via IMDB
"Wait a minute, are those what I think they are?"
"I'm sorry."
"Where do you get off having tits?"
I don't often begin Thoughts On with Fanservice Junction, but it feels appropriate for Just One of the Guys. If the movie is remembered, it's probably because of the moment when Rick (Clayton Rohner) finds out that Terry is actually Terri (Joyce Hyser). Guys is fairly democratic with its fanservice, but as is often the case with '80s comedies, the nice rack comes out on top.
"Hey, who do you think you are, Tootsie?" Terri's overwhelmingly hormonal brother Buddy (Billy Jacoby) asks. Guys, directed by Lisa Gottlieb with a screenplay credited to Dennis Feldman and Jeff Franklin*, is awfully similar to the then-contemporary Oscar-winner (and big box office hit). In addition to plot and character elements, the two movies shared a studio, Columbia Pictures.
*Gottlieb allegedly co-wrote the movie with Mitch Giannunzio. Between this and Girls Just Want to Have Fun, 1985 was apparently the year for women who wrote fluffy teen comedies to not get their full credit. The latter movie, as you'll remember, credited Janis Hirsch as "production consultant."
Terri, a talented but unsuccessful teenage journalist, poses as a member of the opposite sex. It's intended to be brief and done for career purposes. She's certain that an article submitted by a supposed male would be more likely to earn its author a job at the local paper. On a side note, I'm amused by Terri's surprise that her article on the nutritional content of school lunches didn't earn her a recommendation. The endorsed guy reporters wrote about cheating and drug scandals. Later, Terri successfully submits an article about her experience passing as a teenage boy. What would anyone read about first? Anyway, Guys tries telling a feminist story on a shaky foundation.
"Come on, Buddy, admit it. You would love to spend your entire life just using women's bodies."
"Yeah, all but the last 60 seconds. ... I'd like a little time to reminisce."
While her parents are on vacation, Terri ditches her normal high school for two weeks. Looking slightly like a young Adam Scott, she enrolls at a place pretty much led by a jerk who doesn't handle loss of respect that well (William Zabka as Greg). The disguise allows for opportunities to ogle, but there's complications. Terri falls for Rick, influenced by a relative stranger to be a better, more confident person. She also has to deal with a present but strained relationship (Leigh McCloskey as Kevin). If that wasn't enough, Terri receives romantic attention from a total sweetheart (Sherilyn Fenn as Sandy**). Only two people know the truth: Buddy, a lovable kook and Denise (Toni Hudson), who's more level-headed. While the breast-baring is private, Terri is more or less revealed in front of everybody.
**Sandy's lingerie scene makes Fenn the Geena Davis and the Charles Durning of this movie.
Despite an overall lack of originality, Guys has a few things going for it. Hyser is a fine leading lady, even if Terry isn't as funny a character as, say, Dorothy Michaels. The scene where Buddy teaches Terri how to scratch balls wouldn't work as well as it does if Hyser didn't have excellent chemistry opposite Jacoby. While most of Buddy's lines are basically variants of "Hi, I'm horny!" a lot of them are actually pretty funny. Considering Terri doesn't spend that much time as Terry, I have to give the writers credit for not overdoing it with Rick's arc. He works up the nerve to ask out Deborah (Deborah Goodrich), Greg's estranged girlfriend. By teen movie standards, that's enough of an achievement. Rick didn't need to become prom king or anything. That said, Rick scores points for being handsome as well as secure in his rather specific fandom.
"Hey, who do you think you are, Tootsie?" Terri's overwhelmingly hormonal brother Buddy (Billy Jacoby) asks. Guys, directed by Lisa Gottlieb with a screenplay credited to Dennis Feldman and Jeff Franklin*, is awfully similar to the then-contemporary Oscar-winner (and big box office hit). In addition to plot and character elements, the two movies shared a studio, Columbia Pictures.
*Gottlieb allegedly co-wrote the movie with Mitch Giannunzio. Between this and Girls Just Want to Have Fun, 1985 was apparently the year for women who wrote fluffy teen comedies to not get their full credit. The latter movie, as you'll remember, credited Janis Hirsch as "production consultant."
Terri, a talented but unsuccessful teenage journalist, poses as a member of the opposite sex. It's intended to be brief and done for career purposes. She's certain that an article submitted by a supposed male would be more likely to earn its author a job at the local paper. On a side note, I'm amused by Terri's surprise that her article on the nutritional content of school lunches didn't earn her a recommendation. The endorsed guy reporters wrote about cheating and drug scandals. Later, Terri successfully submits an article about her experience passing as a teenage boy. What would anyone read about first? Anyway, Guys tries telling a feminist story on a shaky foundation.
"Come on, Buddy, admit it. You would love to spend your entire life just using women's bodies."
"Yeah, all but the last 60 seconds. ... I'd like a little time to reminisce."
While her parents are on vacation, Terri ditches her normal high school for two weeks. Looking slightly like a young Adam Scott, she enrolls at a place pretty much led by a jerk who doesn't handle loss of respect that well (William Zabka as Greg). The disguise allows for opportunities to ogle, but there's complications. Terri falls for Rick, influenced by a relative stranger to be a better, more confident person. She also has to deal with a present but strained relationship (Leigh McCloskey as Kevin). If that wasn't enough, Terri receives romantic attention from a total sweetheart (Sherilyn Fenn as Sandy**). Only two people know the truth: Buddy, a lovable kook and Denise (Toni Hudson), who's more level-headed. While the breast-baring is private, Terri is more or less revealed in front of everybody.
**Sandy's lingerie scene makes Fenn the Geena Davis and the Charles Durning of this movie.
Despite an overall lack of originality, Guys has a few things going for it. Hyser is a fine leading lady, even if Terry isn't as funny a character as, say, Dorothy Michaels. The scene where Buddy teaches Terri how to scratch balls wouldn't work as well as it does if Hyser didn't have excellent chemistry opposite Jacoby. While most of Buddy's lines are basically variants of "Hi, I'm horny!" a lot of them are actually pretty funny. Considering Terri doesn't spend that much time as Terry, I have to give the writers credit for not overdoing it with Rick's arc. He works up the nerve to ask out Deborah (Deborah Goodrich), Greg's estranged girlfriend. By teen movie standards, that's enough of an achievement. Rick didn't need to become prom king or anything. That said, Rick scores points for being handsome as well as secure in his rather specific fandom.
"I'm kind of into James Brown."
"I guess so."
"You know, Prince, Michael Jackson? It all goes back to James Brown, the godfather of soul. Not to mention, Mr. Humanitarian, Mr. Dynamite and the hardest working man in show business. Ah, New York, live, the Apollo Theater, 1962. This man was king."
"Well, let's hear some sounds."
"I don't think so."
"Stereo broken?"
"No, it's just something I do by myself."
"Huh?"
"Well, when I hear James, I have to dance. You know, like James. I can't help it. I go crazy. And, uh, I'm usually alone when I do it."
Jennifer Stace is credited as Guys' choreographer, but Rohner received his dance lessons from Brown himself. A little more genuine quirkiness like that would have greatly helped the movie. Some or all of the writers seemed to be trying too hard for laughs. In addition to Buddy's tsunami of sex jokes, the canvas includes students pretending to be aliens (Arye Gross and Robert Fieldsteel as Willie and Phil), another student who takes his exotic pets everywhere (Stuart Charno as Reptile) and a bowling-fixated teacher (John Apicella as Coach Morrison). The numerous shout-outs to people of the era ("Dresses like Elvis Costello, looks like The Karate Kid."; "She's got, like, Joan Collins' eyes and Christie Brinkley's teeth."; "Right, and I'm Cyndi Lauper." etc.) plays today like a parody of reference-specific humor.
Among Guys' writers, Franklin has easily had the most successful career***. The conclusion of Terri's professional arc, where she and advisor Mr. Raymaker (Kenneth Tigar) share pride in her previously hidden but always possible insight, feels like a test run for the lesson learned moments on Full House and Fuller House. The absolute conclusion is just straight-up out of Tootsie.
***Yes, Feldman has the Species films, but I digress.
"I guess so."
"You know, Prince, Michael Jackson? It all goes back to James Brown, the godfather of soul. Not to mention, Mr. Humanitarian, Mr. Dynamite and the hardest working man in show business. Ah, New York, live, the Apollo Theater, 1962. This man was king."
"Well, let's hear some sounds."
"I don't think so."
"Stereo broken?"
"No, it's just something I do by myself."
"Huh?"
"Well, when I hear James, I have to dance. You know, like James. I can't help it. I go crazy. And, uh, I'm usually alone when I do it."
Jennifer Stace is credited as Guys' choreographer, but Rohner received his dance lessons from Brown himself. A little more genuine quirkiness like that would have greatly helped the movie. Some or all of the writers seemed to be trying too hard for laughs. In addition to Buddy's tsunami of sex jokes, the canvas includes students pretending to be aliens (Arye Gross and Robert Fieldsteel as Willie and Phil), another student who takes his exotic pets everywhere (Stuart Charno as Reptile) and a bowling-fixated teacher (John Apicella as Coach Morrison). The numerous shout-outs to people of the era ("Dresses like Elvis Costello, looks like The Karate Kid."; "She's got, like, Joan Collins' eyes and Christie Brinkley's teeth."; "Right, and I'm Cyndi Lauper." etc.) plays today like a parody of reference-specific humor.
Among Guys' writers, Franklin has easily had the most successful career***. The conclusion of Terri's professional arc, where she and advisor Mr. Raymaker (Kenneth Tigar) share pride in her previously hidden but always possible insight, feels like a test run for the lesson learned moments on Full House and Fuller House. The absolute conclusion is just straight-up out of Tootsie.
***Yes, Feldman has the Species films, but I digress.
"I thought you hated me."
"I missed you. I read your article. Do you, uh ... still feel the same way about me?"
"Yeah, I guess I do. ... Well, hey, why don't we go out and have some fun? You know, like, maybe we could go out dancing Friday night?"
"Wait a minute. I'm the guy here. Let me just try this, okay? Why don't we go out dancing on Friday night?"
"What an original idea."
"I missed you. I read your article. Do you, uh ... still feel the same way about me?"
"Yeah, I guess I do. ... Well, hey, why don't we go out and have some fun? You know, like, maybe we could go out dancing Friday night?"
"Wait a minute. I'm the guy here. Let me just try this, okay? Why don't we go out dancing on Friday night?"
"What an original idea."
Recommended with reservations.
Thoughts:
-- "Listen, sex is not that big a deal." "I'd like to form my own opinion."
-- Box Office: Grossing $11.5 million on an unknown budget, this opened at No. 5 and came in at No. 72 for 1985.
-- Awards Watch: Hyser and Jacoby were both nominated for Young Artist Awards, as was the movie, in the questionable category of "Best Family Motion Picture -- Comedy or Musical."
-- Different Times: Ah, the 1980s, when adults lusting after or having sex with minors was included for atmosphere, not as plot points requiring justice and/or revenge.
-- Different Times: Ah, the 1980s, when adults lusting after or having sex with minors was included for atmosphere, not as plot points requiring justice and/or revenge.
-- Critic's Corner: "Familiar but likable," Janet Maslin wrote, singling out Jacoby's "irrepressible clowning" and Hyser's "good-sport manner."
-- Memorable Music: We're at 15-13 in favor of songs presumably written for movies. Guys' two entries are the title song, performed by Shalamar, and "Tonight You're Mine, Baby," sung by Ronnie Spector. Both are a bit too long, "Baby" in particular, but I have a soft spot for cheese. I really wish "Guys" had a video with the likes of Hyser, Jacoby, etc. mugging, dressing in drag and such on.
-- Hey, It's 1985!: This was Rohner's only acting credit for the year, but he also contributed to a piece of pop culture history. David Blum's New York article on the "Brat Pack" concludes with Rohner, a non-Brat, giving an autograph to a teenage girl. She ignored the other, more famous (and not specifically identified) actors.
-- Speaking of journalism from that era, you'd think Terri would have mentioned Cameron Crowe and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
-- Speaking of journalism from that era, you'd think Terri would have mentioned Cameron Crowe and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
-- Of all things, I got a big kick out of Denise's less than desirable potential dates including Roger Gibbler. Franklin evidently felt that when a last name's that unique, it's worth using again.
-- "(answers phone) Hello? ... Hey, yo, scumbag! ... Hey, suck your own! ... Eat me! ... Hey, same to you, buttface! (hangs up phone) ... Mom says hi."
-- Next: Code of Silence. On deck: Gotcha!
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