Video Vault: Cruise's 'Risky Business' is genuine classic

Remember when Tom Cruise didn't seem crazy?

It might be hard to believe now, but back in the early 1980s, before "Top Gun," before "Jerry Maguire" and before "Days of Thunder," Cruise was the all-American boy, a nice suburban kid with the house to himself and plenty of typical teenage urges.

I'm talking, of course, about the 1983 film "Risky Business." Written and directed by Paul Brickman (whatever happened to him?), it's a sharp, smart satire of modern America and high-school high jinks. Yes, it's a teen sex comedy, but it's also one of the best teen sex comedies ever made, with funny jokes and sad truths. Cruise leads a strong cast, with Joe Pantoliano (Ralphie from "The Sopranos") and Rebecca De Mornay (whatever happened to her?) as Cruise's corruptors.

And, while we're on the subject of teen comedies, let it be said that "Risky Business" staked out the Chicago suburbs a full year before John Hughes used that setting for "Sixteen Candles" - a movie I'll celebrate next week in this space.

Will Pfeifer writes about new DVDs on Tuesdays and older ones on Sundays. Contact him at wpfeifer@rrstar.com or 815-987-1244. You can also read his Movie Man blog at blogs.e-rockford.com/movieman.