Kevin Costner Underrated 80s Comedy Being Kept Away From Audiences
If Kevin Costner is in a project, it’s rare that he’s not in the lead role, but that wasn’t always the case. Before launching to superstardom, Costner’s very first leading role was in the underrated and underseen 1985 comedy Fandango. Unfortunately, there’s nowhere to stream the film, so you’ll have to settle for renting it or buying it if you want to see it yourself.
Fandango
Fandango is a comedy directed by Kevin Reynolds that follows five college friends in the early 1970s who, after graduation, go on an epic road trip to the Rio Grande. The group of friends, who dub themselves the Groovers, go on a journey that causes them to confront their impending jump into adult life and the looming specter of the Vietnam War. While the film didn’t get much attention upon release, it’s now a cult classic, and it’s a shame that it isn’t easy to stream anywhere.
From Student Film To Full-Length Feature
Fandango was originally a student film that director Kevin Reynolds made while attending film school. Steven Spielberg saw it and clearly liked it, so he funded a feature-length version of the film through Amblin Entertainment. Alan Silvestri, who scored Back to the Future the same year, provided the score for the film.
At The Time A Cast Of Unknowns
Along with Kevin Costner, Fandango stars Judd Nelson, Sam Robards, Chuck Bush, Brian Cesak, EG Daily, Marvin J. McIntyre, Suzy Amis (in her film debut), Glenne Headly, Stanley Grover, Jane A.Johnston, Marco Perella, and Pepe Serna. While some of these names, particularly Costner, are obviously recognizable these days, the cast was unknown when the movie came out. Interestingly, this reportedly caused Warner Bros to delay the film and refer to it as “unreleasable.”
Quentin Tarantino Is A Major Fan
Eventually, Fandango got a limited release and grossed less than $100,000 from 27 theaters. But this definitely doesn’t speak to the quality of the film. One of the people who saw it in theaters was Quinten Tarantino, who would later give a characteristically Tarantino review of the film, saying, “I saw Fandango five times at the movie theater, and it only played for a f**king week, all right?” If that succinct review isn’t enough to convince you to check it out, then nothing will.
Kevin Costner Can Now Make Whatever He Wants
After Fandango, Kevin Costner would quickly become a star thanks to films like Silverado, The Untouchables, Field of Dreams, and Dances with Wolves. Now, Costner can do essentially whatever he wants in Hollywood, and recently directed, co-wrote, produced, and starred in a four-part Western epic titled Horizon: An American Saga that is set to debut at the Cannes Film Festival later this month. It’s safe to say that Costner is in quite a different place in his career right now.
So, if you’re a big fan of Kevin Costner or the 1980s gems that Steven Spielberg excelled in making happen, you should check out Fandango. The easiest way to watch it right now is by renting it on Apple TV unless you want to pick up a DVD or Blu-ray copy. Hopefully, the streaming services will add it to their catalogs soon.
