Volunteers

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Volunteers

R,

1985,

1h 46m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

Watchlist

67%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

33%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Hoping to avoid gambling debts, rich playboy Lawrence Bourne (Tom Hanks) stows away on a plane of Peace Corps volunteers set for Thailand. Once aboard, he meets the outrageously affable Tom Tuttle (John Candy), who shows him the ropes. After landing, the crew is stationed in a small town where they are to construct a bridge. Along with the lovely and altruistic Beth Wexler (Rita Wilson), the group begins work, but soon discover the CIA, communists and a drug lord are eyeing the bridge.

Walter Goodman

New York Times

May 21, 2003

A little melancholy may blend with the laughter ''Volunteers'' draws at the expense of those earnest days when a President was urging people to ask what they could do for their country.

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Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Jun 1, 2007

3/5

Often funny premise, but comedy cast makes it work.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Feb 18, 2006

2.5/4

...a meandering comedy that benefits substantially from the predictably agreeable work of its charismatic stars...

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Oct 1, 2005

3/5

Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

Aug 21, 2004

1/5

As a satire on the 1960s, the film, directed by Nicholas Meyer, is more sour than silly.

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Rob Thomas

Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Jun 25, 2004

3/5

One of the better films from Hanks' minor-league, pre-"Big" career.

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Harry L

Nov 4, 2018

Another low-ranked Hanks comedy from the 80's . . . not sure what's up, but this is a fantastic film, great blend of quality and campy. Oh yeah, and John Candy is in it, a must watch.

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Rey S

Mar 8, 2017

Tom Hanks and John Candy were outstanding! This movie is where Tom Hanks met Rita Wilson filming and later married (28 years now)! Much of the humor is dry and over the head of the lobotomy crowd.

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Theodore S

Feb 5, 2017

This is an old favourite: the bit where John Candy gets brainwashed by the communists gave me a laughing fit.

Hermione R

Mar 4, 2010

Tom Hanks is annoying and John Candy is underused. An idiotic plot that delivers virtually no laughs. (First and only viewing - 6/22/2017)

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Nicholas Meyer

Director

Tom Hanks

Lawrence Whatley Bourne III

John Candy

Tom Tuttle

Rita Wilson

Beth Wexler

Tim Thomerson

John Reynolds

Gedde Watanabe

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Synopsis

Hoping to avoid gambling debts, rich playboy Lawrence Bourne (Tom Hanks) stows away on a plane of Peace Corps volunteers set for Thailand. Once aboard, he meets the outrageously affable Tom Tuttle (John Candy), who shows him the ropes. After landing, the crew is stationed in a small town where they are to construct a bridge. Along with the lovely and altruistic Beth Wexler (Rita Wilson), the group begins work, but soon discover the CIA, communists and a drug lord are eyeing the bridge.

Director: Nicholas Meyer
Producer: Walter F. Parkes, Richard Shepherd
Screenwriter: Ken Levine, David Isaacs
Production Co: TriStar Pictures, Home Box Office (HBO)
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 1985, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.4M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

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