Girls Just Want to Have Fun (film)
Encyclopedia
Girls Just Want to Have Fun is a 1985 dance film starring Sarah Jessica Parker
and Helen Hunt
, directed by Alan Metter
.
It resembles the style of Footloose and Flashdance
. For many years, Comedy Central
, Lifetime
, USA Network
, Lifetime Movie Network
and ABC Family
have aired the film. As of 2007, ABC Family's sister network, Disney Channel
, owns the rights to the film.
) is an army brat who is thrilled when her father (Ed Lauter
) is transferred to Chicago, the home of her favorite dance show Dance TV. At her Catholic school she quickly makes a new friend in Lynne Stone (Helen Hunt
) due to their shared love of dance and Dance TV. When her strict and conservative dad nixes the idea of her traveling to downtown Chicago to try out, Janey accompanies Lynne to the auditions.
At the auditions, an enemy is made of spoiled rich girl Natalie Sands (Holly Gagnier
) when she rudely parks her car where Lynne is walking. The auditions are going well until Lynne's partner gets her cut (it is later found out that Natalie paid him to have her kicked out). Janey and a dreamboat named Jeff (Lee Montgomery
) both shine, albeit partnered with others at first. They are later paired once the final cut is made. Jeff loves to dance although his father is drilling him to go to trade school and is following his heart instead of his father's wishes.
The two butt heads initially due to their disparate upbringings. Despite Jeff's natural ability to dance, he has never taken a class. Janey has been taking both gymnastics and dance classes for 10 years. Helping them to get off on the wrong foot is also Janey's inability to practice when it's convenient for Jeff. Things are further complicated by Natalie's meddling (she finds out that Janey skipped choir practice to meet Jeff and calls her father to tell, posing as "Sister Natalie").
An excellent opportunity for both girls to get back at Natalie presents itself when Jeff is invited to her coming out party. They make copies of her invitation (provided by Jeff's best friend Drew, played by Jonathan Silverman
) and pass them out to strangers all over town. Jeff and Drew attend the party and watch the chaos ensue when all of the extra invited people show up (as do Lynne, Janey and Jeff's sister Maggie, played by Shannen Doherty
), from the window).
Janey and Jeff have become close through their rehearsals. One night he tells her to meet him not at the rehearsal studio but at a club. While they are enjoying some unstructured dance time, Jeff is taken away by a girl who locked her keys in her car. Meanwhile, a large admirer moves in on her. On Jeff's return, a fight ensues and after Jeff sucker punches the much larger man they run out of the club together. Once at Janey's house, she is aglow over what her life has become: she's in the running to become a Dance TV regular, has a great best friend as well as a boyfriend. They finally kiss before she excitedly runs inside.
Given the total wreck the party became, the fight with Natalie is intensified. She convinces her father to become more involved in insuring her win. This is an easy feat considering that her father owns the company that Jeff's father works for. Once day Natalie's father, J.P. Sands (Morgan Woodward
), corners Jeff and tells him that if Natalie doesn't win, his father will lose his job. This puts him in a bad mood and he fights with Janey when he arrives at rehearsal. Her mood quickly matches his when she arrives home and sneaks in the house only to find that her father has installed a security system. He then grounds her for her continuous deception, making it virtually impossible for her to attend the dance contest finals.
Meanwhile, Jeff's surly attitude and decreased desire to be in the contest is noticed by his father. Once he finally gets his son to talk, he simply asks if he can win the contest. When Jeff answers yes he is instructed to do so, job be damned. However, Janey is still on restriction and doesn't know Jeff has changed his mind. However, that changes when her little brother brings her a message that Jeff will compete and she employs Lynne to get her out of the house undetected.
Once Lynne arrives, Janey cuts the wires to the security system and escapes the clutches of the guard dog. When they arrive at the station, Janey makes the elevator up to the studio and Lynne doesn't. She runs upstairs to make the beginning of the show, embracing and kissing Jeff as she arrives. The show begins and the competition is underway. Midway through the show, Janey's family turns to the contest on the television and sees her dancing. Her father, furious, storms out of the house, on the way to the studio. Meanwhile, Janey's mother (Margaret Howell) is in tears with pride as her younger brother cheers his sister on and Jeff's father watches the show from his neighborhood pub.
After all of the dancers are done, the decision comes back: there is a tie between Janey and Jeff and Natalie and her partner. A dance off ensues. Natalie goes first and when done, strolls off the stage proudly, believing she's won. But after Janey tells Jeff "Let's do it.", they pull out all the stops with a series of synchronized gymnastics Janey has taught Jeff over their time together. When the judges deliberate again, the decision is unanimous: Jeff and Janey win! Natalie is furious and begins to berate her partner over costing her the contest. When she goes to her father to complain, he finally puts his foot down and tells his spoiled child to shut up, to her amazement. When Janey spots her father in the studio, she thinks she's in for trouble, but nothing could be further from the truth as he is extremely proud of her. Miss Dance TV is called to the stage and when she enters, it is none other than Lynne, who has received the job when the former Miss Dance TV quit during the show.
A young Shannen Doherty
co-stars in this film as Jeff's bratty younger sister, who states that new wave
is cooler than punk
. An uncredited Gina Gershon
appears as a dancer at the Dance TV auditions, along with actor Scott Coffey
.
's version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" does not play in this film, due to licensing restrictions. Instead a cover of the song by unknowns Deborah Galli, Tami Holbrook, and Meredith Marshall is featured.
and Lakeshore Entertainment
are working on a remake of the film and have hired Michelle Morgan to write the script.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
and Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
, directed by Alan Metter
Alan Metter
Alan Metter is an American film director whose most notable credits include Back to School starring Rodney Dangerfield, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun with Sarah Jessica Parker...
.
It resembles the style of Footloose and Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
. For many years, Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, Lifetime
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
, USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
, Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Movie Network is a cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A&E Television Networks, LLC. A&E Television Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst Corporation and NBCUniversal. LMN offers women-oriented movies...
and ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
have aired the film. As of 2007, ABC Family's sister network, Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
, owns the rights to the film.
Plot
Janey Glenn (Sarah Jessica ParkerSarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
) is an army brat who is thrilled when her father (Ed Lauter
Ed Lauter
Edward Lauter is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and was a stand up comic before getting into acting.Lauter was born in Long Beach, Long Island, New York...
) is transferred to Chicago, the home of her favorite dance show Dance TV. At her Catholic school she quickly makes a new friend in Lynne Stone (Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
) due to their shared love of dance and Dance TV. When her strict and conservative dad nixes the idea of her traveling to downtown Chicago to try out, Janey accompanies Lynne to the auditions.
At the auditions, an enemy is made of spoiled rich girl Natalie Sands (Holly Gagnier
Holly Gagnier
Holly Gagnier is an American actress.Gagnier's notable roles include long running stints on daytime's One Life to Live, and Days of our Lives. She has been seen on television shows including Murder, She Wrote and Wings...
) when she rudely parks her car where Lynne is walking. The auditions are going well until Lynne's partner gets her cut (it is later found out that Natalie paid him to have her kicked out). Janey and a dreamboat named Jeff (Lee Montgomery
Lee Montgomery
Lee Montgomery was a child actor in the 1970s, best known for his role as a lonely little boy who befriends a pack of killer rats in the film, Ben .-Hollywood:...
) both shine, albeit partnered with others at first. They are later paired once the final cut is made. Jeff loves to dance although his father is drilling him to go to trade school and is following his heart instead of his father's wishes.
The two butt heads initially due to their disparate upbringings. Despite Jeff's natural ability to dance, he has never taken a class. Janey has been taking both gymnastics and dance classes for 10 years. Helping them to get off on the wrong foot is also Janey's inability to practice when it's convenient for Jeff. Things are further complicated by Natalie's meddling (she finds out that Janey skipped choir practice to meet Jeff and calls her father to tell, posing as "Sister Natalie").
An excellent opportunity for both girls to get back at Natalie presents itself when Jeff is invited to her coming out party. They make copies of her invitation (provided by Jeff's best friend Drew, played by Jonathan Silverman
Jonathan Silverman
-Personal life:Silverman was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Devora and Hillel Emanuel Silverman, a rabbi. He is the grandson of famous Conservative Rabbi Morris Silverman. David Schwimmer was his best friend in high school. He is married to actress Jennifer Finnigan who he briefly co...
) and pass them out to strangers all over town. Jeff and Drew attend the party and watch the chaos ensue when all of the extra invited people show up (as do Lynne, Janey and Jeff's sister Maggie, played by Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
), from the window).
Janey and Jeff have become close through their rehearsals. One night he tells her to meet him not at the rehearsal studio but at a club. While they are enjoying some unstructured dance time, Jeff is taken away by a girl who locked her keys in her car. Meanwhile, a large admirer moves in on her. On Jeff's return, a fight ensues and after Jeff sucker punches the much larger man they run out of the club together. Once at Janey's house, she is aglow over what her life has become: she's in the running to become a Dance TV regular, has a great best friend as well as a boyfriend. They finally kiss before she excitedly runs inside.
Given the total wreck the party became, the fight with Natalie is intensified. She convinces her father to become more involved in insuring her win. This is an easy feat considering that her father owns the company that Jeff's father works for. Once day Natalie's father, J.P. Sands (Morgan Woodward
Morgan Woodward
Morgan Woodward is an American actor.He is probably best known for his recurring role in Dallas as Marvin "Punk" Anderson...
), corners Jeff and tells him that if Natalie doesn't win, his father will lose his job. This puts him in a bad mood and he fights with Janey when he arrives at rehearsal. Her mood quickly matches his when she arrives home and sneaks in the house only to find that her father has installed a security system. He then grounds her for her continuous deception, making it virtually impossible for her to attend the dance contest finals.
Meanwhile, Jeff's surly attitude and decreased desire to be in the contest is noticed by his father. Once he finally gets his son to talk, he simply asks if he can win the contest. When Jeff answers yes he is instructed to do so, job be damned. However, Janey is still on restriction and doesn't know Jeff has changed his mind. However, that changes when her little brother brings her a message that Jeff will compete and she employs Lynne to get her out of the house undetected.
Once Lynne arrives, Janey cuts the wires to the security system and escapes the clutches of the guard dog. When they arrive at the station, Janey makes the elevator up to the studio and Lynne doesn't. She runs upstairs to make the beginning of the show, embracing and kissing Jeff as she arrives. The show begins and the competition is underway. Midway through the show, Janey's family turns to the contest on the television and sees her dancing. Her father, furious, storms out of the house, on the way to the studio. Meanwhile, Janey's mother (Margaret Howell) is in tears with pride as her younger brother cheers his sister on and Jeff's father watches the show from his neighborhood pub.
After all of the dancers are done, the decision comes back: there is a tie between Janey and Jeff and Natalie and her partner. A dance off ensues. Natalie goes first and when done, strolls off the stage proudly, believing she's won. But after Janey tells Jeff "Let's do it.", they pull out all the stops with a series of synchronized gymnastics Janey has taught Jeff over their time together. When the judges deliberate again, the decision is unanimous: Jeff and Janey win! Natalie is furious and begins to berate her partner over costing her the contest. When she goes to her father to complain, he finally puts his foot down and tells his spoiled child to shut up, to her amazement. When Janey spots her father in the studio, she thinks she's in for trouble, but nothing could be further from the truth as he is extremely proud of her. Miss Dance TV is called to the stage and when she enters, it is none other than Lynne, who has received the job when the former Miss Dance TV quit during the show.
Cast
- Sarah Jessica ParkerSarah Jessica ParkerSarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
as Janey Glenn - Lee MontgomeryLee MontgomeryLee Montgomery was a child actor in the 1970s, best known for his role as a lonely little boy who befriends a pack of killer rats in the film, Ben .-Hollywood:...
as Jeff Malene - Helen HuntHelen HuntHelen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
as Lynne Stone - Morgan WoodwardMorgan WoodwardMorgan Woodward is an American actor.He is probably best known for his recurring role in Dallas as Marvin "Punk" Anderson...
as JP Sands - Ed LauterEd LauterEdward Lauter is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and was a stand up comic before getting into acting.Lauter was born in Long Beach, Long Island, New York...
as Col. Glenn - Jonathan SilvermanJonathan Silverman-Personal life:Silverman was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Devora and Hillel Emanuel Silverman, a rabbi. He is the grandson of famous Conservative Rabbi Morris Silverman. David Schwimmer was his best friend in high school. He is married to actress Jennifer Finnigan who he briefly co...
as Drew Boreman - Holly GagnierHolly GagnierHolly Gagnier is an American actress.Gagnier's notable roles include long running stints on daytime's One Life to Live, and Days of our Lives. She has been seen on television shows including Murder, She Wrote and Wings...
as Natalie Sands - Lee Arnone as Mrs. Lemsky
- Margaret Howell as Mrs. Glenn
- Terence McGovern as Ira
- Shannen DohertyShannen DohertyShannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
as Maggie Malene - Biff YeagerBiff YeagerBiff Yeager is an American actor. He has appeared in many TV series including Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Wonder Years, Scrubs, Seinfeld and Gilmore Girls. His film credits include Repo Man, Prime Risk, Black Samurai, The Visitors, White Oleander, Best Men, and Paris.-External links:...
as Mr. Malene - Kristi Somers as Rikki
- Gina GershonGina GershonGina L. Gershon is an American film, television and stage actress, singer and author, known for her roles in the films Cocktail , Showgirls , Bound , Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back , Face/Off , The Insider , Demonlover , Category 7: The End of the World , P.S...
(uncredited) as Dancer - Bruce GoldsteinBruce GoldsteinBruce Goldstein is a New York Repertory film programmer, producer, archivist, and historian.Goldstein became the director of repertory programming for New York's Film Forum in 1986. At Film Forum he presented series on Film noir, silent comedy, classic 3-D, Pre-Code movies, science fiction and...
(uncredited) as Dancer - Scott CoffeyScott CoffeyScott Coffey is an American actor, director, producer, screenwriter. His acting credits include films such as Shag, Some Kind of Wonderful, Dream Lover, and Mulholland Drive...
(uncredited) as Dancer - Wayne Bascomb (uncredited) as Dancer
- Hank AzariaHank AzariaHenry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
(uncredited) as man in bar - Cyndi LauperCyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
(uncredited) as Woman in Diner - Robin AntinRobin AntinRobin Antin is an American dancer, choreographer, music video director, actress, showgirl, clothing designer and entrepreneur. In 1995 in Los Angeles Antin, Christina Applegate and Carla Kama founded the modern burlesque troupe The Pussycat Dolls...
as Dancer
A young Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
co-stars in this film as Jeff's bratty younger sister, who states that new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
is cooler than punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. An uncredited Gina Gershon
Gina Gershon
Gina L. Gershon is an American film, television and stage actress, singer and author, known for her roles in the films Cocktail , Showgirls , Bound , Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back , Face/Off , The Insider , Demonlover , Category 7: The End of the World , P.S...
appears as a dancer at the Dance TV auditions, along with actor Scott Coffey
Scott Coffey
Scott Coffey is an American actor, director, producer, screenwriter. His acting credits include films such as Shag, Some Kind of Wonderful, Dream Lover, and Mulholland Drive...
.
Soundtrack
Cyndi LauperCyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
's version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" does not play in this film, due to licensing restrictions. Instead a cover of the song by unknowns Deborah Galli, Tami Holbrook, and Meredith Marshall is featured.
Remake
20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
and Lakeshore Entertainment
Lakeshore Entertainment
Lakeshore Entertainment Group is an American independent film production company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum . Lakeshore Entertainment is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California...
are working on a remake of the film and have hired Michelle Morgan to write the script.