FILMS… Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)

 #1980s #AllPosts

 

This girl just wants to see Harrison Ford…

 

Janey and Lynn love to dance, and their favourite TV programme Dance TV is holding auditions. What could possibly happen?

 

Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt

SJP and Lee Montgomery

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Official Trailer #1 – Sarah Jessica Parker Movie (1985), Movieclips Trailer Vault and photos © New World Pictures

 

Another guilty pleasure but with a twist. Yes, I do like this movie, but if I could go back to my 16-year-old self and have the choice of seeing this at the cinema, I’d turn it down and see the then alternative. The film I chose to see was the Sarah Jessica Parker film, Girls Just Want Have Fun (1985).

The alternative was a romantic film with a youngish Harrison Ford, called Witness (1985). So sorry mum for all the fuss I made. Witness is a film you see once and never forget (and will be reviewed one day), and the dance movie is one you sometimes wish you could.

So what was all the fuss about?  Parker plays schoolgirl Janey who moves to Chicago with her family. Her dad (Ed Lauter) is superstrict, mum is just mumsy and kid brother is annoying.  She’s excited about moving there as her favourite TV show, Dance TV is based there. She’s not so happy about moving to a new Catholic school. There she instantly makes firm friends with another Dance TV fan, Lynne (Helen Hunt).

When the TV show is looking for a new dance couple, the girls plan to attend the auditions for the programme – I’m sure you can see where this is heading – to select the finalists with the final pair getting to be the new dancers on Dance TV.

At the auditions, Janey and Lynne become enemies with a fellow competitor called Natalie – a spoilt rich girl – for some silly reason. Janey makes it through to the final – surprise, surprise – Lynne doesn’t (shocked?).

Janey is partnered with the film Hunk – if you are 16 – Jeff (Lee Montgomery). He’s auditioning with his wee sister, Maggie (Shannen Doherty) and best pal Drew (Jonathan Silverman) for moral support.

Of course, this leads to the old cliche of hatred and then friendship between Jeff and Janey. Yawn. Natalie spots that Janey is missing school classes to do dance practice. She then phones her parents pretending to be a teacher saying it’s Sister Natalie – duh!

Janey is then grounded. So as Natalie has planned a party – as all typical 1980s spoilt girl / heroes do  – the girls, now with Maggie in tow – sabotage it by inviting random people. Oh, the hilarity! Of course, it ends in disaster, as Natalie’s mummy and daddy find out.

Daddy is played by an original Dallas (1978-91) actor, Morgan Woodward. He played Punk Anderson, a good friend of Jock and Miss Ellie and husband to Mavis. This couple probably had the most successful marriage of the series staying married for the entire thirteen seasons. But I digress…

Back to the review, Janey and Jeff dance in a lot of – and I mean too many – montages, eventually snog – yes, getting more than a tad contrived here –  and Natalie seeks revenge and…the dance finals are coming up. So by now, you will be in one of two camps, those who loved this movie and are gunning at me for being a wee bit on the sarcastic side. Or you like everything Sarah Jessica Parker does and think of her as a goddess, icon and amazing actress.

The rest of you will be wondering why I made such a fuss, especially with a bloody good Harrison Ford movie being the alternative – especially as I was old enough to see the film – like my Darlin Husband thought. But then, in my defence, I was a girl of 16 and sadly didn’t know who Ford was, let alone anything about the original Star Wars trilogy.

Now I know him as the rugged silver fox, who starred in Indiana Jones, Cowboys & Aliens (2011) and many, many more movies and married Ally McBeal. But then in relation to Parker,  I also must stress I’ve never watched Sex in the City (1998-2004) – and don’t intend to – and envy her for one thing only. Shoes! legs! clothes! hair! you cry, no, it’s marrying Ferris Bueller. Don’t you?

 

Weeper Rating: 0  /10

Handsqueeze Rating: : 0 /10

Hulk Rating:   ‎  ‎  ‎  ‎  ‎  ‎  ‎  ‎  ‎  ‎   ‎/10

 

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Gotta Dance! Blogathon 2016 No 3

Girls Just Want to Have Fun was submitted to the Gotta Dance! blogathon run by Classic Reel Girl. Other reviews with this cast include Sarah Jessica Parker in my Mars Attacks and Ed Wood reviews. Helen Hunt stars in Peggy Sue Got Married and As Good As It Gets. Lee Montgomery in Burnt Offerings. Ed Lauter starred in Magic, Family Plot and The Cartier Affair. Shannen Doherty stars in Beverly Hills 90210.

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