When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.
- Awards
- 2 nominations
Paul Reubens
- Pee-wee Herman
- (as Pee-wee Herman)
Damon Martin
- Chip
- (as Damon Landis)
Daryl Keith Roach
- Chuck
- (as Daryl Roach)
Professor Toru Tanaka
- Butler
- (as prof. Toru Tanaka)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPaul Reubens said that he, Phil Hartman, and Michael Varhol had never written a screenplay prior to this film. They purchased a book by Syd Field on how to write screenplays and did exactly what the book said. As a result, this movie is sometimes used in screenwriting classes because it fits the screenwriting paradigm perfectly - the film is 90 minutes long and the script is 90 pages long. The first act ends at Page 30 / 30-minute mark, the second act ends at Page 60 / 60-minute mark, etc.
- GoofsWhen Pee-wee and Simone watch the sunrise they enter a red T-Rex, but exit a green T-Rex, because it was being lit with a red spotlight.
- Quotes
Pee-wee: There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.
Dottie: I don't understand.
Pee-wee: You don't wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel. So long, Dott.
- Alternate versionsThere are at least 2 fullscreen versions of the film. An open matte version that shows off more vertical picture than the theatrical widescreen (the earliest VHS releases are this way), and a pan-and-scan cropped version, cropped from the theatrical widescreen.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: The Worst Films of 1985 (1986)
- SoundtracksBurn in Hell
Written by Dee Snider
Performed by Twisted Sister
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Featured review
Masterpiece from maligned genius
Okay, so it loses a bit of steam in the final third, but that's true of most movies. It still rates a ten. The first film by Paul Ruebens, Tim Burton and the incomparable film composer Danny Elfman, it bubbles with the pure joy and exuberance of three talented people playing with a brand new toy. No film has ever been more fun to watch.
Reubens' media crucifixion in the early 90's was a crime against pop culture. America's snickering sanctimony stifled and virtually silenced one of the few original voices in the entertainment industry. I'm only thankful that Pee-wee lives on in video-land, so that my children and I can continue to enjoy his film and television work (the new DVD of "Big Adventure", by the way, is a treasure).
Pee-wee Herman, it's time to come back! Your loyal fans await your triumphant return. And to all those sicko name-callers out there, we have only one thing to say:
"I know you are, but what am I?"
Reubens' media crucifixion in the early 90's was a crime against pop culture. America's snickering sanctimony stifled and virtually silenced one of the few original voices in the entertainment industry. I'm only thankful that Pee-wee lives on in video-land, so that my children and I can continue to enjoy his film and television work (the new DVD of "Big Adventure", by the way, is a treasure).
Pee-wee Herman, it's time to come back! Your loyal fans await your triumphant return. And to all those sicko name-callers out there, we have only one thing to say:
"I know you are, but what am I?"
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- La gran aventura de Pee-Wee
- Filming locations
- Wheel Inn Restaurant - 50900 Seminole Drive, Cabazon, California, USA(Truck stop and dinosaurs)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $6,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $41,047,344
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,545,847
- Aug 11, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $41,047,344
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Sound mix
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