Review of Valley Girl (1983) by Brain V — 12 Mar 2010

"Where do you want to go? Anywhere. What do you want to do? I dont care".

I have this as ...like my TOTALLY all time favorite. Why? Probably for more personal reasons. Itâ??s campy, itâ??s 80â??s genre, itâ??s memorable, itâ??s personable.

Valley Girl is tops on my 10 list above blockbusters. Thereâ??s no blood and guts. Just a 1983's Romeo and Juliet variation with Izod shirts on one end and red-colored hairspray on the other. It was Nicholas Cage's debut. And the Plimsouls known only to the LA scene, what can I say? So, again, why is it my favorite all time movie?

Nicholas Cage's Randy, was probably perfectly cast because his performance was so very convincing like I might have known him from somewhere (at the time). He might have single-handedly saved the movie, right? Like this dude was going places. Did I think he'd be an Oscar-winning actor in the next decade? But the hook, line, and sinker for me was Deborah Foreman and movieâ??s pop soundtrack. Watching Julie and Randy in their cloud nine moment while the Plimsouls played "A Million Miles Away" with pre-Viper Room in the background was visual poetry. It was like being caught in the story sitting at the table across from them watching some truly magical develop between two people, two worlds, one love.

Randy: [shouting over the noise just as the music ends] So, when can I see you again?

Julie Richman: [embarassed] Gee, Randy... why don't you wait until the end of the evening to say these things?

Randy: It's how I feel.

Julie Richman: I'm here with you now.

Those dimples and smile get me everytime. Modern English's "Melt With You" in the background sums it up best. Sure, Martha Coolidge had might have had some uneven moments letting some campy dialogue loose too often especially by today's standards. But, Ms. Coolidge made the personifications believable. Frederick Elmesâ?? cinematography created engaging atmosphere. It was a perfect blend of pop music soundtrack queued at right moments.

So I believe this movie was to follow a lot of the teenage rom com movie genre at the time like Fast Times at Ridgemont High (another classic). But this movie was character driven much like Shakespeare would have preferred. I connected with the movie on a deeper level and still canâ??t quite figure out why this is my number one movie. â??Itâ??s like weâ??re connectedâ?¦â??

So thank you Ms. Coolidge, Mr. Cage, and Ms Foreman.

"Oh, bitchin', is this movie in 3D? No, but you're face is....." Classic!