Volunteers (1985)

About Volunteers

Volunteers is an American comedy film set in 1962. Tom Hanks plays Lawrence, a rich, selfish Ivy League student who volunteers for the Peace Corps to escape his gambling debts. He is sent to Thailand, where he is expected to build a bridge for the local villagers with the help of fellow volunteer, and love interest, Beth, played by Rita Wilson. The narrative follows their comedic and adventurous journey- battling with cultural differences, the threat of communism, and their own clashing personalities.

Making / Production

The movie was directed by Nicholas Meyer, produced by Richard Shepherd and Walter F. Parkes, and was distributed by HBO in cinemas. The film was shot mainly in Mexico which doubled for Thailand in the movie.

Actors

• Tom Hanks in the role of Lawrence, brought his charming and comedic persona to the rich and spoiled college student, Lawrence.
• Rita Wilson as Beth, portrayed a strong, compassionate, and independent Peace Corps volunteer.
• John Candy played Tom Tuttle, an enthusiastic engineer from Washington State, with his signature humor and vitality.
• Clyde Kusatsu as At Toon, an influential communist operative, played a stern and somber character, providing a good counterbalance to the film's generally light-hearted tone.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• 'Volunteers' is the film where co-stars Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson met. They later got married and have two children together.
• This movie was controversial upon release due to its humorous portrayal of the Peace Corps.
• John Candy’s character in this movie is an extension of his lovable persona he built through the Canadian TV series, Second City Television.

Quotes

• Lawrence: "It's not that I can't help these people. It's just I don't want to."
• Beth: "I'm here to build a bridge. If I wanted a lecture on politics, I'd have stayed in Washington."
• John Tuttle: "I am a road foreman for the state of Washington. I wasn't cut out for this kind of thing."

Music, Soundtrack

• The original musical score for ‘Volunteers’ was composed by James Horner.
• The soundtrack includes the hit song, "Volunteers," by Jefferson Airplane.