Why Are John Cusack, Chevy Chase (and Randy Quaid!) Hitting the Road?
Veteran stars lean on nostalgia, memories of pre-woke Hollywood era
Will audiences look back on current titles like “No Hard Feelings,” “About My Father” and “The Boogeyman” with the same love they have for classic films?
It’s unlikely, and that’s being kind.
Films from the ’80s and ’90s inspire endless devotion, thanks to tales touching on love, loss and laughter.
Even better?
They came out before anyone knew what the word “woke” meant. And that matters. Now, some of the stars from those movies are hitting the road to celebrate their greatest hits with the fans.
John Cusack, who spends his days firing off poorly spelled Tweets attacking the GOP, is on tour this summer. He’s not promoting any of his newer films, like “Never Grow Old” or “Distorted.”
Instead, he’s bringing classics like “Sixteen Candles,” “Say Anything” and “High Fidelity” to theaters once more. It’s “An Evening with John Cusack.”
“Seeing films in great theaters the way they were meant to be seen,” Cusack said via his Instagram account.
It’s enough to make the cranky star sound downright neighborly on social media.
I’m glad you had a fun night https://t.co/TAob2jTiSR
— John Cusack (@johncusack) June 23, 2023
Cusack isn’t alone.
The stars of “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” including Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley and Randy Quaid are also touring the country on the FanFest circuit.
Randy Quaid and Chevy Chase (2023 pic.twitter.com/cN0f10v88e
— j wall ✡ (@jwhaifa) June 17, 2023
Yes, that’s the same Randy Quaid whose last significant Hollywood film was 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain.” Quaid’s legal woes and off-screen antics pushed him out of the business, and it doesn’t appear like he’s coming back anytime soon.
He still proved game for a “Vacation” reunion, and his former co-stars are playing nice along the way.
— Randy Quaid (@RandyRRQuaid) June 11, 2023
Oscar-winner Helen Hunt is getting in on the nostalgia action, too. She’s planning to screen two of her best-known films, “Twister” and “As Good As It Gets” during an appearance at the El Paso Community Foundation Plaza Classic Film Festival later next month.
Meanwhile, Fathom Events continues to bring back older, beloved films to theaters with impressive box office results.
The re-release of “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” made more money than new releases like “Air” and “Renfield” earlier this year.
“Vacation” returns to theaters July 16 and 19.
Nostalgia matters more than ever in 2023. Our institutions are crumbling all around us. The economy is teetering on the brink of a recession. Half the country believes the U.S. government is weaponized on behalf of one political party.
Few trust the media to tell us the truth.
We hunger for the old days, a time when Cousin Eddie could make us howl and a teen could woo a girl by holding a boom box above his head.
On this day in 1989, Cameron Crowe’s teen drama Say Anything…, starring John Cusack and Ione Skye, opens in theaters and features THIS scene. pic.twitter.com/BEraUC8F1Q
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) April 15, 2023
Those days are gone, but the actors who made them happen are happy to relive them on our behalf.
The lesson to be gained from this article is that there was a time that movies were made without pandering and virtue signaling to woke ideology. People are less and less willing to toss away their hard-earned money on what has become, of late, recycled crap with any hint of originality removed.
People are sick of bulls***, and finally starting to push back.
@Sam Colt: Agreed.
Movies with actors we liked until we found out they looked down their noses at people who actually WORK for a living rather than pretend to be someone they’re not and play dress-up.
The cat’s out of the bag now.
cusak can crack open a bud light for all I care.
Randy’s a bit odd-but I still respect him even if he’s a loony. :_
/s
And Christian Toto totally misses the point. It’s not surprising that a fanboy would froth and gush about over-paid, under-worked, poorly educated, rich people on the downside slope of their careers “rubbing elbows” and pretending to downhome charm in order to pad their wallets. “The actors how made them happen are happy to relive them on our behalf.” Has there ever been a more idiotic statement? The actors did not make those happen. The writers, director, and crew made those moments happen. The actor read someone else’s words and emoted over and over again till the director caught the right one. If we have learned one thing over the last few years, it is that actors are the least important element of movies. Peter Cushing, long since dead and gone, was resurrected for a recent Star Wars film – it was a travesty, but it proves, actors are eminently replaceable. How about we end the era of star-struck fanboyism and celebrate the people who actually work?
Happy to say, I never watched any of the movies mentioned and never will.