So many choices on Amazon Prime. Sometimes you just got to stop the scrolling and pick something. Here are reviews of some of my recent finds:
High School U.S.A.
It's really not very good. It was made-for-TV in the 80's and it shows. But there are familiar faces galore, covering everything from Gilligan's Island to Diff'rent Strokes to Wings. And it's not the only cheaply made 80's movie with Michael J. Fox and Nancy McKeon as a romantic pairing. (Also see: Poison Ivy) Plus, apparently those two dated in real life back in the day...news to me. The question is, why didn't NBC ever work out a deal for Alex P. Keaton and Jo Polniaczek to meet up on either Family Ties or The Facts of Life?
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Pretty low-budget. It came out two years after Cyndi Lauper's song of the same title, and yet the movie uses a different version for its soundtrack. Basically, this movie is Footloose, but in Chicago. And it's Sarah Jessica Parker instead of Kevin Bacon. She just moved to the Windy City and wants to audition for "Dance TV" which just so happens to be filmed there. But her strict military father keeps close tabs on her comings and goings and so...that's not going to be easy. Helen Hunt plays her best friend but seems a little old to be playing a high school role. Speaking of people too old to be playing high school roles, keep an eye out for a young Shannen Doherty in this one. Anyways, the movie is not terrible but also there are reasons this isn't in the conversation of great 80's teen flicks.
Stranger Than Fiction
This was a re-watch, though it has been several years since I saw it the first time. Will Ferrell plays an IRS auditor who doesn't realize he's a character in a book being written by Emma Thompson. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a bakery owner he's auditing. Dustin Hoffman is the college professor who's talking him through the dilemma. I find certain parts relatable - there aren't many good accounting movies out there - things like "is this a seven or a nine?" and being handed a box of trash/receipts. Will Ferrell does well in a role that's a departure from his typical goofball fare. I'm not well acquainted with her other work beyond say, The Dark Knight, but Maggie Gyllenhaal is great in this movie. Also keep an eye out for Queen Latifah and Buster from Arrested Development.
She's Having a Baby
A lesser-known John Hughes movie from the 80's, although not about teenagers. Apparently it didn't do well at the box office - the title is a little misleading. You might think "chick flick" but it's really more of a male-driven story. Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern are Jake and Kristy Briggs, a young married couple who settle in Chicago. The story focuses more on Jake, who is the typical guy who doesn't really know what he wants to do or if he's ready for family life and her parents don't really approve of him. The movie is definitely from the 80's and shows its age a little bit, but I was surprised how many things made me smile. My favorite characters were probably his neighbors. "You know what I like about you, Briggsy? Your wife, and your lawnmower." I won't spoil anything other than to say that the film carries an uplifting, pro-marriage message. That said, it's not exactly wholesome family fare (PG-13) although to be honest no kid under the age of about 20 would have any interest in this movie. Alec Baldwin plays their "friend" who is kind of a slimeball - probably wasn't much of a stretch for him. The rest of the cast is filled with familiar but not famous faces so you can also spend time trying to figure out what you've seen them in before.
