Johnny Be Good
“Every college in the country wants Johnny. 'Cause when he's good he's very very good. And when he's bad he's better.”
Synopsis
It's recruiting time and despite being short and scrawny, Johnny Walker is America's hottest young football prospect. His dilemma: should he take one of the many offers from college talent scouts or should he attend the local state college with his girlfriend and give up his football career?
Top Cast
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Anthony Michael Hall
Johnny Walker
Robert Downey Jr.
Leo Wiggins
Uma Thurman
Georgia Elkans
Paul Gleason
Wayne Hisler
Steve James
Coach Ned Sanders
Jennifer Tilly
Connie Hisler
Seymour Cassel
Wallace Gibson
Marshall Bell
Chief Elkans
Deborah May
Mrs. Walker
Robert Downey Sr.
NCAA Investigator
John Hawkes
Pizza Boy #1
John Pankow
Lou Landers
Michael Greene
Tex Wade
Michael Alldredge
Vinny Kroll
Jon Stafford
Bad Breath
Peter Koch
Pete Andropolous
Howard Cosell
Himself
Jim McMahon
Himself
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 24, 1988
Wide Cinema Exhibition
December 1, 1991
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$22M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$17.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.8x
-$4.4M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Bud S. Smith
- Screenplay & Story
- David Obst, Jeff Buhai, Steve Zacharias
- Original Score
- Jay Ferguson
- Original Title
- Johnny Be Good
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 26m
- Production Budget
- $22M
- Worldwide Gross
- $17.6M
- Production Studios
- Orion Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Bud S. Smith
David Obst, Jeff Buhai, Steve Zacharias
Jay Ferguson
Robert D. Yeoman
M. Scott Smith
Department Leadership Roster
Bud S. Smith
Director
Russell Towery
Stunt Coordinator
David Obst
Writer
Jeff Buhai
Writer
Susie DeSanto
Costume Design
Robert D. Yeoman
Director of Photography
M. Scott Smith
Editor
Steve Zacharias
Writer
Gregg Fonseca
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Johnny Be Good.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Johnny Be Good.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Johnny Be Good
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Johnny Be Good about?
It's recruiting time and despite being short and scrawny, Johnny Walker is America's hottest young football prospect. His dilemma: should he take one of the many offers from college talent scouts or should he attend the local state college with his girlfriend and give up his football career?
Who directed Johnny Be Good?
Johnny Be Good was directed by Bud S. Smith.
Who stars in Johnny Be Good?
The principal cast of Johnny Be Good includes Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr., Uma Thurman, Paul Gleason, Steve James.
When was Johnny Be Good released and how long is it?
Johnny Be Good was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 1h 26m.
What was the box office and production budget of Johnny Be Good?
Johnny Be Good had a reported production budget of $22M and grossed $17.6M at the worldwide box office (0.8 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Johnny Be Good?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Johnny Be Good was composed by Jay Ferguson.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Johnny Be Good?
Johnny Be Good holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).