(1986) Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown
Directed by Tony Scott

As Cocktail opens Brian Flanagan, played by Tom Cruise, returns from a stint in the military and seeks to build a new life for himself in New York City. Before long Brian lands a job tending bar and meets Doug Coughlin, played by Bryan Brown, who becomes his friend and mentor in the business of bartendering. Expect much behind-the-bar acrobatics and bottle tossing as Tom Cruise shows his stuff as one hell of a bartender.

The portrait of the barscene in Manhattan really tows the line in this otherwise thin plot as Brian and Doug make it to the top of New York nightlife pouring drinks in chic hotspots. It is hard not to watch this movie without a bit of jealousy as this very '80s fable unwinds and drinks go down. A fun, fast time, but, like an all-night drinking bout, not something you'll be likely to remember the next day.