10 Things to Know About 'Grandview, U.S.A' (1984)

Grandview, U.S.A is a small town story about a brief love triangle, demolition derbies, and the struggles of a teenager trying to break the binds of small town livng to achieve his dream of being an oceanographer. I assure you, that's the story of Grandview, U.S.A released August 3rd, 1983 and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, and C. Thomas Howell.

Here are 10 Things to Know About Grandview USA

10 Filmed in Tiny Pontiac, Illinois

99 minutes southwest of Chicago lies tiny Pontiac, Illinois, population 11,000 in 1983. That population grew by more than 200 when director Randal Kleiser, known for Grease and The Blue Lagoon, arrived with his cast and crew to make Grandview U.S.A.

9 Small Town Gossip

Naturally, having a big time movie in your small town leads to a lot of talk. And when it comes to gossip, big cities have nothing on small towns. Despite most of the town expressing joy and excitement over the movie, gossip could get a little wild. One extra, Kristy Breeden, acting as Jamie Lee Curtis’ stand-in, was the subject of a rumor that she was sleeping with a producer. She says she wasn’t but the rumors gained traction when she joined many of the crew members for a weekend trip to Chicago mid-filming.

8 Speaking of Jamie Lee Curtis

Curtis loved living in Pontiac during the filming of Grandview U.S.A. In interviews from 1983, Curtis raved about small town life and even skipped those weekend trips to Chicago to stay back in Pontiac, soaking up small town life. This however, didn’t stop people from gossiping about Curtis who locals claimed had a penchant for mooning people and flashing her breasts at locals.

The gossip got so wild that it was claimed that producers had to ask Curtis to stop flashing people. Kristy Breeden dismissed the rumors, speaking to the Daily Illini newspaper but Curtis herself never spoke about the rumors. She and co-star Jennifer Jason Leigh do have a topless scene in the film and that may be the source of such rumors.

7 Selling Kisses at the Fair

Jamie Lee Curtis has a wonderful reputation for generosity and she shared that generous spirit while making Grandview U.S.A. Having heard about a local teenager, Lori Tull, needing heart transplant surgery, Jamie Lee jumped at the chance to help. She joined in a charity kissing booth at the local Pontiac Fair and helped raise enough money to help Lori’s family.

Ultimately, Lori Tull would undergo two heart transplant surgeries but would tragically pass away in 1990. She was just 20 years old. Each year, Lori’s family and friends gather in Pontiac to celebrate her memory.

6 Grandview U.S.A Producers Chose Pontiac, Illinois on an Unscheduled Road Trip Stop

Grandview U.S.A was going to be filmed in Northern California but director Randal Kleiser wanted something that looked less conspicuous. The palm trees and architecture of Northern California were too specific. That’s when the Illinois Film Office happened to get in touch. After pitching Central Illinois as a filming location, a carload of location scouts made an unscheduled road trip that happened to pass through Pontiac, Illinois in Livingston County, a photogenic small town with just the right mix of wholesome Norman Rockwell cliches and lower economic grit.

5 That Probably Could Not Happen Today

Back to the small town rumor mill, among the many rumors surrounding the star Jamie Lee Curtis, one rumor happened to be true, confirmed by Curtis herself. And it’s a situation that probably could never happen today. As Curtis was visiting Pontiac, a stranger approached and invited the actress to dinner at their family home and Curtis accepted.

Curtis confirmed the story while speaking to the Chicago Tribune for a profile of Pontiac in September of 1983. By all accounts, Curtis had a great time and spoke highly of the Pontiac locals.

4 A Crew Member Got Stabbed, C. Thomas Howell Got Stalked

More from that Chicago Tribune Story. The film production was not without some trouble. Crew members attended a party in a nearby town and one crew member got stabbed. He was reportedly alright but it led to a rumor that the film company had to bail out a crew member. Instead, they had to press charges against someone not involved in the film. Thankfully

C. Thomas Howell’s stalking story wasn’t nearly as serious. A group of Pontiac teens found out which trailer on set was his and camped out in the rain for the chance to meet him. They eventually got up the courage to go and open the door of his trailer only to find the star of The Outsiders in his boxers. It was embarrassing all around but Howell took it in stride, getting dressed quickly before posing for pictures and signing autographs.

3 Patrick Swayze Worked Double Duty

On screen, Patrick Swayze’s Slam Webster in Grandview U.S.A is a hard living, blue collar, tough who lives for his weekends driving in the local Demolition Derby. But, behind the scenes, Swayze teamed with his wife, Lisa Niemi, as the choreographer for Grandview U.S.A.

2 Even the Editing Team Appeared on the Front Page of the Local Newspaper

As evidence of how Pontiac embraced Hollywood, the local newspaper, The Pontiac Daily Worker, featured stories about the movie nearly every day of filming. Eventually, they covered just about every corner of the production and finally profiled Editor Robert Gordon and Assistant Editor Scott Hancock. The article goes into terrific detail about how editing a movie works from equipment to the nitty gritty of slicing film with a razor blade and taping it together. You have to give the folks in Pontiac this, they are thorough.

1 Night of the Living Lawn Chairs

Wherever the film went to shoot in Pontiac, lines and lines of lawn chairs popped, surrounding the set, hoping for a glimpse of the action. Thankfully, the crowd was quiet and respectful during takes and director Randal Kleiser even took time to tell the assembled townsfolk what was going on in the scene being shot and what he was about to do to bring the scene to life. All in all, the crew and town got along great and the economic impact for Pontiac was nearly $2 million dollars.

Sadly the economic impact for Grandview, U.S.A never came to be. The film with a budget of between $6 and $10 million dollars stumbled to a mere $4.6 million during its theatrical run and despite a cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, C Thomas Howell, and the brother/sister duo of John and Joan Cusack, it fell into obscurity. Of course, the film will never be forgotten by the lawn chair fans back in Pontiac.