I'm no authority on high school wrestling. I know I hated it in Phy Ed. Having your face pushed into that sweaty mat. That's no reason to not praise this movie. I don't believe that lack of knowledge of a subject should have anything to do with one's enjoyment. It was really interesting to see what high school wrestlers must go through to rise to the top of their game. Matthew Modine is very good. He has the failings of youth; the inconsistencies. He has drive but never really believed in himself to the point of attaining the top spot. There is, of course, the kid and the older woman part which seemed to be a big deal in the eighties. There were several movies like this. But it all gets down to the goal, the wrestling. Facing off against the main guy who looks like a truck going up and down those steps. It also has to do with a mysticism that people were beginning to see. The slight edge that makes the good great comes from within because with so many people on the planet, there is going to be an equal everywhere. This movie is about how to make that leap. I thought it was a pretty good film.

Although it spawned a popular soundtrack (featuring two Madonna songs, which she performs on-screen as a bar singer),"Vision Quest" didn't quite become the male-version of "Flashdance", if only because the narrative--a male teen striving for success on the high school wrestling team--was not as embracing as a female welder dreaming of becoming a ballerina. The two films certainly look similar, with this one getting a smoky-and-slick blue-collar scenario which looked pretty good when chopped up into music video form. The movie itself isn't as energized, what with Matthew Modine looking too old to play a senior and Linda Fiorentino (in a Jennifer Beals poof 'do) seductively lurking around as the older woman-boarder in Modine's house. There's a rebuffed homosexual come-on at the very beginning which telegraphs us in no uncertain terms that Modine may be a virgin, but by golly he's straight as an arrow! Scripts like this belong to a different time-period altogether, pre-"Flashdance" actually...closer to something from Mickey Rooney's era. * from ****

Linda Fiorentino pretty much debuted as the love interest to Matthew Modine in this film, Vision Quest, which is an odd title for a film anyway. It was also entitled Crazy for You based on Madonna's song for the movie. Both Madonna and Fiorentino were still new at the time. The writing for this story is bit predictable. Matthew plays a wrestler and Linda plays the object of his affections. The film is directed by Harold Becker who also has a great soundtrack to the movie. I love the music which are perfect choices and the sounds of the music keep playing in her your ears. It's predictable but worthy to watch over and over again. Keep watching it and you'll learn to become nostalgic for a time that MTV played music videos and you were young again. They filmed where they set the story in Spokane, Washington. They don't do that anymore. They film elsewhere you know and say it's the real thing. Anyway, Linda's role of Carla was a drifter from New Jersey. It turns out that Linda herself is from the same area of New Jersey herself. Matthew Modine seems a bit older to play a teenager but then again it always seemed like older people playing young like Beverly Hills 90210. Also it was nice to see Forest Whitaker in a very small role as one of the other wrestlers on the team. He should get an Oscar nomination this year. Harold Sylvester plays the English teacher who befriends Carla and he is better known for his role as the shoe salesman sidekick on Married with Children. Ronny Cox plays Louden's dad. A funny name, Louden Swain, but anyway the film has great music. They filmed on location in Spokane, and for a film debut, Linda was good. We miss you and we're waiting for your comeback.