Volunteers (1985): cast, story & where to watch
1985 · Film · ★ 5.4
Released in 1985, Volunteers is a comedy film directed by Nicholas Meyer, running about 107 minutes. “Ready or not, here they come.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. After his rich father refuses to pay his debt, compulsive gambler Lawrence Bourne III joins the Peace Corps to evade angry creditors. In Thailand, he is assigned to build a bridge for the local villagers with the help of American-As-Apple-Pie WSU Grad Tom Tuttle and the beautiful and down-to earth Beth Wexler. What they don't realize is that the bridge is coveted by the U.S. Army, a local Communist force, and a powerful drug lord. Together with the help of At Toon, the only English speaking native, they must fight off the three opposing forces and find out what is right for the villagers, as well as themselves.
Who’s in it. Volunteers stars Tom Hanks as Lawrence Whatley Bourne III, John Candy as Tom Tuttle, Rita Wilson as Beth Wexler and Tim Thomerson as John Reynolds, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 5.4/10, Volunteers has proved divisive with audiences. It went on to earn $19.9M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on YouTube TV, Cinemax Amazon Channel and Cinemax Apple TV Channel and rent or buy it from Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Volunteers page.
If you liked it. Fans of Volunteers tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Volunteers (1985)?
- In US, Volunteers is available to stream on YouTube TV, Cinemax Amazon Channel and Cinemax Apple TV Channel, and rent or buy from Google Play Movies and YouTube. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Volunteers worth watching?
- Volunteers holds an audience score of 5.4 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Volunteers?
- Volunteers stars Tom Hanks, John Candy, Rita Wilson, Tim Thomerson and Gedde Watanabe.
- When was Volunteers released?
- Volunteers was released in 1985, with a runtime of about 107 minutes.