Side Out (1990)

Director: Peter Israelson
Writer: David Thoreau

Starring: C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders, The Hitcher, E.T.); Peter Horton (Singles, Children of the Corn, thirtysomething); Courtney Thorne-Smith (According to Jim, Summer School, Melrose Place); Harley Jane Kozack (Parenthood--the movie, Arachnophobia); Terry Kiser (Weekend at Bernie's)

IMDB User Rating: 4.7 out of 10 stars.

Favorite lines: "You can stay here...you won't even have to pay rent."
"YOU don't pay rent."
"Details."

Favorite Scene: All the montages...most cheesy movies have one...this one has four.

Okay...so I'm still on a break from zombies & shit, and when this movie popped up on my cable listings, I had to watch it. I've seen bits and pieces of it, but last night was the first time I've actually sat through the whole thing. All I kept thinking throughout the entire film was, "What the hell happened to C. Thomas Howell?" It's as if he peaked in The Outsiders, and his career took a nosedive in a barrel of shit from that point forward.

The premise is a predictable snooze fest: kid from the Midwest comes to Southern California to work for his uncle's law firm to make money for his tuition to law school; meets a crazy kid who wants to play volleyball; falls in love; does the right thing; lives happily ever after.

If you take this movie for what it is--an early 90s hormone injected feel-good movie made for teens--you win. It's a veritable barrage of name day-glo brand clothing & alcohol, i.e.: Mossimo, Bolle, Spot Sport, Lite Beer & Jose Cuervo. In that vein, the movie is actually quite relevant. I was stationed in Southern California in the late '80s, and other than Vuarnet's odd absence, they're spot on with the clothing and the lifestyle.

High points: If you're into skin, this is the movie for you...damn near everybody wears nothing but beach wear throughout. Peter Horton's charm once again supersedes his inability to act...although, he's the same guy in everything, and it's always been said the hardest thing to do in acting is to be yourself, so maybe Horton's a genius and we just don't know it yet. The kid who plays Wiley (Chris Rydell) is actually pretty entertaining. And like a lot of movies where they use a professional sport as the centerpiece, there are a few real-life pro beach volleyball players in it...and they're inability to act is VERY entertaining.

Low points: If you're into nudity, you'll be disappointed. The only nude scene is Harley Jane Kozak...and she's gross. Plus, even though everybody's in bikinis, you have to realize they're late '80s, early '90s bikinis...lots of those tube-top kind of bikini tops which just made boobs look...weird. There's WAY too much testosterone-driven rage on the courts, and the predictable twist at the end is almost insulting.

I'll explain: Peter Horton is a washed-up pro volleyball player, and even though he's "the legend" of the sport, he's considered a local joke...never paying his rent, squeaking by on life, etc. Tommy Howell is the kid who has to serve Horton his eviction notice, somehow turns out being coached by him & ultimately playing in the big tournament with him. Come to find out, he's a gambler who bet against himself at the last big tournament, and he was gonna lose in order to collect his winnings and pay his mob-based bookies. But he couldn't do it. So now, Howell is concerned if he's gonna even show. He does, and they make it to the finals, only to have Harley Jane Kozak beg Horton to throw this one as well because she's got a lot riding on the incumbent champions. And throw it he does...until Howell somehow convinces him to be a winner...things turn around, lots of sand is thrown, there's a high-five at the end, and we're left to make our own conclusions about whether Tommy Howell stays in Cali with the girl and enrolls in UCLA, or goes home to mom & dad in Wisconsin.

I think he stays...I would, Courtney Thorne-Smith used to be really hot.

Overall, the movie is worth watching, so long as there's not a whole lot else on. The camera work during the volleyball matches is pretty good, the scenery is nice, and even though the dialogue is HORRIBLE, the cast shares a relatively decent dynamic. So happy watching, and here's hoping that Terry Kiser doesn't make a Weekend at Bernie's III.

Click on the photo to watch the trailer.