Volunteers is a 1985 comedy film directed by Nicholas Meyer and written by Ken Levine and David Isaacs. The movie stars Tom Hanks, John Candy, and Rita Wilson in lead roles.
The movie begins with Lawrence Bourne III (Tom Hanks), a rich Yale University student with an English accent, who finds himself in a large debt after his father refuses to pay off his gambling debts. Lawrence decides to flee the country to avoid his angry debtors and ends up joining the Peace Corps. He is sent to Southeast Asia where he is partnered with Tom Tuttle (John Candy), a recent WSU grad who is enthusiastic about helping the local villagers.
Although Lawrence initially resents being in the Peace Corps, he soon learns about the harsh living conditions of the villagers, including the lack of clean water and the need for a bridge to cross a river. Tom and Lawrence decide to build a bridge for the villagers, and they work tirelessly to make the project successful with the help of the local villagers.
Along the way, Lawrence falls in love with Beth Wexler (Rita Wilson), a beautiful and down-to-earth Peace Corps volunteer who shares his passion for helping others. The three of them work together to overcome various obstacles, including language barriers, cultural differences, and the disapproval of their strict Peace Corps supervisor, John Reynolds (Gedde Watanabe).
As the bridge nears completion, Lawrence is confronted by his angry debtors who have tracked him down. However, with the help of Tom and Beth, Lawrence manages to escape and complete his project, solidifying his newfound passion for philanthropy, responsibility, and love.
Volunteers is an entertaining and humorous story about the transformation of a privileged young man into a caring and responsible citizen, set against the backdrop of the complex and impoverished Southeast Asian region.