Taglines: Where dreams have a funny way of coming true.
Grandview, U.S.A. movie storyline. Life in the small town of Grandview, Illinois is one that is just like any other city or town. Tim Pearson, soon to be graduating high school wants to go to Florida to study oceanography. He meets Michelle “Mike” Cody and is attracted to her. She runs the local Demolition Derby place. Ernie “Slam” Webster is on of the drivers in the derby who’s wife is cheating on him and wants to later on be with Mike. Tim falls for Mike and a big love triangle is about to happen.
Grandview, U.S.A. is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Carole Cook, Ramon Bieri, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Winslow, Troy Donahue, and Steve Dahl. The original music score is composed by Thomas Newman. It was filmed on location in Pontiac, Illinois.
About the Story
Eighteen-year-old Tim Pearson, a soon-to-be graduate of Grandview High School, wants to go to Florida to study oceanography. Tim’s father, Roger Pearson, loans Tim his brand new Cadillac to go to the Prom with his date Bonnie Clark. Later, while parked near a stream, Tim and Bonnie are making out in the Cadillac, when they feel the car moving, only to discover that the car is falling into the stream.
Tim and Bonnie walk to “Cody’s Speedway” to get a tow truck, Bonnie calls her father, who is so angry about the accident that he punches Tim. Mechanic Michelle “Mike” Cody comes to Tim’s defense, and has Ernie “Slam” Webster, a local demolition derby driver, tow the car, taking Tim along. Slam stops at the bowling alley to see if his wife Candy had been there, but she wasn’t.
The next morning, Tim goes to see his father at his office. He talks to Tim and hints to him that he does not want Tim to drive his car again. Tim runs into Mike and thanks her for helping him with the car. Tim goes out to the Speedway, where he meets Mike’s mentally challenged brother, Cowboy. Later on that night, Mike goes to the bar to see her uncle, Bob Cody, and asks if she can borrow $10,000, so she can fix up the Speedway. Bob doesn’t have that kind of money, but wants to help her. Just then, they both hear a drunken Slam beating on a video game. Mike and Bob help Slam out to her truck. Mike and Slam talk about old times they had together.
Slam is at work the next morning, hungover, but his boss tells him to go home. Slam gets home and sees his wife Candy with another man, Donny. Enraged, he jumps on the lover’s car demanding that Candy come back to him; in the ensuing struggle, Donny accidentally shoots himself in the foot. At the hospital, Candy declines to press charges, but refuses to come home with him.
That night, Mike sees Slam sleeping in his truck. Mike tries to comfort him, believing that he does not really love Candy, and is simply afraid of being alone. Later that day, Slam comes back and asks Mike if she wants to go out for dinner, but she tells him has to go to a County Commission meeting.
Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
Directed by: Randal Kleiser
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Troy Donahue, Jennifer Jason Leigh, William Windom, Carole Cook, Joan Cusack
Screenplay by: Ken Hixon
Production Design by: Jan Scott
Cinematography by: Reynaldo Villalobos
Film Editing by: Robert Gordon
Costume Design by: Wayne A. Finkelman
Set Decoration by: Bill Harp
Music by: Thomas Newman
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: August 3, 1984
Visits: 99
