Hot Pursuit

Today, I'm wrapping up my look back at the teen films of John Cusack with one that totally went under the radar, 1987's Hot Pursuit.

After missing a flight for a Caribbean vacation with his girlfriend, Wendy Cazelle, and her family, college student Dan, Cusack, hops the next flight and spends the rest of the movie trying to catch up with them. After he lands, Dan meets a crusty old sailor, Robert Loggia, who promises to get him to his destination. But it's not smooth sailing however as Dan finds himself getting in one adventure after the next.

This one came and went quickly from theater's, and didn't really find an audience afterwords either. I will say it's probably the weakest of the Cusack teen entries. It really has a hard time balancing the humor and the action. It, like the main character, feels unsure of which direction to head. That's not to say it's a total waste of time. There are a few funny moments in this. Sadly, they are few and far between.

Cusack does his best in a role that was intended for his Sixteen Candles costar Anthony Michael Hall. He is totally overshadowed however by the seasoned Loggia, who seems to be having a blast in his role. The movie really picks up when he enters. Keith David is also quite good in a smaller role as a pot smoking Rastafarian. Jerry and Ben Stiller are wasted in two underwritten roles as the heavies.

I think the reason this isn't a total success falls on the writer/director Steve Lisberger. Lisberger, who also helmed Tron, didn't have a real ear for comedy. So the producers brought in script doctor Tom Mankiewicz to punch up the screenplay. I think since Lisberger didn't know how to write comedy, he might have been even more lost when trying to direct it.

Here's the thing, Hot Pursuit isn't a total wash. It's a harmless, albeit somewhat forgettable, action comedy that is probably best suited for a rainy day.

It's available on dvd.