Risky Business

Risky Business is a 1983 film written and directed by Paul Brickman. Considered a breakout film for actor Tom Cruise (in the role of Joel), the movie is about a suburban Chicago teenage guy with aspirations of attending Princeton. While his parents are on vacation, Joel sinks his father's Porsche 928. To raise money for the repairs, Joel runs a brothel in his parents' Glencoe house and becomes a male gigalo. e film also stars Rebecca De Mornay as Lana, Joe Pantoliano as Guido, Curtis Armstrong as Miles, Richard Masur as Rutherford, the Princeton University interviewer, and Bronson Pinchot as Barry.

In the movie's iconic scene, Cruise dances in his underwear and socks and lip syncs to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll".

Taglines:

• There's a time for playing it safe and a time for Risky Business.
• Meet the model son who's been good too long.

Character quotes

• Joel: "My name is Joel Goodsen. I deal in human fulfillment. I grossed over $8000 in one night."
• Miles, then Joel: "Sometimes you just gotta say 'What the fuck!'." Miles tells this to Joel early in the film, and Joel later says this to his college admissions interviewer from Princeton University.
• Joel: "Porsche. There is no substitute."
• Lana: "Joel, go to school. Go learn something."
• Guido (to Joel): "In a sluggish economy, never ever fuck with another man's livelihood."
• Miles (to Joel): "I don't believe this! I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the killer pimp."
• Joel's mom (to Joel, after she finds a crack in her egg) : "This is so damn irresponsible of you"
• Joel's dad (to Joel) : "Princeton can use a guy like Joel. His exact words!"
• Joel (Narration): "She wanted to make love on a real train. Who was I to say no?"
• Joel: "Looks like the University of Illinois!"

Trivia

• The scene of Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear was later parodied in the Simpsons episode "Homer the Heretic" (only Homer dances to the song "Who Wears Short-Shorts"), King of the Hill episode "Peggy the Boggle Champ", in an episode of the television series ALF, in the "Canasta Master" episode of the comedy series The Nanny, in an episode of "Saved by the Bell", in an episode of Duckman entitled "Apocalypse Not", in an episode of Lizzie McGuire, in the South Park episode 416 - "The Wacky Molestation Adventure" (after Kyle gets his parents wrongfully arrested on molestation charges), in the film The Guru, in the episode "Ruskie Business" (the title itself a play on the movie) of Veronica Mars, in which one character dresses and dances as Cruise at an 80s-themed dance (and another character is named "Tom Cruz"), in the episode "The Lam" of NewsRadio, and twice on Saturday Night Live: once by Ron Reagan when he hosted in 1986 and once by Nicole Kidman when she hosted in the early 1990s.

• The Crystal Egg makes an appearance in episode 218 of The O.C. called "The Risky Business" which aired on April 7, 2005. The episode's plot involves the egg being put up for a charity auction but is stolen by a principle character from season two. The episode then centers on the characters trying to get back the egg. The episode also includes a remake of the famous "throwing the egg like a football" scene where a main character dives and catches it just before it hits the ground and breaks. Tangerine Dream's "Love on a Real Train" is also played during the episode.

• The series finale of Arrested Development (February 2006) has a sign reading "Risky Business" raised in the office after the Bluth Company stock improves and it is implied that one of the workers was inspired to re-create the famous dancing scene, but fails and injures himself by sliding into a ladder.

• The Goodsons' house is, in real life, just around the corner from the one used as the Jarretts' in Ordinary People

• This movie marked the first movie appearance of Megan Mullally as a call girl.

• This movie ranked number 40 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.

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