Problems/Issues I have with this film 28 years later.

@dicotrash1119, Yeah, I mean there is no rhyme or reason why Jake thinks he can have a supposed "real relationship" with a girl he doesn't know or a girl he hasn't even talked to. The same thing for Sam, she doesn't know him or what he's about or anything. There's nothing really remarkable about Sam and all she does through the first half of the movie is complain and bitch that her family forgot her birthday.

Yeah that the father would be okay with his 16 year old daughter missing his eldest daughter's wedding reception so she can go out on a first date with some strange boy in a porsche is just ridiculous.

Also the Homecoming Queen falling in love with the Geek after he essentially raped her is equally ridiculous and kind of disturbing.

I'd seen the film about a dozen time but I hadn't seen the film in about 15 years. I was troubled at the way Jake just picks up his barely conscious girlfriend and throws her into his Dad's car so a total stranger (Ted the Geek) could have his way with her. And he actually encourages Ted to have his way with her no less!!

There's also a disturbing bit of dialogue regarding Caroline that goes something like:

Jake: I'm not hard up for a piece of ass, I have Caroline upstairs passed out and I could violate her 10 different ways but I don't want to.

Ted: What are waiting for!!!

So Jake is basically bragging that he could rape his girlfriend but he doesn't want to and Ted is astonished that he doesn't jump at the chance.

I'm in my 40's now so I see things in this film I didn't see when I was 18 plus I think we're more civilized/educated as a society as far as date-rape is concerned. I really don't even think people considered this rape back in 1984.

The whole Sam ditching the wedding reception didn't come across as being as bad as some of the other points the TC talked about. Within context, Sam's family DID forget about her 16th birthday(which, I hear, is supposed to be a special thing for girls... I'm a guy, so my 16th kinda meant squat). Also, her sister was kinda a bitch. She really wasn't compassionate when Sam came to her about her feelings(though, every time Sam tries to tell her family about her birthday, they are always interrupting her, so I guess it runs int he family). She finally told her dad at night regarding Jake Ryan, which is why I think he let her go(that and feeling like a total dick that he forgot his own daughter's birthday). Though, given the amount of muscle relaxers the sister took, I doubt she'd even notice Sam was missing.

Meh, Pretty In Pink was a better movie.

Her sister's behaviour at the wedding must have been a much bigger embarrassment than Sam ditching the reception. Perhaps this is what allowed her to get away with it.

"Let me guess, you're female and you have a problem with everything."

Oh, drop that "female" crap. I am female and I have no problem with the movie.

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"Love means never having to say you're ugly." - the Abominable Dr. Phibes

I agree somewhat. If a woman who has been drinking cannot give consent, then how can a man who has been drinking be responsible for his actions? By the same token, if she can't give consent, is she responsible if she kills someone while DUI?

It's a fantasy, from the sophmore girl's POV. Much like Twilight reads like a pubescent girl's fantasy date with David Cassidy in the 70s; you know, like a diary entry. Except this is much more entertaining. Part of the point is the stupid reverence of wealth in the 80s. Look at Risky Business or St. Elmo's.

My interpretation is that this movie was an exaggeration of the teen angst of the time. I guess the movie seems a little outdated nowadays, just like "American Graffiti" was outdated in 1985.



Am I right or am I right or am I right? Right? Right?? ~~ Ned Ryerson

It wasn't sending out any "messages", you uptight killjoys. Why is it so difficult for people to grasp what this movie was about? It wasn't made in the PC-soaked climate of today. Although such restrictions on humor/thought/speech were already a gathering storm on the horizon in 1984, it was still possible to make a movie where sh-t just happened and nobody got uptight about it. You either watched it and enjoyed it, watched it and didn't enjoy it, or ignored it altogether. Whichever of these options you chose, you moved on and didn't get your panties in a twist about some g-ddamn message that wasn't there to begin with.

That's always been my take on it too. They thought they had sex but they obviously didn't.

Yeah, "Rizcheck" was a strange one but I guess they didn't want to be too overtly stereotypical and call them the Gambinis or Rosellinis or something like that. Anyway it was still a negative stereotype of an Italian family.

I read somewhere that "Long Duck Dong" is a Vietnamese name but basically the character is an amalgam of various Asian stereotypes from the 1930's-1950's. It's really shocking to see that type of character portrayed in a film from 1984.

I think the thing that most disturbs me now is the casual way they basically talk about raping the prom queen. And then the Geek actually rapes her and in 1980's type movies this was a weird "rape is love" trope.

Actually, it's oily Bohunk, lol. It refers to someone of Bohemian (now called Czech) descent. So, you're correct that they weren't of Italian descent, but of Eastern European. I know this because I come from a town full of Bohunks and am one myself (minus the "oily" part). I don't know any that act like Italian stereotypes, however. Maybe it has more to do with what state the "Rice Chexs" live in.