The Film That Was Anything but «Perfect»: How John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis Starred in One of the 80s’ Most Infamous Flops
A-list stars? Check. An eye-catching aerobics craze? Check. A $20 million budget? Check. With all the right ingredients, Perfect (1985) should have been a surefire hit. Instead, it became a cautionary tale of how a movie can go spectacularly wrong despite its star power.
A Movie Destined for Success—Until It Wasn’t
When John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis signed on for Perfect, expectations were sky-high. Both actors were household names, fresh off major career highs, and the film’s premise—centered around the explosive popularity of fitness clubs—seemed tailor-made for an era obsessed with aerobics.
Directed by James Bridges and backed by Columbia Pictures, Perfect had every reason to succeed. But when it finally hit theaters, it landed with a thud, earning just $12.9 million worldwide. Worse still, it became a laughingstock, scoring multiple Golden Raspberry Award nominations, including Worst Actor (Travolta), Worst Supporting Actress (Marilu Henner), and Worst Screenplay. Ouch.
So, what exactly went wrong? Let’s dive into the missteps and strange trivia behind this cinematic disaster.
A Wardrobe Choice That No One Was Ready For
Some films stand out for their storytelling; others become infamous for unintentional comedy. Perfect falls into the latter category, thanks in part to its very revealing wardrobe choices.
John Travolta’s skintight gym shorts and the film’s borderline excessive aerobics montages made it feel more like a risqué workout video than a serious drama. The now-iconic fitness sequences, packed with intense pelvic thrusts and sweat-drenched close-ups, left audiences baffled. Even Jamie Lee Curtis later admitted that the film’s hyper-sexualized aerobics routines weren’t what she expected.
Critics were ruthless. Variety’s review summed up the general sentiment:
«On any level, ‘Perfect’ is an embarrassment and unlikely to satisfy any audience.”
Jamie Lee Curtis: The Ultimate Aerobics Instructor
If Perfect is remembered for anything, it’s Jamie Lee Curtis’ performance as the high-energy fitness instructor Jessie Wilson.
A lifelong fitness enthusiast, Curtis was thrilled to take on the role. She trained intensely for months before filming began, determined to bring authenticity to her character. She later admitted:
“I’ve always loved exercise. I’d watch instructors and imagine myself leading a class.”
However, the grueling shoot took its toll. To maintain her physique, Curtis reportedly stuck to a one-meal-a-day diet, and by the end of filming, she had lost 10 pounds of muscle.
Oh, and she even filmed a promotional music video with Jermaine Jackson. That’s commitment.
John Travolta: No Regrets, Despite the Fallout
John Travolta’s star had shone brilliantly in the late ‘70s, with Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978) cementing him as a pop culture icon. But by 1985, his career had cooled significantly.
Although Perfect was a critical and commercial failure, Travolta has never expressed regret about taking the role. He was eager to reunite with director James Bridges (with whom he had previously worked on Urban Cowboy), and he cherished the friendships formed on set.
Critics, however, were far less sentimental. Some joked that the film was little more than “a series of workout scenes featuring Travolta and Curtis.”
In the wake of Perfect, Travolta stepped away from Hollywood for several years. He wouldn’t return to the big screen until Look Who’s Talking (1989), marking one of the longest career breaks of his life.
A Production Nightmare: The Never-Ending Shoot
When filming began, Perfect was slated for an 81-day shoot. But as production dragged on, that timeline went out the window. The film ultimately took a staggering 140 days to complete.
Jamie Lee Curtis, accustomed to fast-paced low-budget productions, found the endless delays frustrating. She quipped in a 1984 interview:
“We could have shot every movie I’ve ever made in the time it’s taken to finish this one.”
One of the costliest decisions? Rather than filming at Rolling Stone’s actual New York offices, producers built an elaborate two-story replica of the magazine’s headquarters in Los Angeles.
Director James Bridges defended the drawn-out process, stating:
“If the film is great, the time we took won’t matter. If it isn’t, no amount of time could have saved it.”
Unfortunately for Perfect, the latter proved true.
A Legacy of Camp and Cult Appeal
Decades later, Perfect remains a bizarre relic of the ‘80s—a movie that failed spectacularly but still holds a certain fascination. From its unintentional campiness to its over-the-top aerobics montages, it has earned a cult following among fans of so-bad-it’s-good cinema.
Even Quentin Tarantino has weighed in on Perfect, reportedly calling it “underrated” and praising Curtis’ performance.
In recent years, Jamie Lee Curtis has even recreated her iconic aerobic routine, embracing the film’s oddball legacy.
So, while Perfect never lived up to its name, it will always have a place in pop culture history—as one of the most memorable misfires of the 1980s.
