Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
- Starring:
- Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, (more)
- Director(s):
- Tim Burton
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG
- Format(s):
- DVD
|
Blu-ray
| Digital SD & HD
View All Versions to rent and buy
Synopsis of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Co-written by Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman, Pee Wee's Big Adventure marks the debut of director Tim Burton, who stamps the entire film with his quirky trademark style. The premise: Pee Wee (Reubens), an overgrown pre-pubescent boy sporting a molded Princeton cut, blush, lipstick, and a shrunken gray flannel suit, lives an idyllic life in his bizarre home (some have compared the remarkable set design to the expressionistic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) until someone nabs his most prized possession: a fire engine-red customized bicycle. He then embarks on an epic cross-country search to find his lost love, not to mention more than a little adventure. Along the way, he makes friends with various oddball characters, visits the Alamo, endures various hallucinatory nightmares, and has a supernatural run-in with a spectral trucker. In this reprisal of his popular standup routine, Reubens is wonderful as the nerdy man child; he plays it silly, yet he manages to imbue the role with some sensitivity without ever seeming maudlin. The score by Danny Elfman is terrific -- as is the case in nearly every film Burton has directed -- and the script is fresh and inventive. Some of the most memorable moments: the opening sequence involving Pee Wee's morning activities is a stroke of genius (note the bunny slippers and talking breakfast), as are the scenes at the truck stop, and the "Hollywood" version of Pee Wee's story at the end (starring James Brolin and Morgan Fairchild in surprise cameos). In all, Pee Wee's Big Adventure is a delightful film, enjoyable for children as well as adults. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 90 mins
Complete Cast of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
- Paul Reubens - Pee-Wee Herman
- Mark Holton - Francis
- Judd Omen - Mickey
- Carmen Filpi - Hobo Jack
- James Brolin - "P.W."
- Susan Barnes - Movie Lot Actress
- Sunshine Parker - Hobo
- Bob McClurg - Studio Guard
- Peter Looney - Policeman
- Jan Hooks - Tina
- Bill Cable - Policeman
- Noreen Hennesey - Reporter
- Bill Richmond - Highway Patrolman
- John Paragon - Movie Lot Actor
- Raymond Martino - Gang Member
- Gregory Brown - BMX Kid
- Alex Sharp - Cowboy
- Gilles Savard - Pierre
- David Rothenberg - Hobo
- John Moody - Bus Clerk
- Howard Hirdler - Biker
- Chester Grimes - Biker
- Brett Fellman - Kid
- Phil Hartman - Reporter
- Erica Yohn - Madam Ruby
- Prof. Toru Tanaka - Butler
- Ralph Seymour - Francis' Accomplice
- Luis Contreras - Biker
- Starletta DuPois - Sgt. Hunter
- Ed Griffith - Trucker
- Simmy Bow - Man in Diner
- Elizabeth Daily - Dottie
- Diane Salinger - Simone
- Jon Harris - Andy
- Tony Bill - Terry Hawthorne
- Morgan Fairchild - "Dottie"
- Lonnie Parkinson - Biker
- Alice Nunn - Large Marge
- Damon Martin - Chip
- Monte Landis - Mario
- Ed Herlihy - Mr. Buxton
- Richard Brose - Tarzan
- Michael Varhol - Photographer
- Cassandra Peterson - Biker Mama
- Wallis Nicita
- Mark Everett - BMX Kid
- David C. Glasser - BMX Kid
- Drew Seward - Kid
- George Sasaki - Japanese Director
- John O'Neill - Cowboy
- Zachary Hoffman - Director
- Jason Hervey - Kevin Morton
- John Gilgreen - Policeman at Pet Shop
- Patrick Cranshaw - Hobo
- Milton Berle - Himself [uncredited]
- Twisted Sister - Themselves
- Lynne Stewart - Mother Superior
- Daryl Roach - Chuck
- Lou Cutell - Amazing Larry
- Irving Hellman - Neighbor
- Bob Drew - Fireman
- Director(s):
- Tim Burton
- Writer(s):
- Michael Varhol, Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens
- Producer(s):
- Richard Gilbert Abramson, Robert Shapiro, William E. McEuen
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG(Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Suitable for Children)
- Categories:
- Comedy, Family & Kids
- Looking for special editions of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure?
- See All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
BY MAIL
