Over the Top
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| Over the Top | |
 original movie poster for Over the Top |
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| Directed by | Menahem Golan |
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| Produced by | Menahem Golan Yoram Globus |
| Written by | Gary Conway & David Engelbach (story) Stirling Silliphant & Sylvester Stallone (screenplay) |
| Starring | Sylvester Stallone Robert Loggia Susan Blakely Rick Zumwalt David Mendenhall |
| Music by | Giorgio Moroder |
| Cinematography | David Gurfinkel |
| Editing by | James R. Symons Don Zimmerman |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures (USA) Cannon Films (non-USA) |
| Release date(s) | February 12, 1987 |
| Running time | 93 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15,000,000 (est.) |
| Gross revenue | $16,057,580 (USA) |
Over the Top is a 1987 dramatic chase film starring Sylvester Stallone, produced and directed by Menahem Golan about a long haul truck driver who tries to win back his alienated son while becoming a champion arm wrestler. The screenplay was written by Stirling Silliphant and Sylvester Stallone. The original music score is composed by Giorgio Moroder.
Contents |
[edit] Taglines
- Lincoln Hawk will fight for his son the only way he knows how.
- Driving headlong towards the biggest fight of his life.
- Some fight for money... Some fight for glory... He's fighting for his son's love
- Rocky, Rambo, Cobra and now Hawk, in the biggest fight of his life.
[edit] Plot summary
Lincoln Hawk is a struggling trucker who arm wrestles on the side to make extra cash while trying to rebuild his life. Hawk's wife Christina is very ill at the beginning of the film, and asks that Hawk pick up their son Michael from military school so that he may get to know his son since they have been apart since Hawk left them ten years earlier. His father-in-law Jason Cutler is enraged since he feels his daughter was deserted by Hawk, that his daughter and Hawk should never have been married in the first place, and that Hawk has no right to be in his grandson's life.
Over the course of a cross country trip, Mike comes to trust his father until learning about his mother's death while they are on the road. Feeling he would have been there with her if not for Hawk, he leaves for his grandfather's estate. The film continues with Mike realizing that his grandfather has been hiding the truth about his father - the grandfather did everything possible to drive his parents apart and has been intercepting and hiding the regular letters Hawk had written to his son over the last few years. Eventually, Lincoln competes in the world arm wrestling competition, held at the Las Vegas Hilton. His hope is to win the grand prize of an expensive, new semi-truck and thus be able to start his own independent trucking business. Mike, stunned by his grandfather's deceptions, goes to the Hilton and finds Hawk. Apologizing for misjudging him, Mike gives Hawk the emotional support he needs to compete and he emerges from the contest victorious. As father and son celebrate, Cutler (who had followed Mike to the competition) looks on in silence, realizing he has lost any chance at regaining Mike's love.
[edit] Production
The arm wrestling champ at the time, Cleve Dean, was supposed to be Hawk's final opponent in the movie, but it was changed at the last minute to "Bull" Hurley as the producers thought it would be too unrealistic if Hawk beat Dean.
[edit] Filming locations
The military academy scenes were filmed at Pomona College in Claremont, California during the early summer of 1986. The Kirkeby mansion at 750 Bel Air Road, Los Angeles (also the home of the Clampett family on the CBS comedy "The Beverly Hillbillies") was used as the home for Jason Cutler and Michael Cutler (Hawk).
[edit] Inconsistencies
There is some confusion over the actual name of Stallone's character. In the credits, he is listed as Lincoln Hawk. In addition, the door on his original truck says, "Hawk." However, Robert Loggia's character refers to him variously as Hawks and Hawk, as do many members of the supporting cast. Finally, Hawk writes a letter to his wife and addresses it to Christina Hawks.
[edit] Toy line
A toy line was released in 1986 by LewCo, based on the film. The line contained figures that you could use to stage your own arm wrestling matches, thanks to a knob on the back. The line was a blend of film characters and real arm-wrestlers, and were endorsed by the International Arm Wrestling Council. The figures are as follows:
- Lincoln Hawk (movie character)
- John "Golden Boy" Brzenk (actual arm wrestler)[citation needed]
- Johnny "Ice Man" Walker (actual arm wrestler)[citation needed]
- Johhny Winson Green (actual Hall of Fame arm wrestler)[citation needed]
- John Grizzly (movie character)
- Cleve "Armbender" Dean (actual arm wrestler)[citation needed]
- Bob "Bull" Hurley (movie character played by actual arm wrestler and five time world wrist-wrestling champion Rick Zumwalt)[1]
There was also a scaled-down table for the figures to wrestle on, as well as a life-size one for kids to wrestle with. In addition, there was a workout set with a set of small weights with a cord with arm and wrist bands and a 20-inch tall version of the Lincoln Hawk figure.
[edit] Cast
- Sylvester Stallone - Lincoln Hawk(s)
- Robert Loggia - Jason Cutler
- Susan Blakely - Christina Cutler-Hawk(s)
- Rick Zumwalt - Bob "Bull" Hurley
- David Mendenhall - Michael Cutler/Michael Hawk(s)
- Chris McCarty - Tim Salanger
- Terry Funk - Ruker
- Bruce Way - John Grizzly
- Jimmy Keegan - Richie
- Greg 'Magic' Scwartz - Smasher
- Allan Graf - Collins
- John Braden - Col. Davis
- Randy Raney - Mad Dog Madison
- Paolo Casella - Carl Adams
- Brian Webb - The Baby
- Jack Wright - Big Bill Larson
- Sam Scarber - Harry Bosco
- Michael Fox - Jim Olson
[edit] Soundtrack
A soundtrack album was released in 1987 to coincide with the release of the movie. It contains music from Frank Stallone, Kenny Loggins (who performs the film's central theme, "Meet Me Half Way"), Eddie Money, and Sammy Hagar.
Track listing:
- Winner Takes It All - Sammy Hagar
- In This Country - Robin Zander
- Take It Higher - Larry Greene
- All I Need Is You - Big Trouble
- Bad Nite - Frank Stallone
- Meet Me Half Way - Kenny Loggins
- Gypsy Soul - Asia
- The Fight [Instrumental] - Giorgio Moroder
- Mind Over Matter - Larry Greene
- I Will Be Strong - Eddie Money
John Wetton, lead singer of the rock group Asia, sang "Winner Takes It All" for the movie, but after performing the song, it was felt that his voice wasn't "mean" enough, so the song was offered to Sammy Hagar, whose version ended up being the one on the soundtrack.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Over the Top at the Internet Movie Database
- Over the Top at Allmovie
- Over the Top at Rotten Tomatoes
- Over The Top in-depth review with animated screenshots
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