Cocktail (1988)

A talented New York bartender takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and falls in love. 

Cocktail is a 1988 film directed by Roger Donaldson and written by Heywood Gould, whose screenplay was based on his book of the same name. The film stars Tom Cruise as Brian Flanagan, Bryan Brown as Doug Coughlin, and Elisabeth Shue as Jordan Mooney. Released by Touchstone Pictures, the film features an original music score composed by J. Peter Robinson.

Ok listen....I was flipping through the channels one day and ran across this movie on Showtime. Considering that I grew up in the 80's and was familiar with the god awful Beach Boys song "Kokomo" that comes from this movie....I started viewing it.  I watched the entire movie.  I'm not proud of it but I did it.  And I am a straight male.

The film tells the story of a young New York City business student, Brian Flanagan, who takes up bartending in order to make ends meet.  Flanagan gets in a fight with his bartender pal Doug over a bitch and takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and falls in love.  You can't stop love.

You can't stop love.

This was a blockbuster movie.  Chicks went to see it and got stuck to their seats. It made Tom Cruise a megastar.  This is 100% a chick flick and is absolutely ridiculous.  It has bartenders flipping drinks through the air.  It has horrible dialogue which apparently was written after someone had a few too many drinks. The romance mimics just about every sitcom ever created.  Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy sees the light, boy gets girl back, girl's father throws her out, boy and girl open a super cool bar and have twins.  Excuse me...be right back, I need to throw up.

My biggest question is how did they serve drinks to a full bar while they were flipping bottles all over the place.  That would have been cute for a moment until someone started wondering, "Where the fuck is my drink pretty boy."

I'm feel pretty...so very pretty.

As a tidbit...this film won the Razzie for the worst film of 1988 and is listed among the top 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made. If you grew up in the 80's then it may be good for some nostalgia. Otherwise stay away young sir...stay away.

Trivia:

Brian and Doug's bartending skills are referred to as "flair bartending." John Bandy, a flair bartender, trained Tom Cruise for the film.

The boxing fight shown on the TV, upon which Doug has a $50 bet, is a heavyweight bout between George Foreman and Ken Norton.

The correct name for the plastic bit on the end of shoelaces is an "aglet" not a "flugelbinder".

Forget Tom Cruise....Kevin is the man for me.