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Grandview, U.S.A.
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Grandview, U.S.A. is a 1984 comedy/drama film directed by Randal Kleiser. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Carole Cook, Ramon Bieri, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Winslow, and Troy Donahue. The original music score is composed by Thomas Newman. Filmed on Location in Pontiac, Illinois.
Tagline: Where dreams have a funny way of coming true.
teen-year-old Tim Pearson (played by C. Thomas Howell), a young soon-to-be graduate of Grandview High School, has his dreams, he wants to go to Florida to study oceanography.
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Encyclopedia
Grandview, U.S.A. is a 1984 comedy/drama film directed by Randal Kleiser. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Carole Cook, Ramon Bieri, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Winslow, and Troy Donahue. The original music score is composed by Thomas Newman. Filmed on Location in Pontiac, Illinois.
Tagline: Where dreams have a funny way of coming true.
Plot summary
Eighteen-year-old Tim Pearson (played by C. Thomas Howell), a young soon-to-be graduate of Grandview High School, has his dreams, he wants to go to Florida to study oceanography. Tim's father, Roger Pearson (played by Ramon Bieri), loans Tim his brand new Cadillac for Tim to go to the Prom with his date Bonnie Clark (played by Elizabeth Gorcey), he arrives at her house. Bonnie's mother and father (played by M. Emmet Walsh), takes pictures of the couple, they go to the Prom.
Michelle "Mike" Cody (played by Jamie Lee Curtis), owner of "Cody's Speedway", where they have the demolition derbies, is getting ready to open up for tonight. There is a man there from the County Office inspecting the place, he sees some violations. Mike is wondering why he is nosing around the place, he is doing his job, he says.
At the Prom, Tim and Bonnie are dancing, Bonnie wants to go for a drive, Tim decides to go. Later, they are parked near a stream, Tim and Bonnie are making out in the Cadillac, they feel the car moving. The car is falling into the stream, the car is sticking half way in, half way out. Tim gets out of the car and gets mud all over himself, he helps Bonnie get out and she gets mud all over her too. Bonnie is not happy. Tim has to get a tow truck to get the car out of the stream. Tim and Bonnie walk to "Cody's Speedway". Betty Welles (played by Carole Cook), is Mike Cody's mother, she is at the front taking the money for entering in the Seedway. Betty lets Tim go in since he and his money is muddy. Tim asks Mike for a tow, tells him to wait a bit. Bonnie's dad is mad at Tim, he hits Tim in the belly and Mike tells Mr. Clark to leave. Ernie "Slam" Webster (played by Patrick Swayze), is one of the drivers in the Demolition Derby, he wins a lot of the derbies. Mike asks Slam if he can tow his car, he says "yes". Slam and Tim are in the tow truck driving and Tim feels silly cause of what happened, by Slam tells him that his brain is on your head not between the legs. Slam stops at the bowling alley to see if his wife Candy (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) was there tonight, but she wasn't. Later on that night, he is at home, Candy is home, he is not too happy that his wife lied to him.
In the morning, Roger Pearson is outside looking at the car, he is not too happy, but doesn't get really angry. In downtown, Tim goes to see his dad at his office. Roger Pearson is the owner of "Pearson Reality". He talks to Tim and hints to him that he does not want Tim to drive his car again. Tim runs into Mike Cody and thanks her for helping him with the car.
Tim goes out to the Speedway, he meets Mike Cody's brother, Cowboy (played by John Philbin), a semi retarded man. Cowboy asks Tim if he has any gum, and says he does not. Tim asks Mike Cody at the Speedway if he can drive in it, but says not right now. Later on that night, Mike goes to the bar to see her uncle, Bob Cody (played by William Windom), who owns the bar and asks if she can borrow money, $10,000,she needs the money to fix up the Speedway. Bob doesn't have that kind of money, but wants to help her. They both heear someone banging on the video game, it is Slam, he is drunk. Mike and Bob help Slam out to her truck. Mike and Slam talk about old times they had together.
Tim is at the stream with his friend Johnny Maine (played by John Cusack), Tim hasn't told his dad yet he wants to go to Florida.
Slam is at work the next morning, he is hungover, his boss tells him to go home since he don't look good. Slam gets home and sees Candy with another man, he is Donny Vinton (played by Troy Donahue). Candy gets into the car with Donny. Slam is very angry and wants them to get out of the car. Donny refuses and Slam goes nuts, he kicks Donny's car and jumps on top of it, about to crush the 2 in the car. Donny pulls out a gun, he is about to shoot Slam, but Candy tries to stop him, Donny shoots himself in the foot, literally. At the hospital, the cop asks if anyone want to press charges against another, but they don't. Slam offers to give Candy a ride home, but refuses.
Slam has a peace bond on him, that is why he is at the Speedway. Mike sees Slam's truck on the track, he is sleeping in his truck. Mike and Slam talk about him and Candy, she sees that Slam is afraid of being alone. Mike knows that deep down, Slam does not love Candy. Later that day, Slam comes back and asks Mike if she wants to go out for dinner, but she has to go to a County Commission meeting.
Tim and his dad are going to the same meeting cause Roger Pearson is on the commission. Tim tells his dad that he wants to go to Florida and Roger is not too happy with his decision. At the Town Hall, Tim and Roger get their picture taken. Roger asks Tim to go to his office and get his rolaids. Tim is in the office and sees plans on his dad's desk. At the meeting, the commission is deciding on what to do with the Speedway, Mike gets a chance to speak, she wants more time to come up with the money to fix up the Speedway, but the commission won't give it to her. She is wondering why they are so willing to push her out. Tim comes in and reveals what they have planned. Roger is angry that his son told about the plans. Tim is not too happy with the way he did things and leaves the building. Tim runs into Mike, she thanks Tim for saving her place, they both go for a hamburger at the local restaurant, they both talk for a while. Tim asks Mike if she can get him some wine, and she does. Mike invites Tim to her house, Mike talks to Tim about her father, and Tim gives Mike a kiss, they both fall for each other and have a night of romance. Mike asks Tim if he still wants to drive in the Derby, she gives him a car to drive. Tim takes the car for a drive and they both have fun in the car. In the morning, they are still in bed till there is a knock at the door, it is Slam, he came over to cook her some breakfast, Tim is trying to reach for his pants, he goes for them and Slam sees him. Slam is upset, thinking that Mike didn't want to go out with him cause of Tim, but it wasn't. Tim feels bad for what happened, but Mike says it is alright. Mike lets Tim take the truck into town. Later on that day, Roger sees Tim near the stream, he tells Tim he is sorry about the way he did things and asks Tim to give I.S.U. a chance, but Tim wants to go to Florida.
At the Speedway, they old cars Mike sold is being taken away. Cowboy is not too pleased because he thinks the cars are his but they were never his. Cowboy runs off crying.
Slam calls Candy about getting his things and goes to his house and sees his stuff on the lawn getting wet by a sprinkler. Donny stands by the door and taunts Slam, telling him he called the cops. Slam gets his things and leaves.
Later that night, the Demolition Derby is going on, Tim is in the race. Slam is not pleased to see Tim at the race. Mike tells Tim to take off the red flag on his car when he is out. The derby begins, things go great, but Slam is really good. Tim does get hit, he is out but he doesn't take his flag off, he gets hit by Slam. Slam goes to see if Tim is alright, Tim is alright. Mike is mad cause she thinks Slam did that on purpose, she tells Slam to leave the track.
Later that night, Candy and Donny are playing sex games in the house, Donny is tied to the bed. Candy and Donny hear a noise, it is a bulldozer and Slam is driving it, he rams the big machine into the side of the house, then he comes around and hits the other side, exposing Donny to the outside, then Slam hits the whole house and the house is history. The cops arrest Slam.
Tim is at the hospital being checked out, he is all right. Tim and Mike are on the road, they see firetrucks passing by, they see that it is the Speedway burning down. Mike asks her mother what had happened, she says it just started up.
In the morning, the investigators discover that the gas tank was unlocked. The fire chief asks who has a key to the lock, it was Cowboy, he started the fire, but Mike and Betty forgive him. Cowboy did it cause of Mike selling the old cars. Tim though at first, it was his father, but it wasn't. Tim and Mike talk, she admits she is in love with Slam.
Mike goes to bail out Slam from jail, tells him that the Speedway has burned down, he offers to help fix it up, but Mike says she will sell the land to Roger Pearson, that way, it will get the two off to a great start. Mike asks Slam for a favor.
Tim is on his way to Chicago, he says goodbye to his friend Johnny Maine and Bonnie. Tim's mom, dad and sister are at the bus station saying goodbye to him. The bus leaves and a car is driving by the side of the bus, it is Slam, Tim thinks Slam wants to kill him, the bus pulls over and Slam gets Tim off the bus and Mike is there with him. Slam gives Tim the old car and Mike gives him money for his trip to Florida, Tim and Mike hug. Mike and Slam are on their way to the parade in town, they go to the parade.
Tim Pearson is driving his newly given car to Florida to fulfill his dream.
Trivia
C. Thomas Howell and Patrick Swayze both starred in three films together, this is one of them and they both starred in the 1983 film The Outsiders and the 1984 film Red Dawn.
Cast
External links
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