MovieChat Forums > The Last American Virgin (1982) Discussion > Observations after reseeing this.

Observations after reseeing this.

posted 4 years ago by strntz (12231)
4 replies | jump to latest

I haven't seen this in decades but watched it last night.

Diane Franklin was a horrible actress. I mean brutal. She had the look for the part, but her acting was difficult to watch. Fortunately, she pulled it together for the final scene in the kitchen with Rick. I can't help wondering how many days and how many shots it took to get that scene right. In any case, they got the shot and her reaction to Gary finding her and Rick in the kitchen together "saved" the movie.

The old witch at the abortion clinic has the bluest eyes I've ever seen. Wow.

Nothing further was mentioned about damages when Rick and Gary sank Victor's Pontiac in the ocean? It must have cost a lot to get it out and repaired, yet Victor never mentioned it and didn't even seem pissed at them for doing it.

Guys will willingly line up for a tool measurement competition in the locker room?

Why would the red-head whore care about Gary's lack of skills? She knew he was a virgin yet literally yelled at him that he had a lot to learn about pleasing a woman. I mean, she's a whore. Are whores into getting off with clients? $30 and see you later.

Carmella's boyfriend over-reacted to the boys banging his girlfriend. They weren't raping her, and she was in her forties at least. Seems like he should have been mad at her. By all means, throw the boys out of the house but he would have beaten them up if he could have caught one or more of them.

The best part of the movie is the lessons. First, you absolutely can't make someone love you. Karen was never into Gary and she was never his girlfriend (nor did she even try to make him think that), even after he helped her abort her baby with emotional and financial support. Also, women (and men) will often repeat a mistake and go back to someone who is wrong for them. Hopefully, Gary learned that lesson when he caught Karen and Rick in the kitchen. I'd like to think he did.

Why on earth would someone like Karen go back to someone who outright abandoned and disowned her in the most traumatic time of her life, particularly when he was responsible for her plight? She clearly hadn't learned her lesson by the end of the movie. Maybe this won't be a pattern for her, but maybe it will...

Other than that, it was nostalgic watching it and overall it's entertaining.

[–] Who (5146) 3 years ago

Haven’t seen it in decades either and haven’t rewatched it either, so working from memory here:

Diane Franklin was not a good actress in Better Off Dead either. They should have casted a French actress instead of making Diane read her lines a la Pepe Le Pew.

Don’t remember the blue-eyed abortion witch…

Maybe Victor had money for the repairs. Cheap movies like this always glossed over these sort of details. Better films like Risky Business and Back To The Future didn’t insult their audiences and took some effort to complete their car repair storylines.

I think early 80s teen movies were contractually required to have a locker room scene centered around genitalia.

Guess you get what you get with a $30 whore, attitude and all.

Sometimes gals in their 40s need white knight saviors.

Gary was pathetic. Any guy that pines and puppy dog eyes after some chick who isn’t into him is just a sad sack.

Karen was on a pathway to a lifetime of hurt. Maybe that’s why so many middle-aged Karens are on youtube cussing out the cashiers at Michael’s craft stores. Bad choices in their youth soured their souls. Anyway, that scene was the most memorable for me, mostly because that Quincy Jones/James Ingram song “Just Once” was playing just as Karen crushed Gary’s heart. Great song, fit the moment perfectly.

[–] strntz (12231) 3 years ago

I think early 80s teen movies were contractually required to have a locker room scene centered around genitalia.

That would certainly explain it!!

[–] Clapstick (138) 2 years ago

Spot on with everything except the part about Karen. Sometimes women like her will find a good man to take care of her but that’s probably after a couple of kids with someone else first. Depending on looks, many times they figure it out.

[–] rndgurl (130) 2 years ago

Some trivia. The older lady at the abortion clinic, played Liz Foster a main character on The Young and the Restless for many years.. a central character.