This film has two main things going for it - nostalgia and the ability to fantasize about having Uma Thurmann as your girlfriend in 1988. There are many fantastic shots of her in all measure of garb, including a wonderful body-length pajamas. Lots of nice white tops and jeans. Phew and Rowrrrrr.....

Anthony Michael Hall is an actor I decided I liked after all in his later career when he played Bill Gates in Pirates of Silicon Valley. He's got a measured confidence mixed with some menace underneath that all-american blonde facade. Despite what some might some might say about Hall's depth, he is about the only thing saving this movie from absolute disaster.

I actually found Robert Downey Jr to be mostly insufferable in this film, and its very early for him, but he isn't given a lot to work with. He does have a few good lines, though.

Structurally, this movie has a lot of problems. The plot is insanely thin, and it sort of purports to a certain amount of morality, but then it does not a lot to support that assumption. It lays out Hall's character compromise of his character in such an extreme, laughable manner, it's pretty hard to take it seriously. It's a movie that is sort of making fun of itself, or maybe the director and actors are mocking the script. It's got that feel of not being taken super seriously, something that happened quite a bit in the 80s and made for some charming fare, but also made for some not cogent films. The production values and soundtrack are good, however. The music is period, and well curated, but featuring lesser known tracks, not all well-known hits. I also always like seeing the uncluttered life of the 1980s, no cel phones, still a certain amount of neon, nice 1970s and 1980s cars, and the general party atmosphere of the time.

As I said, however, the number one reason to watch this is for Uma Thurmann. The one realistic thing about this movie is that in real life, this guy probably would be stupid enough to lose Uma Thurmann. Of course in real life, he never would have been dating her in the first place.

Lame sports comedy with a miscast Anthony Michael Hall as the hottest high school football prospect who ever lived. It's really a vanity project for Hall, who had been playing nerd characters his whole career. Here he's trying to buff up and be taken seriously as something more than a geek. He fails. Robert Downey, Jr. plays the wacky best friend, as he often did back then. Downey's the most entertaining part of this, which isn't saying much. Decent support from Paul Gleason and Jennifer Tilly. Early role by Uma Thurman. She's beautiful and does fine in a worthless part in a worthless movie. I pretty much hated every minute of this. Almost every character is unlikable, especially the lead. The satire about college sports and other things is heavy-handed and never funny. Oh, and the music is dreadful. Avoid this unless you are a massive fan of Hall, Downey, or Thurman.

Anthony Michael Hall who bears an astonishing resemblance to a late friend of mine plays All American quarterback Johnny Walker who every college team in America is after. The fact that Hall is not exactly built like a football player at this stage of his career doesn't prevent one from enjoying this Brat Pack film which does actually have some serious things to say about college athletic recruiting.

Hall plays a rather likable young kid who has the world by the short hairs of the scrotum with every college bidding for his services. Some of them go to some rather extravagant lengths as a school in Texas and California wine and dine him with just about everything any 18 year old could want in this world.

Brat Pack films have a special place in the career of actor Paul Gleason who made a career of playing authority figures that Brat Pack kids would flout with impunity. No exception here in Johnny Be Good. Gleason plays Hall's high school coach and he's also in on the payola if there's any to be had. Gleason's one saving grace is that he has a lovely daughter Jennifer Tilly who is really in love with Hall. She has to get the sincerity from her mother's side.

And there's a special part in her for Uma Thurman, wife of the head of Texas boosters who picks out a special boy in every class for her favorite. Talk about a cougar stalking prey.

Even Howard Cossell makes an appearance here, lending some sports authenticity to the film. Cossell playing himself as no one else ever could is doing some investigative journalism into the whole recruiting mania surrounding Hall.

Johnny Be Good is a likable Brat Pack comedy, as likable as its star. And this film is dedicated to Steven 'Kip' Loney who looked and sounded just like Anthony Michael Hall and who unfortunately died way too young. Kip this one's for you.