Risky Business is a 1983 American coming-of-age comedy-drama written and directed by Paul Brickman. The film follows a suburban teenager whose impulsive choices during a short period of freedom lead to comic and morally ambiguous consequences. It helped establish Tom Cruise as a major screen presence and introduced Rebecca De Mornay in a memorable supporting role.

Premise and characters

The central figure is a college-bound high school student coping with desires, anxieties and the lure of quick success. Key characters include the protagonist's parents, friends, and an older woman whose arrival catalyzes the story. Performances were noted for mixing youthful awkwardness with sharper, adult tensions.

Themes and tone

Risky Business balances broad teen-comedy elements with satirical observations about consumerism, ambition, and moral compromise. Its tone shifts between light-hearted escapades and darker consequences, inviting viewers to read it as both entertainment and social critique.

The film is widely remembered for a now-iconic sequence featuring the lead dancing in his underwear to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll," a moment that has been frequently referenced and parodied in popular culture. The soundtrack and a handful of vivid images contributed strongly to the movie's cultural footprint.

On release it earned critical praise and performed well at the box office, becoming a commercial success. Reviewers singled out the director's script and the central performances for bringing nuance to material that might otherwise have been a conventional teen picture.

Legacy and notable facts

  • Considered a career breakthrough for Tom Cruise.
  • Rebecca De Mornay's role is frequently cited among her early notable appearances: Rebecca De Mornay.
  • Blends teen comedy with social satire and a somewhat ambiguous moral center, distinguishing it from contemporaneous teen films.

Risky Business remains an influential example of 1980s American cinema that uses genre conventions to probe questions about adulthood, opportunity and consequence.