When first hearing about the idea to remake one of the most meaningful classic slices of cinema from my youth, the first reaction was, “Why?” and “No!” But to my complete and utter surprise, Valley Girl circa 2020 is something unique and believe it or not—is also a love letter to the original. What makes Valley Girl so special this time out is two things, and one was right out of the playbook of the original.
The chemistry of the leads, Jessica Rothe and Josh Whitehouse, is electric. It is completely believable that this girl from Encino (aka The Valley) would fall hard for a punkish guy from Hollywood. That was the same electricity that sparked such adoration for the original. Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman were two vastly different peas but definitely were in one love generating pod.
The second aspect of the new Valley Girl is that it is a musical. The story is enhanced by the lyrics of the songs. Now, upon hearing that aspect of the production, it seemed to be a stretch to have characters from a Valley Girl movie suddenly break into song. But that’s not how it is as filmmakers (led by director Rachel Lee Goldenberg), have used classic and endearing songs from the early to mid-80s as the soundtrack where the lyrics fit the emotive cull of the scene. It’s a delight.
The journey of Valley Girl has been a tough one for all involved in the musical remake. Orion Pictures has released the film, but it was originally slated to hit theaters in 2018. In its place, the studio released The Hustle instead (it was another 80s remake) and Goldenberg’s flick got stuck in no man’s land. Then, the Coronavirus hit, and theaters closed, denying the film a shot at a theatrical release. This may be a good thing because it is getting released on VOD to a public stuck at home, eager to be entertained. It also arrives on a scene for a legion of generation awash in nostalgia for a previous time when well … for starters we could leave the house! Given the soundtrack, the impeccable recreation (production design-wise) of the 80s in Los Angeles, and the fact that it is solidly entertaining, Goldenberg may have stumbled onto a surprise at-home hit.
Screenwriter Amy Talkington took the premise laid down by the original’s writers, Andrew Lane and Wayne Crawford, and laced tributes to their classic tale throughout. There are even direct quotes that leap from the duo’s script onto the pages of Talkington’s. The structure is the same, even if the feel may be different. Heck, Goldenberg even uses some of the establishing shots from the original in her film.
In case you don’t remember, or never saw the 1983 film, the story follows a titular lady, Julie, who seems to have it all. She’s dating the most popular guy (Logan Paul’s Mickey) in high school (to the point of friendly jealousy by her friends). Senior year has been everything one would hope that last lap around the sun would be when one is still labeled a high schooler. The thing is … Julie wants more out of this last year of high school. That curiosity leads her to meet a cutie of a guy at the beach, Randy (Whitehouse). His pal overhears her pals talking about a party and wouldn’t you know it, our star-crossed lovebirds will hit it off (at Mickey’s house bash no less!).
He’s a punk rock band lead singer and songwriter who lives in a poor excuse for an apartment. But he keenly knows who he is and what he wants out of life and is largely, happy. She’s wildly popular, adored by her friends, treasured by her parents (who appreciate her hard work and “good” behavior). On paper, there’s no way these two would work. But they do, and it is captured so enjoyably by Goldenberg, one can feel the teenage longingness as if it just pops right off our screens. That was what made the Cage and Foreman starring flick so compelling (and honestly probably the number one reason it is considered a beloved classic). The heart-pounding utter adoration between two late teens has to be palpable for any Valley Girl remake to work. Thankfully for all involved, they hit a home run with Rothe and Whitehouse.
Since Rothe filmed Valley Girl four years ago, she has found success, thanks to Blumhouse’s wickedly delightful Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U. She possesses a screen presence that is extremely powerful. The camera adores her. The actress’ approachableness, coupled with a raw reality that she comes to grip with in the first act of the film, are just two of many reasons why the audience is hooked by this reimaging early on. Heck, when the cast unleashes the Go-Go’s We Got the Beat as they dance and sing through a mall, we were immediately on board.
With Rothe inhabiting Julie, Goldenberg has a lead who is in many ways, is ahead of her time. There is much talk amongst her friends in the flick about what a girl wants. That has changed so much in the almost 40 years since the original Valley Girl charmed us. Julie’s friends chat about getting married as if that is the ideal. They are purely heading to college on the Mrs. degree path. But Julie wants to design and create clothes. If she finds a husband, great, but that will not define her. That was missing from the original film. Yes, Julie had dreams and sought more, but it is much more pronounced in the 2020 release than in the original. There is a hint of female empowerment that is welcomed while we tap our toes to all the fantastical tracks that Goldenberg has weaved throughout her remake.
Martha Coolidge’s 1983 beloved Valley Girl put Cage on the front burner on the stardom train and Goldenberg has (hopefully) done the same thing for Whitehouse. The camera adores him as well. When he smiles, it’s easy to see why Julie just melts. He’s a punk, yes, but he has a heart and he has firm dreams as well. Why he is in this situation that he finds himself in is explained well in Valley Girl 2020 that was not as fully formed in the original. There is a reason for Randy’s lot in life and it doesn’t define him, but it easily could. That struggle is captured well by Talkington in her script. They found an actor in Whitehouse who is malleable and as such, is someone who can play both sides of this (imaginary societal) fence that divides the haves and the have-nots, as well as Hollywood and those mountains that give way to that titular Valley.
Judy Greer and Rob Huebel portray Julie’s parents and are largely wasted, but there are a few moments with the duo that provide some laughs. Whereas in the original, they were seen as kind of 60s leftover hippies, here they are firmly yuppies talking about buying Apple stock. Their costuming was a little jarring, which was strange because everywhere else it was fluid and fascinating. Perhaps that was the point.
Now, the soundtrack was such a welcomed gift. Music is the key to so much, especially in culling emotive responses from an audience. Too often, movies that take place in the 80s use songs from that era to “establish” their scene as they skimp on production design, costume, and make-up. With Valley Girl, yes it lays the groundwork for this 80s-set flick, but it is just one spoke in that totally tubular wheel. The tracks that were chosen for their lyrics and sentimentality are pitch-perfect. From Take on Me to Material Girl mashed up with Depeche Mode’s I Just Can’t Get Enough, there is sonic succulence waiting around every corner to get us nodding our head with the beat, but also utilizing the lyrics to express characters’ wide-ranging sentiment. Then, there’s the iconic track. I Melt with You was an enormous part of the first film, complete with that “knock” from Cage. Gen Xers, you know what I mean!
How the Modern English hit is handled in the remake is integral to the entire effort of whether this film even works. So, when it finally plays in its entirety, the audience is awash in sentimentality, emotional connections, a little teenage romantic longing and it all adds up to a triumphant ending to a musical journey through a modern Romeo & Juliet that should have you booking your next trip to Los Angeles soon after the credits roll.
Grade: B+