It was one of the ideal projects of the 80s, starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film’s budget was $20 million. ‘The Ideal’ was supposed to be ideal in every way, but something went wrong. It became Hollywood’s biggest disappointment and grossed only about $13 million.
Everything went wrong from the start. Many condemned the overly explicit aerobics scenes. And Travolta’s shorts bothered a lot of people. That’s why this film is often cited as an example of absurdity. The thing is, the directors tried to mix elements of eroticism with a sports drama.
Critics wrote that it was not a film, but simply a collection of Travolta and Curtis’s workouts. Despite such low ratings, the actor did not regret his decision to star in ‘The Ideal’. Travolta wrote that he had fond memories of interacting with the actors and director.
Another problem was that the filming process dragged on. They planned to shoot the film in 81 days, but it ended up taking 140. Jamie Lee Curtis did not like this very much, as she had to sacrifice her figure for the role. She lost weight and muscle mass in order to be slim and look good in tight aerobic outfits.
Today, the film is remembered as an amusing failure that had great potential. Now many insist that the film can be called cult, and the scandalous scenes — iconic.
Later, Curtis reconsidered her attitude and approached the filming with humour. She even recalled the legendary dances and demonstrated her incredible form. It is worth noting that she is still as magnificent as ever.
