Road House

"Dalton lives like a loner, fights like a professional. And loves like there's no tomorrow."

1989 1h 54m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

🥫

44%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 1,605🥫44%Rotten Tomatoes●36Metacritic★6.7IMDB · 110,107

ActionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Double Deuce is the meanest, loudest and rowdiest bar south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and Dalton has been hired to clean it up. He might not look like much, but the Ph.D.-educated bouncer proves he's more than capable – busting the heads of troublemakers and turning the roadhouse into a jumping hot spot. But Dalton's romance with the gorgeous Dr. Clay puts him on the bad side of cutthroat local big shot Brad Wesley.

“Dalton lives like a loner, fights like a professional. And loves like there's no tomorrow.”

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Cast

Patrick Swayze
James Dalton
Kelly Lynch
Dr. Elizabeth Clay
Sam Elliott
Wade Garrett
Ben Gazzara
Brad Wesley
Marshall R. Teague
Jimmy
Julie Michaels
Denise
Red West
Red Webster
Sunshine Parker
Emmet

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rowdy Herrington
Writers: R. Lance Hill, Hilary Henkin
Languages: English, Portuguese
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Road House Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rowdy Herrington, shot by Dean Cundey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John F. Link shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Patrick Swayze and Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliott carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Dalton lives like a loner, fights like a professional. And loves like there's no tomorrow.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rowdy Herrington directs. Dean Cundey behind the camera. Michael Kamen scores. John F. Link cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Portuguese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.
3Part of the "Road House Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Rowdy Herrington, shot by Dean Cundey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor John F. Link shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Patrick Swayze and Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliott carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Dalton lives like a loner, fights like a professional. And loves like there's no tomorrow.".
9IMDB entry: tt0098206 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "new love", "showdown", "protection money", "nightclub".
11Released under 13 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Dean Cundey
Original score: Michael Kamen
Editing: John F. Link
Costume design: Marilyn Vance
Makeup / hair: Scott H. Eddo
Runtime: 114 min · 1h 54m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $30,100,000
Return: 201% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Road House (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes: 44% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 36/100
IMDB rating: 6.7/10 · 110,107 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

5 nominations total

Part of

Road House Collection

A gritty action film series centered on tough bouncers and bar owners who use their fists (and philosophy) to clean up corrupt towns.

Also by

Rowdy Herrington

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-03-16
★ 7/10
The name is Dalton and we thought he would be bigger. Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is a highly regarded professional cooler of bars and clubs. He is hired by Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) to clean up his Double Deuce Road House down in Jasper, Missouri. A rough drunken and bloody place, the Double Deuce is just the start of Dalton's problems as he falls foul of town despot Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara). I don't know if it's the same the world over, but here in Britain a bouncer is very different to that of a doorman. This is something that anyone who has been in and round the profession can attest to. So even though the casting of Swayze at first glance seemed an odd one, his character Dalton (wonderfully essayed by him actually) is the epitome of a doorman cooler, where violence is the last resort and used only in extreme circumstances. All of which makes Road House an interesting film in the context of its subjects, it's only when the makers resort to cheap tricks and heavy formula that the film descends into soggy popcorn fodder. The fight scenes are competently handled here, and the characters are an engaging bunch (an axis between Dalton and his landlord Emmet is particularly warm). It's also a very sexy film, mucho machismo for the lads and ladies as Swayze buffs up and kicks butt, while Kelly Lynch sets pulses raising as the perfectly toned, obligatory love interest, Doc Clay (this is a world where doctors look and are shaped like Lynch). A huge question remains though as to if Road House means to be as cheese funny as it is? Because outside of the obvious jokes (plenty) there's cringe moments that make you wonder if it's comedy first, hard buttock actioner second? Be that as it may, Road House is an entertaining film regardless. Scorned by many but cherished by a lot, it remains a late 80s genre splicer that now has something of a cult following. See it at least if only for Sam Elliott's delightful turn as Wade Garrett, the cooler with a reputation as big as Jasper itself. 7/10 Fotnote: Michael Kamen scores the music and basically uses the same score he used for Die Hard the previous year.

Production companies