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Johnny Be Good

Play trailer Poster for Johnny Be Good R 1988 1h 24m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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0% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 30% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
High-school quarterback Johnny Walker (Anthony Michael Hall) is being courted by elite colleges nationwide. To get the sports star to enroll, an army of recruiters entices him with everything a young, hormonal teenager could want. While his best friend, Leo Wiggins (Robert Downey Jr.), advises him to wait for the most lucrative offer, Johnny's girlfriend, Georgia Elkins (Uma Thurman), wants him to attend their state college -- with her. The trouble is the state school has offered him nothing.
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Johnny Be Good

Critics Reviews

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Michael Wilmington Los Angeles Times 08/14/2019
"Johnny Be Good," a would-be satire on the excesses of big-time college football recruiting, is so bad that the NCAA might consider using it as punishment for coaches who violate regulations. Go to Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune 08/14/2019
1/4
Buried somewhere in the screenplay are some Robert Altman-esque satirical intentions, in which the wildly corrupt college football recruitment process is offered as a panoramic image of frenzied American venality. Go to Full Review Caryn James New York Times 05/20/2003
2/5
Two of the screenwriters, Steve Zacharias and Jeff Buhai, also wrote Revenge of the Nerds, so it's not surprising that they're more interested in tame teen-age fantasies than in social satire. Go to Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies 08/22/2022
1.5/5
“Johnny Be Good” is still a bad movie, and its faults stand out even more today. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 02/12/2022
1/4
The worst football flick ever made. Go to Full Review Guillermo Altares El Pais (Spain) 08/14/2019
An insufferable comedy. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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04/24/2025 I loved this movie as a kid Hall Downie and Gleason were great See more Eric E @RT96541387 04/23/2024 So many great one liners. Coach Hissler's pre-game speech is the stuff of legends. See more alan g @agenser 04/04/2024 Anthony Michael Hall as a high school quarterback is really pushing it. Still a fun coming of age movie. See more Fourpsyte @RT86546669 12/12/2023 This movie is honestly great. You get unhinged RDJ and girls that are new in town and they need a hand See more Ola G @Ollie1972 06/05/2023 Johnny Walker (Anthony Michael Hall), a student at Ashcroft High School, is the top high school quarterback prospect in the nation, and is being heavily recruited by many schools. His best friend, Leo Wiggins (Robert Downey Jr.), thinks he should hold out for the best offer while his girlfriend, Georgia Elkans (Uma Thurman), wants him to go to State University with her and get a solid education. The various colleges offer him everything he could possibly want — hot girls, cars, cash, free room and board, etc. One school even buys Leo a car, while another offers to provide him with male companions if he isn't interested in women. His coach, Wayne Hisler (Paul Gleason), whom Johnny hates, even tries to sell him out by striking a deal with one of the interested colleges to become their next head coach, if Johnny signs their scholarship offer... The film was a box office bomb. It also received negative reviews. "Johnny Be Good" is a sort of classic 80s high school comedy with undertones exposing the ugly backside of college football. However, the film is very uneven and the storyline wobbles with many scenes wobbling as well. The direction is not on spot and both Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr. hardly brings out the A game. But, I still have some fond memories of the film when it came out in 1988 and I have loved the soundtrack since that day. Trivia: Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon and sportscaster Howard Cosell make cameo appearances. Despite starring famous actors and comedians, the film was both a critical and financial failure, grossing $18 million. Hall's performance as a jock was panned by critics. See more steve d @RT35616104 01/06/2023 Really bad despite its great cast. See more Read all reviews
Johnny Be Good

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Cast & Crew

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Bud S. Smith

Director

Anthony Michael Hall

Johnny Walker

Robert Downey Jr.

Leo Wiggins

Paul Gleason

Wayne Hisler

Uma Thurman

Georgia Elkans

Steve James

Coach Sanders

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Johnny Be Good

A scene from "Johnny Be Good." A scene from "Johnny Be Good." A scene from "Johnny Be Good." A scene from "Johnny Be Good." A scene from "Johnny Be Good." Johnny Be Good (1988) Johnny Be Good (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis High-school quarterback Johnny Walker (Anthony Michael Hall) is being courted by elite colleges nationwide. To get the sports star to enroll, an army of recruiters entices him with everything a young, hormonal teenager could want. While his best friend, Leo Wiggins (Robert Downey Jr.), advises him to wait for the most lucrative offer, Johnny's girlfriend, Georgia Elkins (Uma Thurman), wants him to attend their state college -- with her. The trouble is the state school has offered him nothing.
Director
Bud S. Smith
Producer
Adam Fields
Screenwriter
Steve Zacharias, Jeff Buhai, David Obst
Production Co
Orion Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 25, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$15.5M
Runtime
1h 24m
Sound Mix
Surround