The Wild Life is a chaotic comedy-drama that attempts to capture the restless energy and tentative freedom of post-high school life in suburban Los Angeles. The film was written by Cameron Crowe (following his success with Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and directed by Art Linson.
The plot revolves around the lives intersecting within and around a shared apartment complex. At the center is Bill (Eric Stoltz), a high school graduate who works at a a bowling alley. He moves out of his parents’ home and into an apartment with the directionless Tommy Drake (Christopher Penn), who was a high school wrestler, as his roommate.
Bill is now single after breaking up with Anita (Lea Thompson), a young woman who works at a donut shop and has a complex relationship with David (Hart Bochner), a cop who visits her at work.
Meanwhile, Tommy’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Eileen (Jenny Wright), who works at a clothing store in the mall and has to fight off the advances from her older boss Harry (Rick Moranis).
Ilan Mitchell-Smith as Jim Conrad, Bill’s younger brother who is still in high school and is fixated with Vietnam and the war.
Randy Quaid has a small role as Charlie, a Vietnam vet who Jim idolizes.
Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Bowen, Angel Salazar, Lee Ving, Kevin Peter Hall and Nancy Wilson round out the supporting cast.
It serves as a slice-of-life ensemble piece, focusing on a group of young adults navigating the first taste of independence, low-wage jobs, and romantic confusion.
Eddie Van Halen wrote and performed the score for the film. The instrumental Out The Window from his score was later used during the “Darth Vader” scene in Back To The Future.
The soundtrack featured music from music by Prince, Madonna, Little Richard, Van Halen, Bananarama, Billy Idol, Andy Summers, Charlie Sexton, Steppenwolf, and Jimi Hendrix.
Lea Thompson in The Wild Life (Photo/Universal Pictures)
Reception for The Wild Life
The Wild Life grossed $4 million on its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind All of Me, which earned $5.3 million on its second weekend.
The film would gross $11 million in its theatrical run.
Legacy
The Wild Life was neither a commercial nor critical success upon release and often remains in the shadow of Crowe’s more famous works.
However, it holds significant value as a time capsule of 1980s suburban youth culture and has gained a cult following over the years. Its most striking legacy is its incredible ensemble cast; the film serves as an early showcase for a stunning lineup of future stars, including Penn, Stoltz, Thompson, Moranis and Quaid.
It is viewed as a slightly darker, less sentimental portrait of youth than the John Hughes films that soon dominated the decade, portraying the aimlessness and genuine struggle for identity that comes immediately after graduation.
