|
|
|
|
|
Back in my younger days, Girls Just Want to Have Fun was a sleepover staple. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if my friends and I wore out the VHS copy at our local Blockbuster; we watched it that much. So when I heard it was being re-released on DVD, I just couldn’t resist re-watching my old teenage favorite.
Originally released in 1985, Girls Just Want to Have Fun stars a young, pre-martini-and-Manolo Sarah Jessica Parker as Janey Glenn, a military brat who’s lived just about everywhere. But now she and her family have settled in Chicago—the place she’s always dreamed of living, since it’s the home of her very favorite show, Dance TV.
When Dance TV announces open auditions for a new dance couple, Janey’s rebellious new friend, Lynne Stone (Helen Hunt), talks her into going—even though Janey’s tough military dad (Ed Lauter) said she couldn’t. Janey’s dance moves and aerobic ability get her into the finals, and she’s paired up with gorgeous Jeff Malene (Lee Montgomery). They’ve only got a week to practice together—and Janey’s got to sneak out of the house to do it. But they’ve got a pretty good chance—as long as spoiled rich girl Natalie Sands (Holly Gagnier) doesn’t come between them.
Like most teen movies of the ‘80s, Girls Just Want to Have Fun is just simple teenage fun. It’s a movie about those carefree, playful days when the heroine’s greatest challenge was figuring out how to sneak out of the house past her parents so she could go out and dance with a cute boy. (The solution: the tree outside her bedroom window, of course!) In those days, the good guys always won, the bad guys always got theirs, and everyone got together to dance it out in the end. And that’s what makes movies like this one such a silly breath of fresh air. It’s a welcome change of pace.
There’s nothing deep or thought-provoking about this lighthearted ‘80s chick flick, but that’s not really the point. The point is that it’s loveable, nostalgic fun. It’s filled with ‘80s music and dancing and outrageous ‘80s style. In fact, Helen Hunt’s over-the-top wardrobe alone makes this movie worth seeing—if only to prove to your kids that you weren’t the only one who looked like that in the ‘80s.
Even if you didn’t watch Girls Just Want to Have Fun over and over and over as a kid like I did, it’s still just the thing for a night of fun with the girls—no matter what their age.
|
|
|
|
