A Chicago teenager is looking for fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand.
Trustworthy son Joel Goodsen, an industrious, college-bound Chicago high school senior struggling to live up to his parents' expectations, has more than enough on his plate. But when mum and dad go off on vacation, the inexperienced teenager seizes the golden opportunity to live a little: Joel breaks one rule after another, indulging his wide-eyed curiosity and unspoken desires. And now, there's no turning back--Joel's risky business has already thrown his life into complete disarray. What happens if Joel's parents return home earlier than expected? Will Joel learn a thing or two about life, consequences, and love?—Nick Riganas
A suburban Chicago teenager's parents leave on vacation, and he cuts loose. An unauthorised trip in his father's Porsche means a sudden need for lots of money, which he raises in a creative way.—Jon Reeves <[email protected]>
Left alone in the wealthy northern Chicago suburbs with the family house and Porsche at his disposal, Joel, through his scheming friends, finds himself entertaining to-die-for lady-of-the-night Lana. After meeting Joel's enthusiastic friends, Lana spots a business opportunity, and suggests bringing in some of her equally stunning colleagues. Joel is aghast at such an idea, at least until the Porsche accidentally falls into Lake Michigan, requiring a quick infusion of ready cash.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
High-achieving high school student Joel Goodsen (Tom Cruise) lives with his wealthy parents in the Chicago North Shore area of Glencoe. His father (Nicholas Pryor) wants him to attend Princeton University, his Alma Mater, so Joel participates in Future Enterprisers, an extracurricular activity in which students work in teams to create small businesses.Joel pines to have a good time but plays safe so as not to jeopardize his chances of going to Princeton. Joel has scored 597 in Math and 560 in verbal in his SATS. His father has already arranged for an interview with Princeton at their house on the coming Friday.
When his parents go away on a trip, Joel's friend, Miles (Curtis Armstrong), convinces him to use his newfound freedom to have some fun. On the first night, he raids the liquor cabinet, plays the stereo loudly, joyrides in his father's car and dances around the living room in his briefs and button-down shirt to "Old Time Rock and Roll". Glenn (Raphael Sbarge) brings a girl over and wants to borrow a spare room in Joel's house.
The following day, Miles (who had got into Harvard) calls a prostitute named Jackie (Bruce A. Young) on Joel's behalf. When Jackie turns out to be transgender, Joel pays her just to leave, but before she does, she gives Joel the number for another prostitute named Lana (Rebecca De Mornay). That night, Joel is unable to sleep and hesitantly calls Lana, who is revealed as a gorgeous blonde woman, and they spend the entire night having sex.
The next morning, Lana asks Joel for $300 for her services. He goes to the bank (he had $75, which he already gave to Jackie just to get her to leave), but when he returns, Lana is gone, along with his mother's expensive Steuben glass egg. Joel finds Lana and demands the egg back (she gets into the car with Joel), but Lana's pimp Guido (Joe Pantoliano) interrupts them, pulling a gun. While in his father's Porsche 928, Joel is chased by Guido, but eventually escapes. Lana tells Joel that the egg is with the rest of her belongings at Guido's. Lana says that she has left Guido since he thought he owned her.
Joel lets Lana stay at his house while he goes to school, with the promise that she won't steal anything again. When he returns, his friends have come over, and Lana has invited another prostitute, Vicki (Shera Danese), to stay, but Joel rejects the idea. The women leave, only to encounter Guido and get into an altercation on Joel's front lawn before running back into his house. Guido leaves when the girls retort that they work for Joel now.
Joel agrees to the women spending one more night. Later that night, Joel, Lana, Vicki, and Joel's friend Barry (Bronson Pinchot) go out and get high on marijuana. Lana tells Joel that she left home because her stepdad kept coming onto her. After Lana accidentally bumps the Porsche out of gear while retrieving her purse, the car rolls down the hill and onto a pier (despite Joel's desperate attempt to stop it, but the front door was locked and Lana left the keys inside); the pier collapses, and the Porsche sinks into Lake Michigan. Its Thursday, and the parents are back on Sunday.
When Joel takes the car to a repair shop, he is horrified to learn how much fixing it will cost. As a result, Joel is late to school. He tries to get a doctor's note from the nurse, but when she refuses, he grabs her collar and gets suspended for 5 days. Princeton is looking impossible at this point.He and Lana later decide to turn his parents' house into a brothel for a night; Joel's share of the profits will pay for the repairs. The party is hugely successful; the house is packed with Joel's friends and classmates and Lana's co-workers. However, the recruiter from Princeton, Rutherford (Richard Masur), chooses that night to interview Joel for admission to Princeton. The interview is plagued by interruptions, and Rutherford is unimpressed by Joel's resume. Afterwards, he stays at the party and becomes acquainted with Lana's friends.
After the party, Joel and Lana go and make love on the Chicago "L". The next morning, Joel gets the repaired car back, but finds his house has been burgled. When he tries to call Lana, Guido answers; he tells Joel that he will let Joel buy back his furniture. Joel and his friends manage to get everything moved back in just as his parents walk in, though his mother notices a crack in her egg.
Later, Joel's father congratulates him; the interviewer was very impressed, and Joel will be accepted into Princeton. Joel meets Lana at a restaurant, and they speculate about their future. She tells him that she wants to keep on seeing him; he jokes that it will cost her.
