VALLEY GIRL (1983)

Valley Girl (1983)
Directed by: Martha Coolidge
Written by: Andrew Lane, Wayne Crawford
Starring: Cameron Dye, Deborah Foreman, Elizabeth Daily, Heidi Holicker, Michael Bowen, Michelle Meyrink, Nicolas Cage, Tina Theberge

VALLEY GIRL (1983)
Directed by Martha Coolidge
Available on Blu-Ray from Eureka Entertainment

After dumping her boring jock boyfriend Tommy, Julie continues her search for Mr Right. Could the dashing guy at the beach be the one? When their eyes meet across a crowded room at her friend’s party, Julie and Randy hit it straight off. There’s just one problem: he’s a downtown Hollywood boy and he doesn’t ‘belong’ in the Valleys. Julie’s ex and her friends refuse to welcome Randy with open arms and Julie faces a dilemma. Should she choose Randy and risk losing her friends forever, or get back with Tommy, reignite her friendships and take home the coveted Prom Queen title?

Cult romantic comedy VALLEY GIRL is proper sugary teen fare but thankfully without the sickly edge. It plays up to its stereotypes well, and pulls the audience effortlessly into its overwhelming 80’s aesthetic. There’s the colours, the hair, the fashion and the music – everything about the film screams its eighties to the point of novelty, particularly for someone looking back now, 40 years later. Downtown Hollywood though shows the other side of the 80’s, the punk rock neighbourhood oozing with attitude. This dark, edgy atmosphere is in stark contrast to the pink and pastels of the fluffy San Fernando Valley, pitting the story of these two young lovers from opposite side of the tracks a la Romeo and Juliet but without the death.

Nicolas Cage’s first major role sees him take on the character of Randy. Cage’s Randy is a rough, rocker type from Hollywood but he’s not put off by the totally Valley-esque vibes from Julie (Deborah Foreman). In fact, Julie is fortunately the one out of her friends who’s curiosity about life outside the valley makes her open to this new relationship. She doesn’t seem too fazed about Randy’s origins and is open to explore the other side of town with him. Randy isn’t put off by Julie’s valley girl roots either and sees through all that, having fallen for the person inside. However, in the Valley, status is everything and Julie’s budding romance threatens her circle of friends who feel that she may be ruining her life forever by mixing with Randy, forcing them to deliver an ultimatum to their friend in the hope to save her from making the biggest mistake of her life.

A simple plot but a thoroughly enjoyable one, VALLEY GIRL is exactly as it appears on the surface. It’s charming and fun, with a few messages to hit home to the randy teens looking to find their dream date. Advice is doled out by Julie’s dad, who was a flower child of the 60’s, who tells his daughter to go with her heart, not with what her friends want. Using himself as an example, he explains how not everyone is what they are on the surface. Just because they look different or dress differently doesn’t mean they’re anything less. Will Julie heed his advice?

There’s a light-heartedness about the film that is endearing and is nowhere near the smut of teen comedies of the millennium (I’m looking at you, American Pie). But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t dip its toe into sexual territory. Exes make moves on friends, a MILF tries her luck with her daughter’s crush, and there’s a few instances of exposed breasts as teens get physical, however it’s all pretty tame fare. The focus of the film is more on the social dynamics which ruffles feathers. Can these star-crossed lovers make their relationship work or is their different lives just too much to overcome?

With its new wave Eighties soundtrack, appearances by bands like The Plimsouls, and charismatic performances from the young cast involved, VALLEY GIRL is a nostalgic snapshot of the decade. Whilst this coming-of-age, romantic comedy perhaps offers more style than it does substance in terms of plot depth,  it is such a sweet effort that it’s a hard film not to be charmed by it.

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Eureka Entertainment have released VALLEY GIRL on Blu-Ray in a terrific 4k restoration with a whopping collection of special features including new and archival interviews.

The limited edition release comes packaged in a hardbound slipcase featuring new artwork by Sam Gilbey with a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Craig Ian Mann.

On disc features include

• 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a 4K scan of the original negatives
• Optional English SDH
• New audio commentary with Maya Montañez Smukler (author of Liberating Hollywood: Women Directors and the Feminist Reform of 1970s American Cinema) and Maria San Filippo
• Audio commentary with director Martha Coolidge
• New interview with Deborah Foreman
• New interview with Colleen Camp
• Valley Girl in Conversation – 2018 interview with director Martha Coolidge and actresses E. G. Daily and Heidi Holicker
• Martha Coolidge and Nicolas Cage talk about Valley Girl
• A huge selection of archival interviews with cast and crew totalling over 3 hours
• 20 Totally Tubular Years Later – 2003 featurette
• The Music of Valley Girl – featurette
• Music Videos
• Storyboard Comparisons
• Original theatrical trailer