8. Vision Quest (1985)
You never took a night off to see me wrestle before. They'll dock you for that.
#8. Vision Quest (1985)
In the number 8 spot on the list of my 100 Favorite Films of All Time is the 1985 coming of age romantic drama, Vision Quest. Vision Quest was directed by Harold Becker and stars Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino with supporting performances from Michael Schoeffling, Ronny Cox, Harold Sylvester, and Daphne Zuniga.
There are many solid sports movies out there in the pantheon of film, but none compare to Vision Quest. As a former high school wrestler (two time All Conference, no big deal), it’s tough to find good wrestling movies. Win Win is heartfelt, but not super accurate and The Wrestler is a fantastic piece of cinema, but it’s not about folk-style wrestling. The idea of Vision Quest transcends the sport of wrestling. While Louden Swain is chasing a victory over Brian Shute and will do anything in his power to cut down to beat him, you’re able to attach a vision quest to your life. If you have a goal that you really are chasing and will do everything in your power to achieve it, that’s a vision quest.
Matthew Modines performance is great because he’s so believable. You really invest in his journey to drop a few weight classes to beat a more powerful and more skilled foe. Every time wrestling season roles around, even in the years since I’ve been removed, I’ll watch Vision Quest and it never fails to fire me up.