Valley Girl (1983)

Director:

Martha Coolidge

Writers:

Wayne Crawford (writer)
Andrew Lane (writer)

Release Date:

8 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

When punk meets prom the fun begins! [Video Australia]

Plot:

Julie, a girl from the valley, meets Randy, a punk from the city. They are from different worlds and find love...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Punk | Party | Delivery Boy | Valley Girl

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Nicolas Cage	...	Randy
Deborah Foreman	...	Julie Richman
Elizabeth Daily	...	Loryn
Michael Bowen	...	Tommy
Cameron Dye	...	Fred Bailey
Heidi Holicker	...	Stacey
Michelle Meyrink	...	Suzi Brent
Tina Theberge	...	Samantha
Lee Purcell	...	Beth Brent
Richard Sanders	...	Drivers' Ed Teacher
Colleen Camp	...	Sarah Richman
Frederic Forrest	...	Steve Richman
David Ensor	...	Skip
Joanne Baron	...	Prom Teacher
Tony Plana	...	Low Rider

Also Known As:

Bad Boyz
College Lovers (Philippines: English title)
Rebel Dreams (video title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14A | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Del Amo Fashion Center - Hawthorne Boulevard & Carson Street, Torrance, California, USA

Company:

Valley 9000

Trivia:

Director Martha Coolidge was required by MGM to show female breasts at least four times.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the teacher is giving the speech for Prom Queen, she takes her glasses off, but when Randy and Tommy are fighting you can see her in the background and her glasses are on again. Later in the scene it happens again.

Quotes:

Steve Richman: [about Julie] Sarah, do you know how much she looks like you?
Sarah Richman: Do I still look that way?
Steve Richman: Better!

Movie Connections:

References The Graduate (1967)

Soundtrack:

I La-La-La Love You

One of my favorite guilty pleasures

Everyone has a great list of cinematic guilty pleasures, and "Valley Girl" has been on mine from the first time I saw it. It was clear from the first "valley view" of the San Fernando that it was several cuts above your average teen-aimed movie. Obviously, Nicolas Cage was pretty impressive, even if I had no idea of his heritage or his future. I liked Deborah Foreman, too, and the supporting cast was well-chosen. If the plot was trifling, it was at least clever and certainly not pretentious. And the music, from the opening by Foremen and her friends to the closing shot of the limo ride to Modern English's "I Melt With You," is a big plus. Overall, an very entertaining take on love across the valley of cultural differences from Martha Coolidge, who is one of our most underrated directors.