Upon its release in U.S. theaters on May 19, 1989 by United Artists, Road House earned $61 million worldwide on a $15 million production budget. It received mostly negative reviews from critics, who lamented its excessive violence and sleaziness, and expressed incredulity at Swayze's character. In the years since, it went on to achieve cult status. Its popularity resulted in the creation of the Road House franchise, which includes a stage adaptation, a sequel in 2006, and a remake in 2024.
Plot
James Dalton is a professional bouncer working security for a New York City nightclub. Stoic and cool-headed, he is haunted by memories of killing a man in self-defense by tearing out his throat. Businessman Frank Tilghman recruits Dalton to run security at his bar, the Double Deuce, in Jasper, Missouri. Tilghman plans to renovate the dilapidated venue and needs Dalton's highly regarded skills to tame its violent clientele. Dalton accepts on the condition of full operational control, promptly firing several staff for misconduct, theft, and drug dealing. He lodges in a simple barn owned by farmer Emmett, unaware that the mansion across the lake belongs to Brad Wesley, a crime boss who controls the town through bribery and intimidation.
Wesley's nephew, Pat McGurn—one of the dismissed employees—tries to intimidate Tilghman into rehiring him but fails. Pat later attacks Dalton, who, with the help of his new bouncers, throws him and his cohorts out. Wounded during the fight, Dalton seeks treatment from Dr. Elizabeth "Doc" Clay, with whom he begins a relationship, drawing Wesley's envy. After several failed attempts to disrupt business at the Double Deuce, Wesley tries to hire Dalton himself. When Dalton refuses, Wesley uses his connects to block the bar's liquor supply, forcing Dalton to call in favors and reunite with his mentor, veteran bouncer Wade Garrett.
Wesley escalates further by sending his men to sabotage the Double Deuce's shipments, burning down the neighboring auto parts store owned by Elizabeth's uncle, Red Webster, and ordering his chief enforcer, Jimmy Reno, to instigate a massive brawl at the bar. Dalton and his staff hold the line, but Wesley continues tightening his grip on Jasper by sabotaging businesses to ensure compliance. Frustrated by his inability to stop Wesley, Dalton struggles with anger and lingering guilt over killing in self-defense, as Garrett and Elizabeth try to ground him.
Tensions peak when Reno blows up Emmett's home. Enraged, Dalton confronts Reno and kills him in self-defense when Reno draws a gun, once again tearing out his throat, horrifying Elizabeth. Soon after, Wesley threatens to kill either Elizabeth or Wade. Dalton rushes to check on Elizabeth, finding her safe but unwilling to go with him. Returning to the bar, he discovers Wade mortally stabbed.
Devastated, Dalton storms Wesley's estate, killing most of his men in a brutal showdown. Though he defeats Wesley, Dalton resists finishing him off. Wesley attempts to retaliate with a gun but is fatally shot by armed townsfolk, including Emmett, Red, and Tilghman, who later all tell police they "saw nothing".
In the aftermath, the Double Deuce thrives as a modernized hotspot, while Dalton and Doc enjoy a quiet life together, swimming in the lake near Emmett's farm.
Annette Bening was originally cast as Dr. Elizabeth Clay. However, since she had little chemistry with Patrick Swayze, she was replaced by Kelly Lynch.[5]Scott Glenn turned down the role of Jimmy Reno, which eventually went to Marshall Teague.[6] Joel Silver cast Sam Elliott as Garrett due to his "baggage".[7]
Filming
Filming started in April 1988 on location throughout California, primarily in Newhall, Valencia, and Canyon Country. The filming of much of the "New Double Deuce" used Anaheim's Cowboy Boogie, also later called the Bandstand among other names until it closed. The opening and monster truck scenes were filmed in Reedley, California. The Kings River runs between the two residences.[2] The monster truck used was Bigfoot #7, which was originally built for the film. The scene cost $500,000 to film.[8] While filming the famous fistfight scene, Marshall broke Swayze's ribs.[6]
Music
Jeff Healey, seen here performing in 2002, whose band is featured in the film as the house band for the Double Deuce.
The soundtrack for Road House features Canadian guitarist Jeff Healey, whose band is featured in the film as the house band for the Double Deuce. Cruzados are the band in the opening credits, contributing three songs to the film that never made the soundtrack. Patrick Swayze also wrote one song and sang two for the soundtrack. The film's score was composed by Michael Kamen.[9][10] A limited edition 14-track score album part of the Special Collection was issued by Intrada Records in 2012.[11] An expanded limited 31-track score was reissued for the film's 30th anniversary by La-La Land Records in 2019.[12][13]
Between VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and streaming service sales, Road House has grossed over $203 million, including its original box office of $61 million. The film was originally released on VHS and then on DVD. In the United States Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer first released the film on DVD on February 4, 2003, with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and theatrical trailer as the sole extra feature.[15] In 2006 a Deluxe Edition DVD was released with two audio commentaries including one with the director, two featurettes titled "On the Roadhouse" and "What Would Dalton Do?".[16]Road House was first issued by MGM on Blu-ray disc on June 2, 2009. A second disc combines the same six special features ported from the Deluxe DVD.[17] After being reissued numerous times in the U.S., in 2016 Shout! Factory released a 2-disc Blu-ray collectors edition with fourteen extra features with material ported over from the previous editions. New supplements include a 'Making of' documentary with new interviews by Herrington, actors Kelly Lynch, John Doe, Kevin Tighe, Julie Michaels and Red West, a separate conversation with the director and featurette for the film's music.[18] The magnet clasp boxed limited edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack from Vinegar Syndrome was released on November 25, 2022.[19]
Reception
Box office
Road House grossed $30 million in the United States and Canada and $31 million internationally for a worldwide total of $61 million.[20][21][22][23][24] It has also found life on cable television.[25]
Critical response
Upon its release Road House received mostly negative reviews from critics,[2] while audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A+ to F scale.[26]Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and commented, "Road House exists right on the edge between the 'good-bad movie' and the merely bad. I hesitate to recommend it, because so much depends on the ironic vision of the viewer. This is not a good movie. But viewed in the right frame of mind, it is not a boring one, either."[27]Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune was less complimentary, calling it "outrageous in terms of its cartoon-like plotting and dialogue" and lamenting "Swayze’s mindless posturing. A young star has sold himself to become a pinup boy."[28]
In The Washington Post, Hal Hinson's scathing review dismissed the film as "Full of gratuitous mayhem, head-bashing, gay-bashing and woman-bashing, Road House has a malicious, almost putrid tone."[29]Caryn James of The New York Times was similarly critical, saying "Road House is much funnier than most comedies, until it turns vile instead of just stupid." She also said the film made Swayze's career "look like a bad joke" and sent it "spinning out of control".[1]Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times, compared Road House unfavorably to Swayze's recent hit Dirty Dancing, "It wasn’t sex that Dirty Dancing delivered, it was romance. But in deep Road House country, . . . the undefined made crassly visible, there isn’t a whiff of romance anywhere, any more than there’s a single jot of common sense."[30]
On Rotten Tomatoes, Road House has a rating of 44% based on 50 reviews, with an average rating of 5.40/10. The consensus states: "Whether Road House is simply bad or so bad it's good depends largely on the audience's fondness for Swayze -- and tolerance for violently cheesy action."[31]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 36 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[32]
A sequel, Road House 2, was released directly to DVD in July 2006. Set many years later and telling the story of Dalton's adult son, it featured no characters from the original cast and only a few references to Dalton (who was reportedly shot dead before the film took place). The sequel confirmed that Dalton's first name was James, which could be seen momentarily on the medical chart in the original film's hospital scene, but which had been otherwise left unsaid. At the same time Road House 2 was released, the original film was reissued in a deluxe edition featuring, among other features, separate audio commentary tracks by director Herrington, Kevin Smith, and Scott Mosier, which the duo had expressed an interest in during the introduction of the tenth anniversary Clerks DVD.[34]
In 2003, an off-Broadway musical production of Road House was staged as a campy comedy by Timothy Haskell, as seen by its full title of Road House: The Stage Version Of The Cinema Classic That Starred Patrick Swayze, Except This One Stars Taimak From The 80's Cult Classic "The Last Dragon" Wearing A Blonde Mullet Wig.[35]
Road House proved to be enough of an obsession for Crow T. Robot from Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode 321 to inspire a special board game based on the movie as his misfit toy for the new Island of Misfit Toys in the Invention Exchange and later a new Christmas carol, "Let's have a Patrick Swayze Christmas", as well as countless comparisons of the movie to the movie he, Joel and Tom Servo were riffing (Santa Claus Conquers the Martians), all the way to changing some lyrics of the theme song in its closing reprise: "S-A-N-T-A C-L-A-U-S/Hooray for Patrick Swayze".
In the Family Guy season 8 episode "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag", Peter Griffin purchases a DVD copy of Road House for a dollar at a closing video store. After watching the film, he decides that the only way to solve every problem is by roundhouse kicking everything in sight including his family. The episode was dedicated in memory of Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009.[36]
Following the death of Eric Garner, the New York City Police Department began using a scene from Road House as part of a mandatory, three-day retraining course for 22,000 officers expected to "be nice" under pressure.[37]
In the Young Sheldonseason 4, episode 2 titled "A Docent, A Little Lady And A Bouncer Named Dalton" (November 2020), it is discovered that Mary's secret pleasure is watching action movies like Road House, which creates an unexpected bond with her teenager son Georgie.
In September 2015, it was announced that Ronda Rousey would star in a remake of Road House.[38] A month later, Nick Cassavetes was announced to write and direct the film.[39] However, plans for the film fell through and the remake was quietly canceled in 2016.[40]
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