Losin' It

We've all got to get our start somewhere, and if you were a rising actor or director in the 80's, there's a chance that you may have got your big break in a low budget teen sex comedy. Such was the case for director Curtis Hanson and star Tom Cruise with 1983's Losin' It.

It's 1965, and three horny teenage boys decide to make a trek across the border to Tijuana to lose their virginity. There's nice guy Woody, Cruise, hot head Spider, John Stockwell, and the pervy Dave, Jackie Earle Haley. Dave's younger brother Wendell, John P. Navin, joins the trio in hopes of buying some illegal fireworks, Older woman Kathy, Shelly Long, hitches a ride with the boys in hopes of getting a quickie divorce. Things don't go so smoothly once there. Spider's temper gets the best of him and he butts heads with the local authorities. Now the guys have to figure a way to get back across the border before they end up behind bars.

As most of you know, I love the teen sex comedies of the 80's. That being said, Losin' It is one of the weaker entries. It's not a horrible movie, but it doesn't have the laughs that a lot of these films have. Haley is the only cast member that really stands out. Cruise and Stockwell aren't given a whole lot to do. Cruise has said that he took the role in this just to get the opportunity to work with Haley.

Losin' It is a harmless little time killer at best.

It's available on dvd.