Fandango (1985 Film)

Fandango (1985 film)

Fandango is a 1985 American film directed by Kevin Reynolds. It was originally a 30-minute black and white student film titled Proof made by Reynolds while he was attending USC film school. It was a parody of Greek life at his alma mater Baylor University. However, due to his father's presidency at Baylor, he did not wish to portray the Baptist institution in an unfavorable light and gave it the alternate distinction as the University of Texas.

Steven Spielberg saw the film and helped fund a feature-length comedy/drama about five college students from Texas in 1971 who go on a "last" road trip together, celebrating the "privilege of youth" as they face graduation, marriage, and the draft for the Vietnam War.

Fandango stars Kevin Costner (in essence, his first starring role, although an earlier film where he had been the lead actor, The Gunrunner had actually wrapped in 1983 but was not released until 1989), Judd Nelson, and Sam Robards. The soundtrack features music by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, among others. The film was released by Warner Bros. and Amblin Entertainment on January 25, 1985 and a DVD of the film was released on February 15, 2005. Fandango marked not only the directorial debut of Reynolds but also the feature film debut of Suzy Amis, previously known primarily for her work in modeling.