Out of the Blue
1980, Drama, 1h 34m
38 Reviews 500+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Led by Linda Manz's outstanding performance, Out of the Blue confronts the darker side of human nature with a baleful, clear-eyed stare. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Dennis Hopper directed and stars in "Out of the Blue" -- the spiritual sequel to his own "Easy Rider", chronicling the collapse of sixties idealism into the nihilistic haze of the 1980s. Don Barnes (Hopper) is a truck driver in prison for drunkenly smashing his rig into a school bus. Linda Manz ("Days of Heaven") plays CeBe, his daughter, a young teen rebel and outsider obsessed with Elvis and the Sex Pistols. Her mother Kathy, (Sharon Farrell) waitresses, shoots up drugs and takes refuge in the arms of other men, including her husband's best friend, Charlie (Don Gordon). CeBe runs away to Vancouver's punk scene and ends up on juvenile probation under the care of well-meaning psychiatrist Dr. Brean (Raymond Burr). After Don's release, the family struggles to re-connect and start over before the revelation of dark secrets leads to a harrowing conclusion.
Cast & Crew
Linda Manz
Cebe
Cebe
Dennis Hopper
Don
Don
Sharon Farrell
Kathy
Kathy
Don Gordon
Charlie
Charlie
Raymond Burr
Dr. Brean
Dr. Brean
Dennis Hopper
Director
Director
Critic Reviews for Out of the Blue
Audience Reviews for Out of the Blue
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Apr 05, 2011"Out of the Blue" is almost fantastic. A key comeback project for Dennis Hopper, it was his third directed feature after the mega-hit "Easy Rider" and the mega-flop "The Last Movie." Neil Young's "Hey Hey My My" (Out of the Blue)" is the film's theme song and apparently inspired the plot. The unique Linda Manz -- whose sporadic acting career is often lamented -- stars as CeBe (pronounced Cee-Bee), a confused teenage rebel. Her trollop mother Kathy (Sharon Farrell) is a diner waitress and junkie, while father Don (Hopper) is a former trucker coming off five years in prison. His crime: plowing his rig into a school bus while drunk. Multiple children died in the collision, and passenger CeBe still has nightmares. The film is mostly a character study and centers on CeBe, Kathy and their crummy town adjusting to Don's return. Kathy has been sleeping around and shooting up, while CeBe kills time idolizing Elvis Presley, listening to punk rock and bantering on the radio in Don's old truck (now rotting in the yard, overgrown with weeds). A lecherous friend has his eyes on both Kathy and CeBe, while a still-grieving father seethes about his son's freed killer. Don finds a job manning a bulldozer, but quickly succumbs to his old vices. Meanwhile, the family seeks help from a therapist portrayed by Raymond Burr, who seems to be acting in an entirely different movie. Beyond the incongruity of Burr's scenes, the film's biggest problem is character consistency. Kathy is a heroin addict, but remains quite attractive and seems to have no problem breezing through her day. And CeBe is a mass of contradictions that aren't easy to swallow. The problems start with petite tomboy Manz, who was 18 at the time but looks four years younger. Her character's emotional age also varies wildly -- she sucks her thumb and sleeps with stuffed animals, but also smokes and teases men like a jaded twentysomething. So, just how old is this girl? She's also a punk-rock fan with a Sid Vicious fascination (her happiest moment is an onstage appearance with real-life band the Pointed Sticks), yet she plasters her walls with sappy Elvis pin-ups and can't get enough of "Teddy Bear" (possibly his wimpiest hit). This is hard to fathom. Someone with her demonstrated instability should have some quirks, but such extreme contrasts don't ring true. However, the unforgettable ending sweeps these misgivings aside. Stick around.Eric B Super Reviewer
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