Product Details

• Actors: Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, Arnold Schwarzenegger, R.G. Armstrong, Robert Englund
• Directors: Bob Rafelson
• Writers: Bob Rafelson, Charles Gaines
• Producers: Bob Rafelson, Harold Schneider
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: May 18, 2004
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00018YC3M
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,789 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Stay Hungry" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Quirky is the keyword here--but quirky in a highly entertaining way. Directed by Bob Rafelson, this film stars Jeff Bridges as a not-so-good ol' boy. Wealthy and aimless, he is involved in a real estate deal with a group of high-powered partners--and his only responsibility in the whole shebang is to evict the tenants of one building that needs to be torn down and has a gym filled with body builders. Disconnected from everything in his life, he feels a bond to these outsiders, particularly the surprisingly articulate, fiddle-playing Arnold Schwarzenegger (in one of his first film roles). He also finds himself attracted to the blue-collar gym employee played by Sally Field and so becomes an impediment to his own business partners. Oddly funny and affecting, a sleeper that never had much of a release. --Marshall Fine

Product Description

Jeff Bridges (Seabiscuit) is at his best (The Village Voice), Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Sally Field (Forrest Gump) is a revelation (New York Post) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) radiates assurance and appeal (The Wall Street Journal) in this inventive (Time) and upbeat film (Gene Siskel), for which he won a coveted 1977 Golden Globe.** Directed by Bob Rafelson (The Postman Always Rings Twice) from a screenplayby Charles Gaines and Rafelson, Stay Hungry is obviously the work of a master you'll have areal good time (CBS-TV)! When entrepreneur Craig Blake (Bridges) buys a small gym, he fully expects to demolish the place to make room for a high rise. Instead, he finds himself drawn into a world he never knew existed. From a perky gymnast (Field) who wears her heart on her leotard to a philosophizing Mr. Universe hopeful (Schwarzenegger), the freewheeling spirit of the gym touches Craig in a way he never expectedand plunges him into a hilarious off-the-wall plot to stop his high rise from ever rising! *Actress: Places in the Heart (1984); Norma Rae (1979) **Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Minor Film With Arnold Schwarzenegger! July 14, 2002

By Barron Laycock HALL OF FAME

Format:VHS Tape

For a film with the kind of ensemble star power that this art-film had, one woul d be surprised to find that it also was the first serious role for future mega-star Arnold Schwarzenegger, playing a suprisingly articulate and overwhelmingly personally irresistable bodybuilder, in essence, himself. yet this first attempt at serious acting was with the support of Jeff Bridges and Sally Field, both with big reputations , and also from famed director Bob Rafelson, who has done a lot of stellar work.

The plot is a bit silly and contrived; Bridges plays a down on his luck good ole boy, who tries unsuccesfully at first to ploy his charm into talking the owner of a small and musty gym into relinquishing his lease so Bridges' shady real estate partners can go ahead with a big down-town development. The problem is that Bridges begins to empathize with and befriend this motley crew of off-beat character, including the ever-smiling and instantly likeable Arnold, who shows himself to be quite adept at handling a fiddle. And incidentally, that really is him playing as the film cranks away.

The film never saw wide distribution, but is quite interesting because of who was in it as well as for some of the connections hovering just below the surface. The screen writer was also the author of the original novel, a guy named Charles Gaines, who had gone on to later co-author the smash best selling book, "Pumping Iron", whose primary focus of interest was, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is a good movie for a rainy afternoon, sweet and sentimental in all the right places, if somewhat insubstantial. Think of it as "Going My Way" on steroids! I think you'll be surprised how much you like it, in spite of some hokey moments. Enjoy!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You can't grow without burning January 11, 2004

By Peter J. Raia-jr

Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase

To begin, I'm a life-long bodybuilder and Arnold Schwarzenegger fan, so, although he's strictly a co-star in this, I'm obviously biased. That being said, however, I absolutely LOVE this movie all around! One of my favorite parts is the way some of the very best advice I've ever heard on friendships and relationships in general is dispensed throughout the film at times you didn't even realize you were learning something. Examples: Joe Santo (Arnold) is putting Craig Blake (Jeff Bridges) through a workout and advising him, "You can't grow without burning!", and we come to realize just how profound that was when Joe repeats those words as the two dispute just why Mary Tate Farnsworth (Sally Field) left Joe for Craig. Also, there's Craig's uncle Albert, whose voice is heard previously at times reading letters to Craig, telling him, "It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do something, and do it unsparingly.". Again, awesome movie. I've worn out two videos of it thusfar, having watched it so many times. Time to get ANOTHER one...

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Deceptive Marketing of Film February 5, 2005

By David Baldwin

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you were to take the packaging of "Stay Hungry" at face value you would think that the film is primarily a body-building film and that Arnold Schwarzenegger is the film's star. Nothing could be further from the truth. The film's main focus is about a recently orphaned rich kid(Jeff Bridges)from Birmingham,Alabama who along with his business partners is trying to buy a gym so they can tear it down and build apartments. These plans fall along the wayside when he falls for the gym's cute gymnast(Sally Field) and developes a friendship with the champion bodybuider(Schwarzenegger).This film takes a while to warm to because of it's unique rhythms. Bridges' character isn't an easy one to warm to because he seems a little self-absorbed and impulsive. That said, credit director Bob Rafelson for taking difficult material and making it interesting. As for Arnold's performance, he's very charismatic and has little trouble tackling the dramatic elements required of him. It's a wonder he didn't attempt more challenging roles in his career as opposed to the action parts that he churned out. Plus, he plays a mean fiddle.