Fandango [Blu-ray]

Director: Kevin Reynolds Kevin Reynolds

Overview

The still unknown Kevin Costner carries this film that involves five college roommates on a last "fandango" before they separately face the harsh realities of an unpredictable future. It is 1971, and the Vietnam War has not yet ended. Gardner Barnes (Costner) has extended his college years by six semesters in an attempt to stave off the rapidly approaching future, Kenneth (Sam Robards) has just canceled his wedding in a drunken look at reality, Lester (Brian Cesak) loves alcohol and tags along with the group just to have a good time, Dorman (Chuck Bush) is devoted to existentialism and flights of poetic fancy, and Phil (Judd Nelson) is barely a member of the group because he is consorting with the enemy: he is a member of ROTC. This unlikely mismatch cavorts through several classic college pranks, among them taking bets on daredevil acts like skydiving into the middle of nowhere. As their high jinks continue, it becomes apparent that their real desire is not to live a wild life for its own sake, but to postpone the moment when they will have to leave school and its lifestyle behind them.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/12/2022
UPC:	0883929788019
Original Release:	1985
Rating:	PG
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:31:00
Sales rank:	25,629

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kevin Costner	Gardner Barnes
Judd Nelson	Phil Hicks,Rancher's Wife
Sam Robards	Kenneth Waggener
Chuck Bush	Dorman
Brian Cesak	Lester
Suzy Amis	Girl
Marvin J. McIntyre	Truman Sparks
Glenne Headly	Trelis
Pepe Serna	Gas Station Mechanic
Robyn Rose	Lorna
Stanley Grover	Phil's Dad
Jane A. Johnston	Phil's Mom
Don Brunner	Heckler No. 1
Michael Conn	Heckler No. 2
Michael Maxwell Katz	Heckler No. 3
Dana Halsted	Coed
Karl Wickman	Helicopter Pilot
Michael M. Vendrell	Helicopter Policeman
Bill Evridge	Rancher
Ken Fagen	Man on Bench
Bill Silver	Man on Bench
Ben Graham	Mayor
Jewel Watson	Salad Lady
Allen Keown	Butcher
E.G. Daily	Judy
Bill Warren	'Truman' Stunt Pilot
Manley Adams	Man on Beach
Alan Silvestri	Composer
Dmitri Shostakovich	Composer

Technical Credits

Kevin Reynolds

James Big Boy Medlin

Pat Kehoe	Producer
Kathleen Kennedy	Executive Producer
Frank Marshall	Executive Producer
Barrie M. Osborne	Producer
Kevin Reynolds	Director,Screenwriter
Tim Zinnemann	Producer
Steven Spielberg	Producer
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	Special Effects
Shane Dixon	Stunts
Larry Holt	Stunts
Walter Robles	Stunts
Reid Rondell	Stunts
Chuck Waters	Stunts
B.J. Worth	Stunts
Vanessa Theme Ament	Sound Effects
Richard Bryce Goodman	Sound Effects
Scott Hecker	Sound Effects
Fred Lerner	Stunts
Mary Goldberg	Casting
James Big Boy Medlin	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The year is 1971. Kenneth has called off his wedding because he has been drafted. Phil is going off to fight in Vietnam. The entire gang has just graduated from college. With adulthood very much at hand, Gardner decides before he runs off to Mexico to escape the draft that the Groovers need to go "dig up Dom." It is on this thin strand of a plot that first-time director Kevin Reynolds hangs a series of bittersweet coming-of-age sequences full of warmth, charm, and humor. One of the continuing subplots in the film is that Phil and Gardner fight over Kenneth's future. Phil wants him to go to Vietnam, while Gardner wants him to dodge his induction notice. During their adventure, the guys pick up a pair of girls who take them to a cemetery where they all engage in a fireworks fight. During this humorous sequence, Kenneth slips on a fresh grave. He sees that it is for a young man just killed in the war. As he rolls back over, the sky is full of smoke and flashes of light, while on the ground people run haphazardly and scream. Suddenly the fireworks fight has become something else. It is a moment when a character gets to see one of his possible futures. Each of the characters has a scene where he is allowed to glimpse what may be in store for them. Those moments, which could come off as cutesy and coy, are actually quite moving thanks to the wonderful script by Reynolds and the unforced performances by Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, and Sam Robards. By the end of the film, each of them has made difficult decisions about themselves and their friendships. The Groovers succeed in their quest to dig up Dom, but their real accomplishment is that they grow into such fine young men.

All Movie Guide - Perry Seibert