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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.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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