Little Darlings

"Don't let the title fool you."

1980 1h 34m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 107

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two 15-year-old girls from different sides of the tracks compete to see who will be first to lose their virginity while at camp.

“Don't let the title fool you.”

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Cast

Tatum O'Neal
Ferris
Kristy McNichol
Angel
Armand Assante
Gary
Matt Dillon
Randy
Margaret Blye
Ms. Bright
Nicolas Coster
Mr. Whitney
Krista Errickson
Cinder
Alexa Kenin
Dana

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell
Writers: Kimi Peck, Dalene Young, Kimi Peck
Languages: English, French
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

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, shot by Bedřich Baťka. 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 Charles Fox. 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 Pembroke J. Herring 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

Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol and Armand Assante carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Don't let the title fool you.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0081060 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ronald F. Maxwell directs. Bedřich Baťka behind the camera. Charles Fox scores. Pembroke J. Herring cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

146 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
3Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, shot by Bedřich Baťka. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Charles Fox. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Pembroke J. Herring shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol and Armand Assante carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Don't let the title fool you.".
8IMDB entry: tt0081060 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 18 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Bedřich Baťka
Original score: Charles Fox
Editing: Pembroke J. Herring
Production design: William Hiney
Costume design: Joseph G. Aulisi
Makeup / hair: Tom Ellingwood
Sound: John Wilkinson
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Little Darlings (1980)

Also by

Ronald F. Maxwell

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2018-10-21
★ 7/10
A fun romp about girls wanting to lose their virginity… or something deeper? At summer camp in the eastern USA, two girls (Kristy McNichol and Tatum O’Neal) have a contest regarding who will lose their virginity first. Angel (McNichol) sets her eyes on a cool kid (Matt Dillon) at the boys’ camp across the lake while Ferris (O’Neal) pursues an older camp counselor (Armand Assante). This is a coming-of-age drama with some amusing touches, similar to “The Summer of ’42” (1971), except that it involves a group of girls during the summer of 1979 (when the film was shot). The first half has the girls meet at the buses, which take them to the camp, and the typical shenanigans thereof: Rivalry, friendship, borrowing a bus, meeting guys, stealing condoms, a food fight, swimming, canoeing and so on. It’s similar to “Meatballs” (1979) and all-around routine, although somewhat entertaining. My attention perked up in the second half where I found I had stumbled upon drama at its finest. Despite the set-up of the wager to see who can lose their virginity first, “Little Darlings” doesn't treat sex lightly. The scene where one of the girls says to a boy before (maybe) having sex for the first time: "Right now. Do you care about me a little?" This shows how little a gal will ask from a dude before giving it up. Her tears after the fact are also an authentic reaction, not to mention thoroughly convincing. It drove home the point that sex was a big deal and not something of which to take lightly. This is followed by the interesting irony of what the two girls TELL their friends and, even better, Angel & Ferris’ potent meeting at the swing set with its refreshing transparency. The final scene and closing still are heartwarming as “Let Your Love Flow” by the Bellamy Brothers plays over the credits. I know a lot of people see this flick as little more than a fun summer camp romp, like “Meatballs,” but those scenes are superb and represent drama & cinema at their finest. The movie runs 1 hour, 36 minutes and was shot at Hard Labor Creek State Park, Rutledge, Georgia, as well as nearby Covington, Madison and Eatonton, Georgia. GRADE: B

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