Risky Business

It would be wrong to label Risky Business as just another teen sex comedy. It’s much more than the best that genre has to offer. It’s the yin to The Graduate’s yang. It’s an ideal precursor to Oliver Stone’s Wall Street. At it’s core, it’s a slick satire about guilt, greed and lust. With hindsight in their favor, some call it social commentary on the Reagan Revolution. Above all else, it will go down in history as the film that launched Tom Cruise, and that’s a shame…it has a lot more to offer.

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Risky Business Screenplay: The History

A smart, sometimes surreal film about teenagers, and no one was interested. It wasn’t Animal House. It wasn’t Porky’s. It wasn’t Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It didn’t have a star behind it. Paul Brickman was a first-time director. For all the reasons just listed and more, the producers kept running into brick walls, that is, until David Geffen stepped in. They decided to cast a relative unknown with Tom Cruise, and their leading lady, Rebecca De Mornay, had never acted in a film before. Risky Business had a lot going against it, but sometimes you gotta say “what the fuck.”

Risky Business Screenplay: The Theme

In the opening dream sequence, Joel finds a beautiful woman in his neighbor’s shower. When she invites him to “wash her back,” Joel loses her in the steam and is magically transported into a college board exam that will crush his ivy league aspirations. Deep down, Joel fears his fantasies will ruin his future. Before the first act turn, Brickman gives us another dream/sex fantasy sequence that ends with angry parents and police. Joel’s sexual repression has dominated his fantasies to the point the only release is Lana.

To get what you want out of life, remove guilt from the chances you take. Lana is the perfect mentor to deliver that message. We don’t know much about her. In a rare moment of intimacy, she tells Joel she left home because her step father was hitting on her. It’s so matter of fact, you wonder how rough its been for her to be so desensitized. Perhaps it was with her choice to become a prostitute, numbing her mind and body to love, that she found pleasure in material comforts. You see it when Joel leaves. Lana prowls the house, scrutinizing anything of value. She steals a Steuben glass egg. She feels absolutely zero guilt with her choices. They are, no matter how unethical you and I think them to be, what keeps her happy.

Joel is the exact opposite. His friends believe the only important thing in the world is money. His father’s affluence, along with his mother’s pursuit of perfection weigh on him. Their expectations are daunting. Meeting Lana focuses Joel’s external and internal lines of action. With her influence, he learns how to become a man. He will blaze his own trail in the world without the guilt that held him from realizing his true potential.

Risky Business Screenplay: The Original Ending

You can thank David Geffen for the ending you see today. After test screenings, it was decided the film needed a more upbeat ending. Unlike the final cut, the original leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth.

Through the subtext, it’s far more transparent that Lana used Joel to escape her debt to Guido. She’s exhibited control throughout the entire film, remaining strong even when most exposed. On the other hand, all Joel displayed was vulnerability. Joel gently stroking Lana’s hair gives us his full arc. He has come of age…or at least he did on the cutting room floor.

Risky Business Screenplay: The Structure

The screenplay structure of Risky Business isn’t complicated. It’s a fairly simple film in those terms. Beats tend to fall within the appropriate time ranges up until the third act. There, Brickman’s choices are all about economy. He says as little as possible to hurl the story toward the climax. Guido’s proposal isn’t explained, the scene begins with a few of Joel’s parent’s possessions in the truck and the majority on the lawn. Guido has a fat wad of cash in hand. We didn’t need to hear about it. Wasn’t necessary in the slightest. Get in as late as possible and get out as early. Brickman teaches us an important display in execution of craft. The third act is barely ten minutes long, yet satisfies all goals while brilliantly communicating the theme.

Click here if you’re looking for the Risky Business screenplay.

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Risky Business Screenplay: The Beats

ACT I

Inciting Incident — minute 10 — Joel’s parents are going on vacation. On their way to the airport, Joel’s father informs Joel of an interview he setup for admission to Princeton. Without the Princeton interview, Joel would not get the chance to have his “what the fuck” moment. This is the incident that, not only sets up his moment, or realization of power, but also gives us the climax.

Strong Movement Forward — minute 20 — Miles wants Joel to lose his virginity so bad he leaves a message for a prostitute, giving away Joel’s name and address. This is the first step on his external line of action — to get laid. It’s not a voluntary choice, but rather a small step into a seedy underworld that segues perfectly with Lana’s introduction.

End of Act One Turn — minute 27 — The babysitter dream turns into a nightmare with the police and angry parents. Joel’s sexual repression has dominated his fantasies to the point the only release is Lana. Using the name Ralph, he finally calls her to come over.

Decision — minute 30 — “Are you ready for me, Ralph?” Though he never says it, the answer is most certainly yes.

ACT II-A

First Trial – minute 38 — Attempting to get his mother’s Steuben glass egg back, Joel gets in the middle of an argument with Lana and her pimp, Guido. When Lana refuses to listen, Guido pulls a gun. The situation soon escalates to a high-speed car chase. This beat raises the stakes for Joel. He’s now risking his life to get his mother’s prized Steuben egg back on the mantle.

Combat — minute 45 — Lana can’t leave because of Guido, and though reluctant, Joel lets her stay in the house until she can figure out where to go. This is more direct of a confrontation. He can’t run away from it with daddy’s Porsche. Joel needs the egg back and desires Lana, but she’s proved untrustworthy to this point.

Midpoint — minute 60 — While at the park with Lana, Joel’s father’s Porsche rolls into Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, he does not have the money to fix the car. Who knows how his father will react. Will he kick Joel out of the house? Worse, will he not front the bill for his high-priced college education? If Joel was worried about the admissions interview, he now has a bigger problem to deal with.

ACT II-B

Assumption of Power — minute 75 — The admissions interviewer from Princeton, Bill Rutherford, shows up the night Joel’s house becomes a brothel. With nothing but fixing the Porsche on his mind, the interview escaped his mind. Disruption after disruption, the interview doesn’t go well. It’s here that Joel finally realizes his ability to let go of his parents’ goals for his future.

End of Act Two Turn — minute 85 — After picking up the Porsche, Joel finds his home robbed, empty of furniture. He calls Lana’s apartment and Guido answers.

Note: The decision happens off-camera. Act Three begins as if Joel has accepted Guido’s proposition.

ACT III

Point of No Return — minute 88 — Guido makes Joel use the money he earned with Lana to buy back all of the possessions. The last item on Guido’s truck is Joel’s mother’s Steuben glass egg. Knowing Joel only has $40 dollars left, Guido sets a firm price at $340. He agrees to “loan” Joel the $300 difference. Joel accepts and finds himself in debt with Guido the Killer Pimp.

Climax — minute 94 — Joel’s father surprises him with a notification from Bill Rutherford of Princeton: Joel has been accepted. Joel’s father is proud. As far as Joel’s concerned, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Joel defied social norms and grossed over eight thousand dollars in one night. What a capitalist.

Risky Business Screenplay: The Analysis

I’ve provided full screenplay analysis available for download, which breaks down the protagonist’s characterization, misbehaviors, internal and external goals, theme, central dramatic question, and story engines. My analysis is based on Daniel P. Calvisi’s Story Maps method. Dan is a story analyst, screenplay consultant, author and screenwriter. If you’re serious about the craft of screenwriting, I highly recommend checking out Dan’s site, Act Four Screenplays, and his e-book, Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay. You can purchase Dan’s book from Amazon.com or the iTunes Store.

Click here if you’re looking for the Risky Business screenplay.

Click here to download my Risky Business screenplay analysis (PDF).