Wish You Were Here (Too Much) (1987)

89% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(957 ratings)

The British Wish You Were Here served as the auspicious film debut for 16-year-old Emily Lloyd. The scene is a British seaside community of the 1950s, where the local adults are shocked and embarrassed by the libertine Lynda (Lloyd), who dresses provocatively, behaves outrageously, and swears like a… More The British Wish You Were Here served as the auspicious film debut for 16-year-old Emily Lloyd. The scene is a British seaside community of the 1950s, where the local adults are shocked and embarrassed by the libertine Lynda (Lloyd), who dresses provocatively, behaves outrageously, and swears like a sailor (her favorite epithet is "Up your bum"). Lynda's mother is dead, and her father has given up trying to do anything with her. She attempts to hold down several jobs, but messes them all up through insolence and carelessness. Excessively promiscuous, Lynda has an affair with a middle-aged friend of her father's. She becomes pregnant, only to use her "fallen" state to gleefully shock and annoy her elders even more. Despite her bravado, there's an underlying sadness about Lynda: the title Wish You Were Here refers to her feelings concerning her late mother. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: David Leland
Written By: David Leland
Genres: Drama, Comedy, Special Interest

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1987 Wide
On DVD: Apr 20, 2004
Studio: Fries Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Janet Maslin, New York Times
Both the character and the film are more affecting than they initially seem.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
While Leland's script is lively with British characters, his theme is growing tired: young spontaneity stifled by tradition-encrusted hypocrisy.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Lloyd is so fresh, so filled with fun and rebellion, that she carries us past the tricky parts on the strength of personality alone. It's one of the great debut roles for a young actress.
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
Lynda is a rich, spirited creation, and Leland's work here, as both screenwriter and director, is sharp and evocative.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
As the title indicates, it's a film about yearning for someone dearly missed.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Wish You Were Here features a smashingly good performance by Emily Lloyd as a spunky, erotic, and out-spoken teenager.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Good, but somehow not great.
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
At times tremendously funny, but never humorous at the expense of its emotional core, Wish You Were Here is simultaneously nostalgic and in direct opposition to the way that nostalgia tends to coat the past with a layer of sugary sweetness.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
Emily Lloyd gives an appealing performance.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
you won't soon forget Lloyd's sassy, fiercely defiant heroine

Read all 10 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

I saw this one a long time ago, and I can't remember much about it except that it was one of those nostalgic but sexy kinds of movies about a high school girl who keeps getting into trouble or something. Anyway, I want to see it again.
Anthony L

"Up ya bum, up ya bum!" I love this film, Emily loyd is brilliant!
Barry L

Odd movie but avtually really entertaining.

Cast

            Emily Lloyd as Lynda

            Tom Bell as Eric

            Clare Clifford as Mrs. Parfitt

            Barbara Durkin as Valerie

            Geoffrey Hutchings as Hubert

            Charlotte Barker as Gillian

            Jesse Birdsall as Dave

            Chloe Leland as Margaret

            Trudy Cavanagh as Tap Dancing Lady

            Charlotte Ball as Lynda Age 11

            Pamela Duncan as Mrs. Hartley

            Geoffrey Durham as Harry Figgis

            Georgi Vasilyev as Mitch The Dog

            David Hatton as Shop Van Customer

            Pat Heywood as Aunt Millie

            Barrie Houghton (II) as Cafe Manager

            Sheila Kelley as Joan Figgis

            Susan Skipper as Lynda's Mother

            Neville Smith as Cinema Manager

            Marjorie Sudell as Lady with Hurt Knee

            Lee Whitlock as Brian

            Heathcote Williams as Dr. Holroyd

            Jim Dowdall as Cook

            Ben Daniels as Policeman

            Bob Flag as Mental Patient

            Frederick Hall as Passenger with Umbrella

            William Lawford as Uncle Brian

            Kim McDermott as Vickie

            Val McLane as Maisie Mathews

            Danielle Phelps as The Baby
See full cast