Louden Swain practicing his moves alone on the mat to "Lunatic Fringe' was magic.

Best scene in the film did not have Carla or Shute. It was the monologue Elmo did regarding "It's what happens in that six minutes."

I love this film. It takes me back to special time in my life when I was a young nineteen-year-old airman serving in the Air Force. The character's sheer determination and single-mindedness have you cheering him every step of the way. Great songs by Journey, Red Ryder and others move the movie along. The peg board scene gives me goosebumps even to this day.

One of the reasons this movie is great because the antagonist is not made 'evil' he is just competitive.

I think every Wrestler on Earth has seen Vision Quest. Great Movie. Great Soundtrack...Carla is a certified 80's Hottie!! One of my all time favorite Sports movies.

I loved these movies as a kid. First was Breaking Away...then the Karate Kid and Vision Quest. These movies made young adolescents seem like real coming of age people struggling with issues.

Glad to hear they both agreed on this one. It's an awesome movie.

Rest In Peace Siskel and Ebert I loved this show

Regardless of how long ago this movie was made, it still holds up today. The story is just that good. Boy has crush on girl and has a dream to go after his goal. His best friend tells him about the Indian viewpoint of a Vision Quest. His friend is a cook where boy also works, an older mentor who gives a great speech about why he is taking off work and losing money, getting all cleaned up for "It's what happens in those six minutes". Great movie. Watched it when it came out, and still do.

This was filmed in my hometown of Spokane, Wash. when I was in about 7th grade. My dad got a part as an extra in it, at the end in the final wrestling bout, and actually knew Terry Davis, the author of the book and co-writer of the screenplay. I remember the sense of pride at the time that a major picture had been filmed in my town. Same feeling several years later when Benny & Joon was filmed in Spokane, the neighborhood scenes also filmed in Peaceful Valley down along the Spokane River. Great film!

Vision Quest happens to be one of the best sports-jock movies of all time, and one of my favorites. Every aspect of this movie works including the training sequences, the love romance drama, the school and the town, the tough sports opponent, and the soundtrack. Even Madonna had a minor role in it. Classic movie.

One of the most inspirational movies of all time. God Damn Glorious!

Ebert said that Modine's character has a goal of winning the state title. Actually, his goal is specifically not to win the state title. He would have had a better chance of accomplishing that had he stayed out of Shute's division. They even feature the scene where he explains precisely that to Carla. The climatic scene isn't at the state finals, just a home meet for Thompson High.

Why is it that 80's movies are so much better on Sunday afternoons.

Siskel incorrectly credited the book to Darryl Ponicsan. The book was written by Terry Davis, who is currently working on a sequel.

I was in college, when this came out; but, one of the reasons I felt it worked well was because the young characters felt authentic. They weren't the suburban John Hughes teens; but a more of a blue collar world, on the lower end of the economic scale, with hopes and dreams, but not many opportunities. In that world, you do find goals, like defeating the state champion in a lower weight division, to prove what you can do. You work a side job to make ends meet and you don't have a pretty life, but find your pleasures in small moments of life, rather than expensive toys. Modine is really good in this, as is the whole cast, especially Ronnie Cox, as his father. Great use of music, too, and one of my favorite 80s soundtracks, with an eclectic mix or artists, including a still young (in her career) Madonna, with "Crazy For You" (the romantic hit of the soundtrack) and the under-rated "Gambler." Of course, the best is Red Ryder's "Lunatic Fringe," for the climactic bout. It's great "entrance music."

She's beautiful

I remember when their show was called Sneak Previews.

Madonna’s ‘Crazy for you’ is a great song from the soundtrack.

I wish movie theaters still had balconies

Man I miss Siskel n Ebert 🙏😟. This movie was sooo good, saw it in 2017. Bought the DVD and Journey's song is excellent "Only the young". Avoided it for decades cause of the title. Don't know why?

Respect to Siskel and Ebert for recognizing that Vision Quest is a great movie that transcends the formula.

Who knew Kuch was Jake Ryan from sixteen candles

Linda Fiorentino

I like their comments about a "formula" movie being done right. There are only so many formulas that are done over and over, and most times they fail. This one was pretty good IMO.

His goal wasn't a title or championship. It was the unfathomable. His goal was bigger than a championship. Shute was the unattainable

Too young to remember the intro to this version of this show. It's priceless! I miss these critics!

lauden swain is my hero/great movie/great soundtrack/ classic!

This was a favorite of mine and i DO recall an against-type sports film climax...The Bad News Bears!

I always loved Kuch! I love when he lost it when seeing Carla, for the first time.

Just watched it tonight. I live in Spokane so it is cool to see the background. Had not seen it in 25 years.

Loved this movie when it came out and I was young…still resonates with me.

More than just movie critics, Siskel & Ebert also helped me develop both a voice and a context to experience.

Only the young can say They're free to fly away Sharing the same desires Burning like wildfire

He’s working an eating disorder to the point of anemia… he tries to force himself on Carla… he obsesses over Shute… in the end, he bags the girl, beats Shute and is the hero of the school. A true 80s message.

Love the 80s audio, it's in mono not stereo.

I just found out that Mathew played Martin Brenner in Stranger Things. Mind blown.

There is definitely heart in this movie and others. Soundtrack was great! Movies made during the early eighties are the kind you can watch over and over again. Sadly, most movies that come out today, are remakes of old stories with no heart

Matthew Modine's mannerisms and idiosyncrasies were on point. Despite being a great wrestler, Loudon Swain is a very awkward teen -- and Modine played him perfectly. Very underrated performance in a very underrated movie.

This movie is why I started training in middle school to wrestle in high school. Will that and the state champions in my family wouldn't stop playing it

I left that school as the chin up school record holder,ie name on the gym wall

Roger may have made a mistake in this review in regards to the story being the same as the Karate Kid. Vision Quest was released in 83', Karate Kid was 84'.

I have never seen this entire movie, in fact i didn't pay attention to it when it was playing on TV in front of me, but this scene caught me, and i have never forgotten it.

Great movie! On my favorites list. Love all the characters. Warms my heart every time I watch it. The Journey song " Only The Young " awesome

No movie uses Spokane as a setting except this one. Wonder why. Some nice backdrops.

I've never wrestled, but have had training commitments, this movie got me wanting to work out, but I love 80s movies as a kid from that decade. This movie is impoosible to hate.

One of the better coming of age movies ever. Great cast, phenomenal soundtrack and the wrestling culture in this movie was extremely authentic.

great movie and soundtrack. Interesting to see Siskel and Ebert do their critique. Use to watch them alot back in the day. Boomers rock and rule.

Although it did not detract from the movie, did anyone else notice that the scoring was off by a point in the final match with Shute. I guess only wrestlers who actually kept track of the score during the match would have noticed this in the movie, but in the end, the scoring didn't matter since the match ends with a pin! This was the only thing I think the editor missed! One of my favorite movies of all time!

A great movie and glad they both agree on this . For some reason in Australia it was known as Crazy for you …I guess because of the Madonna song which features . I prefer the title Visionquest myself

I was in high school when this came out and when it came out on VHS. I loved the movie for what point it made about making the most out of what you do. It is easy to just fall in and just get by, but to take on a real challenge shapes you as an individual. Though.. I was never turned on by Carla, or Madonna.

I loved this movie, in Pennsylvania back in the day when I was in high school, wrestling was almost as big a sports as football and basketball and I had so many guy friends who were on wrestling teams from 7th through 12th grade. Of course the scene when his friend talked about the 6 minutes made be teary and I loved that song Lunatic Fringe, I never knew the name of it back then but it was awesome; and of course the Journey songs and I was a huge Madonna fan back then and loved seeing her, in her first movie . Just a great movie all around :)

I wrestled in middle and high til 1985 and yes this was on of my favorites. His nosebleed also evokes memories of my skinny 135lb self starving myself to cut weight.

This was a great take on the film by both these guys. As an amateur athlete and somebody who strove very hard for a final "payoff" ala Loudon Swain, I could totally relate to the themes that this film highlighted. I didn't always agree with them, but they nailed this one.

The most important message to me is the first 2 minutes of the movie ,when he says his age and how he'll make is Mark in life! The movie to me was all about inspiration, nothing to do with wrestling or any sport, it's about setting a goal and obtaining it!! Inspiration the # 1 feeling in life, without it I would never survive!!

The Pele speech

Loved this movie. One of my favorite sports movies and favorites from the 1980s. I disagree a little with Siskel, though, about the ending. Sure, it was a little cliche, but not sure what else he could've been expecting.

Think you'll make the weight?

Mathew Modine's Best Friend looks like Matt Dillon.

I was 16, a sophomore in highschool in 1985 when this brilliant movie came out. This is who we were starting to play sports in highschool.😊

Eberts childhood home is two blocks from mine

The absolute only thing that needs to NOT happen, is a remake... Ever !

siskep.and ebert. SISKEL AND EBERT!!!!!

Still love Linda to this day because of this movie.

So glad they liked it .Better days.

Siskel got the book writer wrong. Terry Davis wrote Vision Quest, not Daryl Poniscan, though both are great writers of dialogue and character.

Miss this show

Great Movie!!!!

if you were a wrestler during that time you would have picked up so many things in the movie that were what you experienced. Love the story and the way they represented Shoot. Wrestling during my time was the least popular sport in our school and thats to bad.

Terry Davis, FTW. Great writer and great teacher. He’s in the crowd for the final match against Shute.

Linda Fiorentino kinda had a lesbian vibe in the movie.

“You ever hear of Pele?”

Big guys aren’t better, they’re just so heavy and strong that wrestling them is dangerous.

Can't believe these 2 buffoons actually liked a movie that was neither a commercial hit nor nominated for a bunch of awards. This came out when I was in Jr. High I saw it & liked it but it wasn't till a couple years later just before I went into the army that I rewatched it a few times & it really started making more sense to me.

I am not a wrestling fan, but this movie was awesome. It is a kid who drops weight to go against the best wrestler in the state. Movie shows just how crazy he got to want to win. Love it. Ive only watched it 50 times, lol. "It goes to show you there is no tomorrow, cause when you get down to it, there isnt" great line to end the movie

A GREAT movie!!!!!! Highly recommend it!!!!!!

This movie was the definition of being in highschool in the 1980s...😊😊😊😊

Would be curious to hear a suggestion of how they would conclude the movie other than how it was done. Just have him lose? You can't really end the movie any different way than the match itself; the entire plot builds to the match with Schute. When I was younger and watched this movie I barely acknowledged the bit where they visit Louden's grandfather (I am excluding the important plot point of Louden and Carla becoming romantic). But as an adult I think the visit between him and his grandfather is really important.

"Sylvester Stallone" Translated for the hearing impaired: "Semester So Long" Jeez....

Best film ever besides Amadeus

Only three guys all season in my wrestling class climbed the peg board me and two others in minot

At 4:55 Gene talks about the " good writing" and all the "Wonderful things" Stallone put in his Rocky screenplay. This tells you that you should NEVER take what a critic says seriously. Gene gave thumbs down to ROCKY and actually used the words "ridiculous" and "embarrassing" to describe the characters and acting.

Anyone here from the 80s wanna know a secret about OUR fav movies that JOSHUA just told me???

One of my all time favs!!

I was not expecting such positive reviews all the way around. I thought they were going to tank this movie as corny...

"Big guys aren't better."

surprised these 2 liked this movie. Usually they don't like good movies.

Remember a very young and upcoming singer Madonna was in this movie too.

is there no sound in this vid or am I crazy?

"... that's my white name... i'm half indian on my mother's side." And her face is like "I don't care about any of the sounds that are coming out of your mouth-hole". And I totally get her. The funny thing is, I've also been that guy a few times, too much information, then thinking "There was absolutelty no need to share any of that".

I'd like to see a review of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

This is what I imagine all critics look like.

They need to make more high school or college wrestling movies.

This movie made me a better athlete

How come all teenagers in 80s movies looked like they were near 30

“SLIGHTLY older woman, who he’s in love with…” 😂 Being Politically Correct even in those days?? Hahaha! Louden is a GUY! I don’t care if he’s underaged or not, in love or not!! As long as she’s hot! Now, if the genders were reversed, THEN I would not be ok with that. All double-standards are not bad.

Does this movie hold up, or is it just nostalgic?

Looking backwards, neither guy understands the impact this film would have on 80s youth. The coming of age, striving for a goal, first love, overcoming obstacles. No mention of the amazing soundtrack. The review is a miss despite both guys faint praise.

Siskel accidentally makes a pun @5:24.

My God I remember this show, it was on Saturdays and it was so boring to me.