Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Director: Alan Metter Alan Metter

Overview

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.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/03/2012
UPC:	0014381796452
Original Release:	1985
Rating:	PG
Source:	RLJ ENTERTAINMENT, INC
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00
Sales rank:	13,916

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sarah Jessica Parker	Actor
Lee Montgomery	Actor
Morgan Woodward	Actor
Jonathan Silverman	Drew
Helen Hunt	Lynne
Ed Lauter	Col. Glenn
Biff Yeager	Malene
Holly Gagnier	Natalie Sands
Shannen Doherty	Maggie Malene
Ian Giatti	Zachary Glenn
Margaret Howell	Mrs. Glenn
Terence McGovern	Ira
Terry McGovern	Ira
Richard Blade	DTV Host
Cynthia Gibb	Actor
Kristi Somers	Rikki
Lee Arnone	Mrs. Lemsky
Shaun Bryant	Dave
Charene Cathleen	Patty
Mark Caso	Wolf
Deanna Claire	Tiffany
Candace Daly	Girl in Hallway,Girl in Hallway
Olive Dunbar	Sister Kathleen
Stuart Fratkin	Sam
Larry Gelman	Tailor
Valerie Grear	Sister Immaculata
Noreen Hennessy	Carol
Steve LaChance	Ben Wolpert
Phineas Newborn III	Quarterback Dancer
Jim Ruttman	Dancer
Sharron Shayne	Choir Sister
Susan Styles	Sally
J.W. Smith	Police Officer
Cecilie A. Stuart	Featured Dancer
Michael Higgins	Featured Dancer
Alison Brown	Featured Dancer/Gymnast
Robin Antin	Dancer
Zoe Trilling	Dancer
Kirk Hansen	Dancer
Amelia Kinkade	Dancer
Annie Livingstone	Dancer
Mika	School Girl
John Moore	Dancer
Tita Omeze	Dancer
Regan Patno	Dancer
Mark Slama	Dancer
Linda Talcott	Dancer
Paris Vaughan	Dancer
Scott Coffey	Dancer

Technical Credits

Amy Spies

Adams Calvert	Special Effects
Stuart Cornfeld	Executive Producer
Al Jones	Stunts
Alan Metter	Director
James G. Robinson	Executive Producer
Chuck Russell	Producer
Amy Spies	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

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.

All Movie Guide - Andrea LeVasseur