SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

FilmCriticLalitRao It is really hard to decipher the veritable Raison d'Etre of 'Valley Girl' as despite having an important role by Nicholas Cage, it was neither a mainstream Hollywood film with big stars nor was it a product of quirky American independent cinema movement. By choosing to film a difficult love story whose characters took their own time to test the strength of their tender yet whimsical relationship, director Martha Coolidge was able to portray all the essential questions surrounding the 'angst' of class differences which were not so evident in other American films of the time. She succeeded in creating an honest film about confused youngsters especially girls who would try to influence opinions of others around them. It is not a surprise that 'Valley Girl' has entered numerous English language dictionaries as an expression but as a film it advocated good times for young people as their parents were not putting any pressure on them. It is nice to watch how deftly a young Nicholas Cage portrayed the pain of a young boy in love. The major force of "Valley Girl" lies in the fact that it was an effective tool to show how other people's behavior was influential in governing the behavior of their friends. It was this negative quality which prevented them from accepting a 'different' person.

robertlauter25 I remember reading a review by Roger Ebert who liked this movie as well as hearing other people who agreed. I think it was dreadful, I knew it was gonna be a high school romance flick, but unlike the successful hughes films like sixteen candles, pretty in pink and some kind of wonderful, or the raunchier ones like Porky's and fast times at ridgemont high, Valley Girl is boring, unfunny and poorly made. There's nothing original about the story or any of the characters, the production wallows in it's own low budget trappings, and man is the acting bad. What a dud. I've seen porn with more entertaining dialogue, how can this movie have entertained anyone.

eeevuh the movie is precious, and cage is a babe. but will anyone agree with me in saying that the punk representation in this movie is ATROCIOUS?!?! where's the clash? the ramones?? misfits? social distortion? the cramps?? sex pistols?! ANYONE?!?!?!?! the music is this movie is incredibly disappointing! at LEAST they play the cure.plus, randy's feathered hair and pleated khakis...this definitely looks like a movie about "punks" the way that a bunch of movie industry squares see punks.although it's a 90's movie, SLC punk paints a much more accurate picture of the punk rock scene in the early 1980's. just sayin'.

Scarecrow-88 One word:PlasticsValley girl, Julie(Deborah Foreman) finds herself attracted to Punker Randy(Nicholas Cage) in this simple "opposites attract" tale about what happens when social circles are tainted and friendships are tested. Foreman's friends wonder why she'd even think about dating someone from Hollywood High when she could have Tommy(Michael Bowen, most might know him as the orderly who allows men to screw a comatose Uma Thurman in KILL BILL, while also being the owner of the notorious PUSSY WAGON), the popular, although smug, stud of Valley High. Yet, she finds Randy to be so much fun. Love is there, but can she choose Randy over her best friends. The film embraces..and pokes fun at..the artificial, manicured lives of the wealthy while also being non-judgmental towards the opposite Hollywood side where the undesirables hang.The film's ultimate success, besides the truly marvelous casting of Frederic Forrest and Colleen Camp as Foreman's hippie parents, is the great chemistry between the two leads. Startling enough, the film is quite adult on one side while also lovingly portraying what it's like to be a teenager in love while also facing the pressure of remaining part of your collective group when the choice of who your partner is may not be accepted by the friends you spend time with. Profanity and nudity does appear in increments so the film tries to be as accurate about high school life as possible. The highlights for me, as many who watch this flick, are the songs, styles, and dialogue of these characters. And, Foreman, who I just fell right in love with..she has that smile which really melts you. If you don't fall head-over-heels for Foreman then your heart is encased in steel. It's also cool seeing a young Cage as a punk with the wavy colored hair. Perhaps, one thing going against it, the flick doesn't have much of a story other than the conflict presented to Foreman. This flick depends heavily on the leads for it's charm.