With the recent release of the jukebox musical remake of the 1983 teen film “Valley Girl” arriving for home viewing, I did a double feature of both versions, as I had never seen the original.
As an avid fan of teen films, I’m surprised I let “Valley Girl” go unseen for so long. It is a fine example of the genre released at a time when teen films were scraping the bottom of the barrel.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm!C6\y@9? wF896D[ >@DE E66? 7:=>D H6C6 6IA=@:E2E:G6 D6I 4@>65:6D] (@>6? H6C6 >6C6=J @3;64ED 2?5 4@?BF6DED 7@C >6?] “'2==6J v:C=[” “u2DE %:>6D 2E #:586>@?E w:89” 2?5 “#:D<J qFD:?6DD” H6C6 E96 6I46AE:@?D E@ E96 CF=6 5FC:?8 E9:D 6C2[ 2?5 :E D9@F=5 4@>6 2D ?@ DFCAC:D6 E92E EH@ @7 E9@D6 E9C66 7:=>D — “'2==6J v:C=” 2?5 “u2DE %:>6D 2E #:586>@?E w:89” H6C6 5:C64E65 3J H@>6?]k^Am
kAmx? 5:776C6?E 92?5D[ “'2==6J v:C=” G6CJ H6== 4@F=5 92G6 364@>6 2?@E96C 6IA=@:E2E:@? 7:=>] x? 724E] “'2==6J v:C=” 5:C64E@C |2CE92 r@@=:586 H2D E@=5 E@ AFE :? 2E =62DE 7@FC D46?6D H:E9 6IA@D65 3C62DED :? E96 7:=>]k^Am
kAm“x E@=5 E96> x 925 ?@ AC@3=6> 2D =@?8 2D x 4@F=5 5@ :E D@ :E >256 D6?D6[” r@@=:586 E@=5 #65:D4@G6C E96 ’g_D :? a_`h] “%96J 4@?D:56C65 E96 7:=> 2? ‘6IA=@:E2E:@? 86?C6 7:=>’ >62?E 7@C 8FJD]”k^Am
kAm(92E r@@=:586 92?565 :? H2D 2 DH66E DE@CJ @7 DE2C\4C@DD65 =@G6CD H:E9 #2?5J W}:4@=2D r286X 2?5 yF=:6 Ws63@C29 u@C6>2?X 2D 2 >@56C? 52J #@>6@ 2?5 yF=:6E E@C? 36EH66? w@==JH@@5’D 8CF?8J AF?< D46?6 2?5 E96 G2==6J’D 4=62?\4FE DF3FC32? D966?]k^Am
kAm“x 96=A65 WAC@5F46C^HC:E6CX p?5C6H {2?5 2?5 WHC:E6CX (2J?6 rC2H7@C5 4C27E E96 7:?2= D4C:AE :?E@ 2 E:89E =@G6 DE@CJ 23@FE C@>2?46[ A66C AC6DDFC6 2?5 4@?7@C>:EJ GD] :?5:G:5F2=:EJ[” r@@=:586 E@=5 #65:D4@G6C E96 ’g_D]k^Am
kAm!2CE @7 E96 2AA62= @7 E96 @C:8:?2= “'2==6J v:C=” :D :ED D:>A=:4:EJ] p 3@J 2?5 8:C= >66E 2?5 766= 2? :?DE2?E 4@??64E:@?] s6DA:E6 E96 5:776C6?46D :? E96:C C6DA64E:G6 D46?6D[ E96J DE2CE 92?8:?8 @FE]k^Am
kAm“'2==6J v:C=” 24ED 2D 2 E6CC:7:4 E:>6 42ADF=6 @7 2 DA64:7:4 E:>6 2?5 A=246] %96C6’D 2 D46?6 @7 yF=:6 2?5 #2?5J 5C:G:?8 2C@F?5 w@==JH@@5 E92E :D D@2<65 H:E9 4@=@C7F= 56E2:=D[ D@ >F49 D@ E92E E96D6 D9@ED H6C6 C6\FD65 :? E96 C6>2<6]k^Am
kAm%96? E96C6’D E96 G2==6J DA62<[ H9:49 92D 364@>6 2 D9@CE\92?5 7@C E96 `hg_D 2EE:EF56] %@E2==J 2?5 EF3F=2C 92G6 D@2<65 :?E@ E96 4F=EFC2= =6I:4@? 3FE EC:A6?5:4F=2C :D :? 5:C6 ?665 @7 2 4@>6324<]k^Am
kAmp?5[ @7 4@FCD6[ J@F 92G6 }:4< r286 2D E96 =625 :? 2 E66? C@>2?46] u@C A6@A=6 G:6H:?8 E9:D :? 9:?5D:89E[ :E :D @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D J@F 5:5?’E <?@H J@F ?66565 :? J@FC =:76[ 3FE J@F 23D@=FE6=J 5@]k^Am
kAmr286 :D DFCAC:D:?8=J 4FE6[ 5@H? C:89E 25@C23=6 6G6?] *@F 86E 7=2D96D @7 r286’D 72>:=:2C >2?:4 6?6C8J[ 2D H96? 96 C2?5@>=J D9@FED “!6E6C !:A6C A:4<65 2 A64< @7 A:4<=65 A6AA6CD” @C E96 >2??6C :? H9:49 96 E6==D yF=:6 E@ “u\\\ @77” H9:=6 >@4<:?8 96C G2==6J\:D> 27E6C D96 3C62<D :E @77 H:E9 9:>]k^Am
kAm%96 7:=> 2=D@ D:56DE6AD 2 =@E @7 4=:496D] (9:=6 E96C6 :D 2 D64@?5\24E 3C62< FA[ :E :D?’E 3C@F89E @? 3J D@>6 3:8 >:DF?56CDE2?5:?8] yF=:6 D:>A=J 8:G6D :?E@ A66C AC6DDFC6 E@ 52E6 E96 “C:89E” <:?5 @7 8FJi 96C 6I %@>>J W|:4926= q@H6?X]k^Am
kAm$:>:=2C=J[ :?DE625 @7 36:?8 FAE:89E 2FE9@C:E2C:2?D[ yF=:6’D A2C6?ED Wr@==66? r2>A 2?5 uC656C:4 u@CC6DEX 2C6 =2:5\324< 7@C>6C 9:AA:6D] q642FD6 @7 E9:D[ H6 2G@:5 72>:=:2C D46?6D @7 yF=:6 D?62<:?8 :?E@ E96 9@FD6 =2E6 2E ?:89E @C =J:?8 E@ 96C A2C6?ED]k^Am
Jessica Rothe and Josh Whitehouse in the 2020 remake of "Valley Girl." (COURTESY OF MGM)
kAm%96 C6>2<6[ F?7@CEF?2E6=J[ 255D 324< :? 2 =@E @7 E96D6 4=:496D] %96 ?6H yF=:6 Wy6DD:42 #@E96X 92D EJA:42= >@G:6 A2C6?ED WyF5J vC66C 2?5 #@3 wF636=X H9@ 5@?’E =:<6 96C 52E:?8 #2?5J Wy@D9 (9:E69@FD6X] %96C6’D 2? 255:E:@? @7 2? 2=E6C42E:@? E92E =625D E@ E96 3C62<\FA] #2?5J :D 2=D@ 8:G6? 2 ?665=6DD=J EC28:4 324<DE@CJ] %96D6 EC@A6D =6DD6? E96 @G6C2== BF2=:EJ @7 E96 C6>2<6[ H9:49 :D 24EF2==J AC6EEJ 8@@5]k^Am
kAm*6D[ :E :D 2 DF??:6C[ 8=@DD:6C =@@< 324< 2E E96 `hg_D[ 3FE E96 7:=> 24<?@H=6586D E9:D E9C@F89 2 DE@CJ 7C2>6 :? H9:49 2? 25F=E yF=:6 Wp=:4:2 $:=G6CDE@?6X :D E6==:?8 96C 52F89E6C Wr2>:=2 |@CC@?6X E96 DE@CJ 2D D96 “C6>6>36CD :E]” $25=J[ E9:D 7C2>:?8 56G:46 :D =2C86=J 2 5:DEC24E:@? 2?5 C@3D E96 C6>2<6 @7 E96 DH66E[ 2>3:8F@FD 7:?2= >@>6?E @7 E96 @C:8:?2=]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 @E96C 255:E:@?D E92E 5@ H@C<] #2?5J :D ?@H :? 2 AF?< 32?5[ H9:49 96=AD 7:I E96 @C:8:?2=’D 2?E:\4=:>24E:4 4@?4=FD:@? :? H9:49 #2?5J 362ED FA %@>>J 2E AC@> 2?5 yF=:6 564:56D E@ CF? @77 H:E9 9:>] }@H[ #2?5J’D 8C2?5 86DEFC6 4@>6D :? E96 7@C> @7 2 D@?8]k^Am
kAm$:>:=2C=J[ yF=:6 2?5 96C 76==@H G2==6J 8:C=D 2C6 8:G6? >@C6 5:DE:?4E A6CD@?2=:E:6D] yF=:6 H2?ED E@ 36 2 72D9:@? 56D:8?6C] %9:D :D =:7E65 7C@> wF896D’ “!C6EEJ :? !:?<[” 3FE :E 86ED 2 A2DD 3642FD6 2E =62DE E96 AC@> 5C6DD yF=:6 >2<6D :D 36EE6C E92? E96 9:56@FD @?6 |@==J #:?8H2=5’D p?5J 4C62E65 :? “!C6EEJ :? !:?<]”k^Am
kAmxE :D 2=D@ ?:46 E@ D66 |26 (9:E>2? 2D E96 DE2?5\:? 7C@> #2?5J’D 36DE 7C:6?5[ H9@ H2D A=2J65 3J r2>6C@? sJ6 :? E96 @C:8:?2=] %9:D 86?56C\C6G6CD2= :D?’E 7@C465[ 2?5 (9:E>2? :D 2=H2JD 2? 2DD6E E@ 2?J AC@;64E]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C E96 D@?8D[ H9:=6 D@>6 @7 E96> 2C6 @G6C 2FE@EF?65[ 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE E96J 2C6 H6== AC6D6?E65] xE :D 2 72:C=J DE2?52C5 4@==64E:@? @7 g_D 4=2DD:4D H:E9 @?=J EH@ — “x |6=E (:E9 *@F” 2?5 “p |:==:@? |:=6D pH2J” — 5:C64E=J =:7E65 7C@> E96 @C:8:?2=]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D 2 4=6G6C >65=6J @7 “yFDE r2?’E v6E t?@F89[” “|2E6C:2= v:C=[” “x r2?’E v@ 7@C %92E” 2?5 “%2:?E65 {@G6” E92E :D 2 DE2?5 @FE[ 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96 2CC2?86>6?ED — ?@E23=J “&?56C !C6DDFC6[” “z:5D :? p>6C:42” 2?5 “q@JD s@?’E rCJ” — 72G@C23=J C642== yF=:6 %2J>@C’D q62E=6D ;F<63@I >FD:42= “p4C@DD E96 &?:G6CD6]”k^Am
kAmpD H:E9 E96 @C:8:?2=[ E96 492C>:?8 =625D 8@ 2 =@?8 H2J E@ >2<:?8 E9:D H@C<] #@E96 92D ;FDE 2D 6776CG6D46?E 2 D>:=6 2D u@C6>2?[ 2?5 H9:=6 (9:E69@FD6 5@6D?’E 92G6 r286’D @77\<:=E6C 6?6C8J[ 96 :D =:<23=6 2?5 6?828:?8]k^Am
kAm$@[ E96 C6>2<6 :D E@E2==J 2 >:I65 328 3FE :E :D A=62D2?E G:6H:?8 2?5 5@6D >2<6 7@C 2 3:E49:?’ 5@F3=6 762EFC6 H:E9 :ED AC65646DD@C] {:<6 7@C DFC6]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.