opinion undeserving of the worst of all time list. I can honestly say "Wisdom" spoke to me, especially in my late teens and early twenties and I think a lot of guys that age may feel the same. You always reach that point after high school of what to do now, or trying to find a job that you love. Estevez character faces those couple of things plus the fact that he has a felony attached to his name after a night of mistakes a few years earlier. Deciding that there isn't much for him out there in life, he's intrigued by a tv report documenting the financial problems farmers are having in the midwest. So he ends up (and this is where it gets tricky when trying to explain the film's plot to people) bombing and burning loan information kept in banks. The odd thing is that he begins this close to home in LA, but then heads east where the cause will have effect. Along for the ride is his loving girlfriend, played by Moore in one of her more sweeter performances. I just feel that Estevez really nailed her character by making her the sympathetic "I'll do anything for you" type. Not to mention that she's gorgeous and gives him plenty of physical love, even while on the lam. She really came off as a semi-dreamgirl. Meanwhile, as they head from town to town, there's a subplot about a determined FBI agent out to get Estevez, nicely played by Young. Some acuse the ending of being a copout, but I'm with others who enjoyed its originality. There's a good amount of drama as to what he will decide to do in that one moment. The film also includes some excellent Danny Elfman music, an actual song at the end along with a sensitive piano score. Overall, this flick is far from Oscar winning material, but it has some interesting ideas and should pass the time either way, as a bad or good two hours.
I think alot of people knew from the get-go this movie wasnt going to be a award winning movie, but I don't think the movie was horrible. It certainly wasn't Emilio or Demi's finest work but for being the age Emilio was when he wrote and directed this movie, he didn't do that bad of a job. As far as the critics go with this movie: In my opinion they weren't going to be kind with this movie no matter how it good it was because of Demi and Emilio's "Brat pack" status.
Only 13 years before this movie was made, in 1973, the father of Emilio Estevez (Martin Sheen) starred in the brilliant classic "Badlands", which has a similar storyline. This 1986 movie "Wisdom" is nowhere near as impressive as that seventies classic though, but "Wisdom" is definitely still worth a watch. Especially the acting is great. So if you like(d) Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore in the past, this movie is definitely worth a watch. Back to the eighties!
The story is simple. Emilio Estevez and his girlfriend Demi Moore, steal from the rich (the corrupt banks) and give to the poor (the American farmers). Will they get away with this Robin Hood kind of crime?
The good: the acting is really good. It's a lighthearted story, with a few subtle jokes and a few puppy love romantic scenes, but it's most of all a thrilling and suspenseful bank robbers movie, with lots of hold ups and chases.
Any bad? It's a bit silly now and then, credibility wise. It has got that eighties sound, with the silly synthesizer music. But overall these faults are minor. This is one heck of a charming action movie. Definitely a forgotten movie, that is worth more attention. Still quite enjoyable after 30 years.
The story is simple. Emilio Estevez and his girlfriend Demi Moore, steal from the rich (the corrupt banks) and give to the poor (the American farmers). Will they get away with this Robin Hood kind of crime?
The good: the acting is really good. It's a lighthearted story, with a few subtle jokes and a few puppy love romantic scenes, but it's most of all a thrilling and suspenseful bank robbers movie, with lots of hold ups and chases.
Any bad? It's a bit silly now and then, credibility wise. It has got that eighties sound, with the silly synthesizer music. But overall these faults are minor. This is one heck of a charming action movie. Definitely a forgotten movie, that is worth more attention. Still quite enjoyable after 30 years.
Did you know
- TriviaThis film was made 23-year-old Emilio Estevez the youngest person to ever write, direct, and star in a major motion picture. The record was broken by Xavier Dolan who did all the same functions at age 20 when he made J'ai tué ma mère (2009).
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Housing Bubble (2018)
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $6,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $5,715,174
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,994,197
- Jan 4, 1987
- Gross worldwide
- $5,715,174
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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