Girls Just Want to Have Fun

"Getting into trouble is easy but getting out of it is all the fun!"

1985 1h 27m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🥫

40%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 197🥫40%Rotten Tomatoes●56Metacritic★6IMDB · 13,348

ComedyFamilyMusicRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Janey is new in town. She soon meets Lynne, a classmate who shares her passion for the local show 'Dance TV'. When a competition is announced to find new Dance TV performers, Janey and Lynne are determined to audition. The only problem is that Janey's father doesn't approve of that kind of thing.

“Getting into trouble is easy but getting out of it is all the fun!”

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Cast

Sarah Jessica Parker
Janey Glenn
Helen Hunt
Lynne Stone
Shannen Doherty
Maggie Malene
Lee Montgomery
Jeff Malene
Morgan Woodward
J.P. Sands
Jonathan Silverman
Drew Boreman
Ed Lauter
Colonel Glenn
Holly Gagnier
Natalie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alan Metter
Writers: Amy Spies
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alan Metter, shot by Thomas E. Ackerman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lorenzo DeStefano shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt and Shannen Doherty carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Getting into trouble is easy but getting out of it is all the fun!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0089208 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alan Metter directs. Thomas E. Ackerman behind the camera. Thomas Newman scores. Lorenzo DeStefano cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Alan Metter, shot by Thomas E. Ackerman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Lorenzo DeStefano shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt and Shannen Doherty carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Getting into trouble is easy but getting out of it is all the fun!".
8IMDB entry: tt0089208 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Thomas E. Ackerman
Original score: Thomas Newman
Editing: Lorenzo DeStefano
Production design: Jeff Staggs
Costume design: Betty Pecha Madden
Makeup / hair: Richard Arrington
Stunt coordinator: Al Jones
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)
Rotten Tomatoes: 40% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 56/100
IMDB rating: 6/10 · 13,348 votes
MPAA: PG
US box office: $6,326,051

Also by

Alan Metter

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2023-05-07
★ 7/10
Fun 80's teen/dance flick A Catholic school girl (Sarah Jessica Parker) hooks up with a cool guy from public school (Lee Montgomery) to enter a TV dance competition in Chicago. Helen Hunt plays her best friend while Holly Gagnier is on hand as her spoiled nemesis. A 13 year-old Shannen Doherty appears as the guy's little sister. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (1985) mixes the 80's teen/school genre with the 80's dance genre in the mold of "Footloose" (1984), just not as heavy with the anti-legalism theme. It's a fun, energetic flick like "Heavenly Bodies" (1984), but more teen-oriented. Although those two movies are better, "Girls" is a good movie for when you're in the mood for a lighthearted fun 80's flick. Sarah was 19 years-old during shooting and never looked better; same thing with Holly Gagnier (Natalie), except she was 26 at the time. It's interesting to see Doherty when she was so young and innocent. I shouldn't fail to mention Charene Cathleen in a bit part as Patty. On the masculine front, Montgomery is effective as the "hip" male protagonist, coming off as a mid-80's version of the The Fonz. It's a wonder his career never took off. If you like him, be sure to catch him in his final movie, 1988's "Into the Fire," aka "The Legend of Wolf Lodge," where he plays the same type of character as in "Girls," except that it's an adult-oriented tragedy. Interestingly, the producers didn't use Cyndi Lauper's version of the title song for licensing reasons. Yet the cover version is acceptable. Bottom line, if you're in the mood for a flick in the mold of "Heavenly Bodies," "Footloose," "Teenage Dream" (1986), "Flashdance" (1983) and "Tuff Turf" (1985) this one fills the bill. The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles & Culver City (the mall), with some exteriors done in Chicago. GRADE: B

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