Girls Just Want to Have Fun

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

On her first day at an all-girls Catholic High School in Chicago, shy and reserved Janey Glenn (Sarah Jessica Parker) meets the wild and wacky Lynne Sands (Helen Hunt). Even though her oppressive dad, Col. Glenn (Ed Lauter), won't let her go, Lynne talks her into sneaking out to try out for a spot on the beloved show Dance TV. Janey wows the judges with her gymnastic ability and makes first cuts, conveniently assigned to a cute dance partner: blue-collar bad boy Jeff Malene (Lee H. Montgomery). They compete against the bratty rich girl Natalie Sands (Holly Gagnier), who sabotages them because she wants Jeff and the contest for herself. Janey and Lynne get revenge by inviting punks and street kids to crash her debutante ball. Natalie then resorts to making her wealthy industrialist dad, J.P. Sands (Morgan Woodward), threaten Jeff; If he doesn't let Natalie win, his dad (Biff Yeager) could lose his job at the factory. It all leads up to the live television broadcast of the Dance TV contest, right when Janey's dad races to the studio to stop her. Also starring Shannen Doherty as Jeff's little sister, Maggie. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen), 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround
• Screen: Pan and Scan, Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • • cc Widescreen presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs
    • Full-frame presentation
    • Theatrical trailer

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Alan Metter

• Producer:

  Chuck Russell

• Screenwriter:

  Amy Spies

• Cinematographer:

  Thomas E. Ackerman

• Composer (Music Score):

  Thomas Newman

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Don Perry

• Songwriter:

  Marti Sharron

• Featured Music:

  Robert Hazard

• Editor:

  Lorenzo de Stefano, David Rawlins

• Production Designer:

  Sarina Rotstein, Jeff Staggs

• Art Director:

  Christopher Amy

• Executive Producer:

  Stuart Cornfeld

• Set Designer:

  Gregory Melton

• Costume Designer:

  Betty Pecha Madden

• Makeup:

  Richard Arrington

• Special Effects:

  Adams Calvert, Robert Calvert

• Consultant/advisor:

  Janis Hirsch

• Stunts:

  Al Jones

• Choreography:

  Otis Sallid

• Musical Performer:

  Marti Sharron

REVIEW:

• Several young stars made breakthrough performances in the 1985 teen movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Seemingly made to cash in on the popularity of MTV and music videos with a ripoff version of the Cyndi Lauper title song, this fun and frivolous movie contains the total package of preteen girl wish fulfillment. Though it seems like a strange casting decision in retrospect, Sarah Jessica Parker is the good girl and Helen Hunt is her uninhibited and helpful friend. Both give decent performances that are totally appropriate to the laughable lines they deliver, although Hunt does get to do the famous scene where she makes a blow torch out of a lighter and aerosol can of hair spray. Parker and Montgomery enjoy a silly romance and the logistics of the dance contest drop to hilarious levels. Destined for TV stardom, Shannen Doherty brings her bratty energy to the role of the little girl who just wants to be grown up, while comic relief Jonathan Silverman adds just enough perverted quirks to make this tame story into a real teen movie. The whole thing is just an excuse for endless dance sequences to the tune of generic pop-rock to dance along with, most likely on home video during sleepovers. Upon release it was instant gratification for the most base forms of girly desires, and it remains solidly entertaining as nostalgia for the fashion, music, and strangely absurd values of the '80s. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi