Girls Just Want to Have Fun (film)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' is a 1985 American
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
dance film A dance film (also known as screen dance) is a film in which dance is used to reveal the central themes of the film, whether these themes be connected to narrative or story, states of being, or more experimental and formal concerns. In such films, ...
directed by
Alan Metter Alan Dennis Metter (December 19, 1942 – June 7, 2020) was an American film director whose most notable credits include ''Back to School'' starring Rodney Dangerfield, and ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' with Sarah Jessica Parker. He also produ ...
and distributed by New World Pictures. It was written by Amy Spies and stars
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
,
Lee Montgomery Elliott Harcourt Montgomery (born November 3, 1961), known as Lee Montgomery, is a United States-based Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as a lonely little boy who befriends a pack of killer rats in the film ''Ben'' (1972) and as Sarah ...
,
Morgan Woodward Thomas Morgan Woodward (September 16, 1925 – February 22, 2019) was an American actor who is best known for his recurring role as Marvin "Punk" Anderson on the television soap opera ''Dallas'' and for his portrayal of Boss Godfrey, the sungla ...
,
Jonathan Silverman Jonathan Elihu Silverman (born August 5, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles in the comedy films ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'', ''Weekend at Bernie's'', and its sequel ''Weekend at Bernie's II''. Early life and education Silverman was ...
,
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
, and
Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Jam ...
. Its story follows Janey, a new girl in town who meets Lynne and discovers they both share a passion for dancing and the TV show ''Dance TV''. Together the two enter a competition to be a new ''Dance TV'' regular couple, however Janey's father doesn't approve. The film was produced by
Chuck Russell Charles Russell (born May 9, 1958) is an American filmmaker and actor known for his work on several Genre fiction, genre films. Some of Russell's best known films include the slasher fantasy film ''A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors'' ...
and was released on April 12, 1985. It grossed $1.7 million in its opening weekend and $6.3 million worldwide, against a budget of $5 million. It received generally mixed reviews and has a 36% approval rating based on 14 votes on
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
. Despite this, the film was regularly aired on cable TV for several years and has become a
cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...
.


Plot

Janey Glenn is an
army brat A military brat (colloquial or military slang) is a child of serving or retired military personnel. Military brats are associated with a unique subcultureDavid C. Pollock, Ruth E. van Reken. ''Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds'', Revis ...
whose father Robert has retired from the Army and relocated to Chicago, home of her favorite dance show ''Dance TV''. At her Catholic girls school, she quickly makes a new friend in Lynne Stone, a fellow fan of ''Dance TV''. Although Robert nixes the idea of her going to downtown Chicago to try out for ''Dance TV'', Janey accompanies Lynne to the auditions anyway. At the auditions, spoiled rich Natalie Sands becomes the enemy when she narrowly misses Lynne while parking her car. Auditions are going well until Lynne's partner is cut (Natalie bribed Lynne's partner to sabotage her). Janey and local high schooler Jeff shine, and are partnered together once they make the finals. He loves to dance, though he feels pressured to attend
trade school A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...
after graduation, as his father did before him. Initially, Janey and Jeff butt heads due to their disparate upbringings. Despite his natural ability, he has never taken a class, while she has been taking both gymnastics and dance classes for ten years. Helping them to get off on the wrong foot is also Janey's inability to practice, due to her strict father's rules. Things are further complicated by Natalie's meddling, she discovers Janey skipped choir practice to meet Jeff and calls her father to tell, posing as a Sister. An excellent opportunity for both girls to get back at Natalie presents itself when Jeff is invited to her coming out party. They make 150 copies of her invitation (provided by Jeff's best friend Drew) and give them to odd characters all over town. Jeff and Drew attend the party, watching the chaos ensue when all of the oddballs with invites show up (as do Lynne, Janey and Jeff's sister Maggie, watching from the window). Janey and Jeff become close through their rehearsals. One night, he tells her to meet him at a club, not the rehearsal studio. While enjoying some unstructured dance time, Jeff is taken away by a girl who locked her keys in her car. Meanwhile, a large admirer moves in on Janey. On Jeff's return, a fight ensues, Jeff sucker-punches the much larger man, and they run out of the club together. Once at Janey's, she is aglow over her life now: she is in the running to become a ''Dance TV'' regular, has a great best friend, as well as a boyfriend. They finally kiss before she excitedly runs inside. Given the total wreck the party became, the rivalry with Natalie has intensified. She convinces her father to become more involved in ensuring her win. This is an easy feat, as her father owns the company that Jeff's father works for. One day, Natalie's father, J.P. Sands, corners Jeff and tells him that if Natalie does not win, his father will lose his job. This puts him in a bad mood and he argues with Janey when he arrives at rehearsal. Her mood quickly matches his when she arrives home and, sneaking into the house, she finds that her father has installed a security system. He then grounds her, making it virtually impossible for her to attend the dance contest final the next day. Meanwhile, Jeff's surly attitude and decreased desire to be in the contest is noticed by his father. When he finally gets his son to talk, he simply asks if he can win the contest. When Jeff answers yes, he is told to do so and not worry about his father's job. However, Janey is still under heavy restrictions and does not know Jeff has changed his mind. However, her little brother brings her a message that Jeff will compete and she employs Lynne to sneak her out of the house. Once Lynne arrives, Janey cuts the wires to the security system and escapes the guard dog. When they arrive at the station, Janey barely makes the beginning of the show, embracing and kissing Jeff as she arrives. The show begins and the competition is underway. At home, her family turns on the television and sees her dancing. Her father, furious, storms out, heading to the studio. Meanwhile, Jeff's father watches the show from his neighborhood pub, surrounded by friends who are all cheering on Jeff and Janey. After all of the dancers have performed on the live show, the decision comes back: there is a tie between Janey and Jeff and Natalie and her partner. A dance-off ensues. Natalie goes first and when done, strolls off the stage proudly, believing she has won. But Janey tells Jeff "Let's do it", they do a series of synchronized gymnastics she has taught him over their time together. When the judges deliberate again, the decision is unanimous: Jeff and Janey win. Natalie is furious and begins to berate her partner over costing her the contest. When she goes to her father to complain, he finally puts his foot down and tells his spoiled daughter to shut up, to her amazement. When Janey spots her father in the studio, she thinks she is in for trouble, but he smiles and shows his enthusiasm at her talent. Miss Dance TV is called to the stage and when she enters, it is none other than Lynne, who has taken the reins when the former Miss Dance TV quit during the show.


Cast

*
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
as Janey Glenn *
Lee Montgomery Elliott Harcourt Montgomery (born November 3, 1961), known as Lee Montgomery, is a United States-based Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as a lonely little boy who befriends a pack of killer rats in the film ''Ben'' (1972) and as Sarah ...
as Jeff Malene *
Morgan Woodward Thomas Morgan Woodward (September 16, 1925 – February 22, 2019) was an American actor who is best known for his recurring role as Marvin "Punk" Anderson on the television soap opera ''Dallas'' and for his portrayal of Boss Godfrey, the sungla ...
as J.P. Sands *
Jonathan Silverman Jonathan Elihu Silverman (born August 5, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles in the comedy films ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'', ''Weekend at Bernie's'', and its sequel ''Weekend at Bernie's II''. Early life and education Silverman was ...
as Drew Boreman *
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
as Maggie Malene *
Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Jam ...
as Lynne Stone *
Ed Lauter Edward Matthew Lauter Jr. ( ; October 30, 1938 – October 16, 2013) was an American actor and stand-up comedian. He appeared in more than 200 films and TV series episodes in a career that spanned over 40 years. Early life Lauter was born and ...
as Colonel Robert Glenn *
Holly Gagnier Holly Gagnier (born December 12, 1958) is an American actress. Early life Gagnier was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Hugh Gagnier, a cinematographer and Eleanor Gagnier, a stenographer for the United Nations. Eleanor served ...
as Natalie Sands * Lee Arnone as Mrs. Lemsky * Margaret Howell as Mrs. Glenn *
Terry McGovern Terry McGovern may refer to: *Terry McGovern (boxer) (1880–1918), boxer who held the world bantamweight and featherweight titles *Terry McGovern (actor) Terence McGovern (born May 11, 1942) is an American actor, television broadcaster, radio pe ...
as Ira (credited as Terence) *
Biff Yeager Biff Yeager is an American actor. He has appeared in many TV series including ''Gilmore Girls''. Career Yeager has appeared in such TV shows as '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ''The Wonder Years'', and '' Scrubs''. He played Lieutenant Com ...
as Mr. Malene * Kristi Somers as Rikki *
Robin Antin Robin Antin is an American actress, entrepreneur, dancer, choreographer and clothing designer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with ...
as Dancer *
Stuart Fratkin Stuart Fratkin (born September 22, 1963) is an American actor, best known for playing Fitz in the movie '' Ski School''. Fratkin also starred in ''They Came from Outer Space'' with Ski School co-star Dean Cameron. Fratkin has been in several mo ...
as Sam *
Gina Gershon Gina L. Gershon (born June 10, 1962) is an American actress. She has had roles in the films ''Cocktail (1988 film), Cocktail'' (1988), ''Red Heat (1988 film), Red Heat'' (1988), ''Showgirls'' (1995), ''Bound (1996 film), Bound'' (1996), ''Face/ ...
,
Bruce Goldstein Bruce Goldstein (born July 5, 1952) is a New York City based film programmer, distributor, documentarian, writer, producer, and publicist. He is best known for his work as the repertory programmer for Film Forum in New York. The magazine ''Time Ou ...
, Scott Coffey, and Wayne Bascomb as Dancers (uncredited) *
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
as Woman In Diner (uncredited) *
Robert Downey Jr Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...
as Punk Party Crasher (uncredited) *
Richard Blade Richard Blade (born Richard Thomas Sheppard; May 23, 1952 in Bristol, England) is a British-American Los Angeles-based radio, television, and film personality from Torquay, England. He is best known for his radio programs that feature new wave ...
as DTV Host


Production

In July 1984 New World announced they would make a film inspired by
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
's hit song "
Girls Just Want to Have Fun "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a song written, recorded and performed by American musician Robert Hazard, who released it as a single in 1979. It is best known for the version of American singer Cyndi Lauper, who covered the song in 1983. I ...
". The company bought the rights to the original 1979 song and title from songwriter Robert Hazard's publishing company, but Lauper said she did not want to appear in the film and refused to allow her version to be used. The filmmakers were not allowed to use the changes that Lauper made to the song, including the addition of several lyrics. In October the studio announced Sarah Jessica Parker was starring; she was known at the time for the TV series ''
Square Pegs ''Square Pegs'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1982–1983 season. The series follows Patty Greene (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Lauren Hutchinson ( Amy Linker), two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High S ...
''. Parker said she agreed to do the film because the (uncredited) screenwriter, Janis Hirsch, was one of the writers on ''Square Pegs''. "Janis wasn't into depicting people my age being stupid," said Parker. "I was impressed with her fondness for two best friends who aren't competitive." Helen Hunt said "They were looking for Goldie (Hawn) types when I was called in. But the director (Alan Metter) pulled me aside and said, `Sarah would kill to work with you.' It was really cool. Because I knew she wanted me to do the role, I felt I had the support to overcome my Sarah Lawrence looks." Hunt said she was allowed to "get real creative with who Lynne was... went out and bought all these European magazines-then I did everything that wasn't in them.... I felt a responsibility to bring a sense of fun into the picture. And I knew that to do that, I had to have it for myself and then spread it around. So I brought Tofuti (the healthy ice cream) to the set and got a lot of tapes from Tower Records. It helped. When you're making a comedy and it's 2 in the morning and you're tired and nothing's going right, there's no way you can cut ahead and think, `Boy, this is going to be exciting when it comes out.' "


Reception


Critical

The film received generally poor to mixed reviews. While certain critics considered the "cheesiness" factor a reason to watch the film, others said it was not a successful addition to the "80s teen movie" genre. The ''New York Times'' called it "standard high school antics" where Metter "has a lighthearted if unremarkable style. The best thing he does here is to assemble a cute cast and simply let the kids bubble along. Helen Hunt is a real scene-stealer." The ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' said "Its main characters are appealing and well-acted" and has "a very clever parody of rock TV shows" but "degenerates into a mirthless comedy about young love and the generation gap, with a few feeble dance sequences thrown in to give viewers a chance to ogle young girls in leotards." The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "infectious good fun".


Box office

The film opened at number ten at the box office in its first week making $1.6 million.


Home media

The film is also well-known for an unintentional error on the VHS edition: the runtime is listed as 95 minutes on the case (the correct time), but 94 minutes on the cassette label. The film was released on DVD by Image Entertainment on September 27, 2011 and on Blu-ray on April 3, 2012.


Soundtrack

Though the 1985 film's title is based on the 1983 hit by
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
, Lauper’s version of the song does not play in the film due to licensing restrictions. Instead, a cover of the song by Deborah Galli, Tami Holbrook, and Meredith Marshall is featured. The most popular song from the soundtrack is "(Come On) Shout", performed by session singer, Alex Brown. The song and the accompanying music video brought Brown some momentary fame during the time of the movie's release.


Potential remake

In 2009,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
and
Lakeshore Entertainment Lakeshore Entertainment Group, LLC is an American independent film production, finance, and former international sales and distribution company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum (1933–2002). Lakeshore Entertainment is headquart ...
announced they were working on a remake of the film and had hired Michelle Morgan to write the script, but to date a remake has not materialized.


References


External links

* * * *
Review
at
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girls Just Want To Have Fun 1980s American films 1985 films 1985 directorial debut films 1985 independent films 1980s dance films 1980s musical comedy films 1985 romantic comedy films 1980s romantic musical films 1980s teen comedy films 1980s teen romance films American dance films American independent films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films American teen comedy films American teen musical films American teen romance films 1980s English-language films Films directed by Alan Metter Films scored by Thomas Newman Films set in Chicago Films shot in Chicago Films shot in Los Angeles New World Pictures films Brooksfilms films American female buddy films 1980s female buddy films Films about dance competitions