Valley Girl (1983)
-
83% of critics liked it
(24 reviews) -
69% of users liked it
(12,945 ratings)
A satiric romantic comedy, Martha Coolidge's Valley Girl is a testimony to the short-lived Southern California '80s craze. Julie (Deborah Foreman) is a good-natured teenager following a swarm of pastel pink valley girls, who utter "gag me" at every opportunity. To her friends'… More A satiric romantic comedy, Martha Coolidge's Valley Girl is a testimony to the short-lived Southern California '80s craze. Julie (Deborah Foreman) is a good-natured teenager following a swarm of pastel pink valley girls, who utter "gag me" at every opportunity. To her friends' dismay , Julie breaks up with her egotistical boyfriend, Tommy (Michael Bowen), while shopping at the mall. All the valley kids go to a party that night, and Tommy immediately tries to bed one of Julie's friends. Randy (Nicolas Cage), a bad boy from Hollywood, shows up and crashes the party. Open-minded Julie flirts with him before he is literally thrown out, presumably just for looking different. Smitten with Julie, Randy sneaks back into the party to talk to her again. Julie drags a whimpering valley friend with her to spend the night cruising with Randy in Hollywood. After an extended courtship, Randy is in love with Julie, and she must choose between him and Tommy, who wants her back. Her friends refuse to accept Randy, who makes many exaggerated attempts to win back her love. Finally, after she has a heartfelt talk with her dad (Frederic Forrest), love triumphs at the prom. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Directed By
- Martha Coolidge
- Written By
- Wayne Crawford
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1983 Wide
- Studio
- Vestron Video
Critic Reviews
-
Variety Staff, Variety
For a change, there aren't any cartoon problem adults on hand as there often are in these pictures.
-
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This movie is a little treasure, a funny, sexy, appealing story of a Valley Girl's heartbreaking decision: Should she stick with her boring jock boyfriend, or take a chance on a punk from Hollywood?
-
Janet Maslin, New York Times
With characters as dimensionless as these, the film needs either greater irony or greater sympathy than it demonstrates.
-
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Director Martha Coolidge turned a short-lived fad into a genuine sleeper, an exploitation film that thoroughly transcends its origins to become a highly appealing romantic comedy.
-
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
A classic from a bygone era, Valley Girl has been given the special edition treatment.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
Nicolas Cage
as Randy
-
Deborah Foreman
as Julie
-
Elizabeth Daily
as Loryn
-
Michael Bowen
as Tommy
-
Cameron Dye
as Fred
-
Heidi Holicker
as Stacey
-
Michelle Meyrink
as Suzie
-
Tina Theberge
as Samantha
-
Lee Purcell
as Beth Brent
-
Colleen Camp
as Sarah Richman
-
Frederic Forrest
as Steve Richman
-
Joanne Baron
as Prom Teacher
-
Joyce Hyser
as Joyce
-
Karl Johnson
as Club Bouncer
-
Chris Murphy
as Ralphie
-
Tony Plana
as Low Rider
-
Richard Sanders
as Driving Education Teacher
-
Andrew Winner
as Customer at Counter
-
Michael Wyle
as Arthur
-
Wayne Crawford
as Lyle
-
Tony Markes
as Brad
-
Laura Jacoby
as Peggy
-
David Ensor
as Skip
- Fredric Forrest
