Synopsis
Joe Fisk is a juvenile delinquent who falls for Lisa Taylor, a Catholic schoolgirl, after a chance encounter in the Oregon woods. Their worlds couldn’t be more different, and the authority figures in their lives want to keep it that way. When their relationship is discovered, they have no choice but to go on the run. The question is: can their love survive what’s chasing them?
Actors & Crew
- Virginia Madsen plays Lisa. Born September 11, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois, she broke through in the 1980s in films such as Class and Electric Dreams. Her standout role came with Sideways in 2004, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She’s also known for Candyman and the series Designated Survivor. Virginia is the sister of Michael Madsen.
- Craig Sheffer plays Joe Fisk, a troubled teen sent to juvenile detention. Born in York, Pennsylvania in 1960, he went on to a steady career through the late ’80s and ’90s, with notable roles in Some Kind of Wonderful, A River Runs Through It, and the cult horror film Nightbreed.
- Jean Smart plays Sister Marie, the nun overseeing Lisa’s school. She first gained wide recognition as Charlene on Designing Women, then built an impressive awards resume across decades of television, picking up Emmy nominations for Frasier, 24, Fargo, Watchmen, and Mare of Easttown. Her biggest recent success is Hacks, for which she’s won multiple Emmy Awards.
- Other notable actors include Kate Reid as Sister Victoria, Jon Polito as The Boss, Tim Russ as Jerry, and Penelope Sudrow as Stephanie.
Budget & Shooting Locations
- Released: May 9, 1986
- Rated: PG-13
- Budget: Between $7.2 – $7.5 million
- Box Office: $4.6 million
- Filmed in Vancouver and the town of Cloverdale, Surrey in British Columbia, Canada, with school scenes shot at St. Eugene Mission in Cranbrook and St. George’s School in Vancouver.
Rewatch verdict and Cringe Meter
Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter: 83% (1,000+ Ratings). There’s no official Tomatometer score — only one critic review is on record. Paul Attanasio (Washington Post, 01/02/2018) wrote: “Movies like this aren’t really movies — they’re addenda to ad campaigns.”
Critics were generally negative at the time of the movie’s release, calling it dull and slow-paced, and noting that the screenplay, credited to four writers, was poorly written. A lot of people genuinely connect with the relationship between Craig Sheffer and Virginia Madsen, though, and today many describe it as intense, dreamy, or emotionally engaging — especially for a teen/young-adult audience.
