Product Details

• Actors: Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling, Ronny Cox, Harold Sylvester
• Directors: Harold Becker
• Writers: Darryl Ponicsan, Terry Davis
• Producers: Adam Fields, Jon Peters, Peter Guber, Stan Weston
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: January 13, 1998
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0790733455
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,000 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This film wraps up the big wrestling match that Terry Davis's novel left unresolved. It also makes Carla (Linda Fiorentino, in her screen debut) less of a bad girl. What it does capture is the book's flowing feeling of power and the possibility of youth. Probably best known for presenting a just-emerging Madonna singing "Crazy for You," Vision Quest also uses Matthew Modine nicely. He doesn't typify the usual coming-of-age youth, but his character, Louden Swain, isn't the typical youth, period. Swain needs to win the Washington State wrestling championship, and he's up against a guy who carries logs up stadium steps. He's also involved with an older woman, Carla, and learning that love and all that stuff is much harder than pinning an opponent. Ah, youth. --Keith Simanton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As close to a perfect movie as one can be..., March 31, 2000

By 

Buz (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vision Quest (DVD)

...and I was not a wrestler -- in fact, I rather disliked the sport growing up! What makes this one of the greatest movies, besides the brilliant casting, directing, music and of course, acting; is the way it moves your emotions. If you don't feel complete euphoria after watching this film, you don't have a pulse either. Call it a cult classic, or a relic of the past -- however it gets categorized -- it will go down in history as an inspiring, true-to-life portrayal of youth and passion and the quest for success. Not a single scene in this movie is flawed or unbelievable -- a truly remarkable...yes...masterpiece.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars something for us..., October 7, 2000

By 

Quray Bey (Wayne, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vision Quest [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I confess; I am a wrestler and that probably biases me slightly. No matter, I love this movie. My wrestling coach showed our team this movie my sophomore year in high school, and I have loved it ever since. Truly, before I seen this movie I thought no one understood how we felt--the feeling of sacrificing so much and receiving so little in return. The blood, sweat, and tears (literally) that came along with such a demanding sport, along with the joy, comradery and lasting friendships developed through sweat all come together in this movie. There are dozens of football, basketball, and baseball movies, but now we have something to call our own. Something we can watch that reminds us of how we used to be. If you have ever worked hard or sacrificed for anything in your life, you should not only understand this movie, but should love it.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great film about youth and the power of dreams, February 28, 1999

By 

Jon Reed "SAP market analyst" (Northampton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vision Quest [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Vision Quest is a flawed movie, but also a movie that transcends its flaws with the emotional power of many of its scenes. One of the great movies of "coming of age" with one of the great, fully rendered male youths I've seen in this type of movie. The sex is handled very realistically, without romanticizing or simplifying Modine's character.

I think the thing that makes this movie so memorable is the soundtrack, and the use of the soundtrack. Youth movie directors of today should refer back to this movie to see the power of song used in the right way, not just to promote a CD. This movie makes me believe in the yearning of youth and what you can accomplish and the complexities of becoming a man. It also makes me remember a time when songs really had impact. The soundtrack is still available today, that should tell you something. Even the Journey song rings true, as incredible as that may seem.

On the rental version of this movie, the back cover presents this movie as a "feel good" film. I don't agree. It is an inspiring movie, but also achingly real and sad. There isn't really a happy ending, it is more like a snapshot in time. The hero, Matt Modine, doesn't sail off in the sunset with a girl. What you are left with is more of a snapshot of a time to remember, a time that is in retrospect too short- but a time that had such possibility and hope that you would never ever want to forget it.