How a 1983 teen comedy became a breakout role for Tom Cruise
In short: Before he was an action icon, Tom Cruise starred in a sharp satire about suburban angst. Released in 1983, Risky Business transformed a high school senior's chaotic weekend into a commercial success that remains a definitive coming-of-age film for many critics today.
Directed by Paul Brickman in his directorial debut, Risky Business follows Joel Goodson, a high school senior living in the wealthy Glencoe community of Chicago's North Shore. The narrative explores the sexual and entrepreneurial exploits of a teenager navigating the pressures of parental expectations and academic futures, specifically regarding his potential admission to Princeton University.
The film proved to be a significant commercial and critical success. It grossed more than $63 million in the United States, ranking as the tenth-highest-grossing film of 1983. This performance earned Tom Cruise his first Golden Globe Award nomination and is widely considered his breakout role. Critics have frequently compared the film's themes to the 1967 classic The Graduate.
To find Joel, the production held auditions that saw many famous actors, such as Tom Hanks, John Cusack, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, and Sean Penn, compete for the part. While Michelle Pfeiffer was offered the role of Lana, she ultimately turned it down. The film's distinctive atmosphere was further shaped by a score from Tangerine Dream and a soundtrack featuring artists like Prince and Bob Seger.
Retrospective analysis has cemented the film's legacy. In 2015, Entertainment Weekly ranked it number 31 on its list of the 50 Best High School Movies, describing it as a satire of privileged suburban teens facing the pressure to be perfect. Its iconic imagery—specifically Cruise dancing in his briefs to 'Old Time Rock and Roll'—has been parodied and recreated across decades of media.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Risky Business
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