In the pantheon of 1980s cinema, Risky Business occupies a strange, slippery throne. To the casual viewer flipping through cable channels, it’s that movie where Tom Cruise dances in his underwear. To pop culture historians, it’s the launchpad for a generational superstar. But to anyone paying close attention, Paul Brickman’s 1983 masterpiece is something far darker, funnier, and more subversive than a simple teen sex comedy. It is, in fact, a razor-sharp critique of the Reagan-era American Dream, dressed in a pink Oxford shirt and set to a Tangerine Dream score.
When you hear the keyword , a single, iconic frame likely pops into your mind: Tom Cruise, clad in white briefs, a pink button-down, and Wayfarer sunglasses, sliding across a hardwood floor in his parents’ empty living room to the thumping bass of Bob Seger’s "Old Time Rock and Roll." Risky Business -1983-
Risky Business -1983- (bolded for SEO emphasis), Tom Cruise, coming-of-age, 80s movies, Rebecca De Mornay, Paul Brickman. In the pantheon of 1980s cinema, Risky Business
The story follows (Cruise), a high-achieving, sheltered high school senior from a wealthy Chicago suburb. When his parents leave for a week-long vacation, Joel is tasked with staying out of trouble and focusing on his Princeton University interview. But to anyone paying close attention, Paul Brickman’s