REVIEW: Valley Girl has Good Music But a So-So Story

Valley Girl, the teen romantic comedy starring Nicholas Cage and Deborah Foreman debuted in 1983. Julie is the quintessential valley girl from the San Fernando Valley who falls for bad boy, punk rock is dead Randy. The original was well received, leading United Artists Releasing to release a remake with one major change, it’s now a musical featuring the hits of the 1980s.

Jessica Rothe assumes the role of Julie with Josh Whitehouse as Randy. This new musical sticks to the original well, valley girl falls for a bad boy from the other side of the hills. The typical trials and tribulations from any good girl falling for the bad boy trope abound in this iteration. Judgy friends, parents who just don’t understand, and lifestyles that just may be too different make up much of the storyline. This new version doesn’t feel as edgy as the original, even apart from the musical aspect. The secondary female empowerment storyline is touched upon so infrequently and in odd moments that it ends up falling flat.

The remake is filled with a number of hit songs from the decade including “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. Rather than help tell the story, some of the numbers seemed forced and distracting. Ashleigh Murray is the clear standout in the musical numbers as the most vocally strong singer. The others offered their best shot but audiences won’t be fired away. You are also left wondering where is all the big hair? The outfits are bright with leg warmers and popped collars everywhere, yet it often felt as if the characters were going to an 80s’ themed party rather than actually living in the decade.

Rothe and Whitehouse were well cast for Julie and Randy and viewers will have no problem rooting for the pair as they have decent chemistry. If you’re a fan of the original, it’ll be more challenging to separate Cage and Foreman from the characters you hold so dear.

Murray, Chloe Bennet, and Jessie Ennis play Julie’s friends in the movie with Ennis as the only friend worth caring about. Bennet plays the typical mean girl while Murray’s character seems aimless. Her strong vocals in the musical numbers leaves you wondering why she’s used so little elsewhere. Ennis does well as the friend who wants to understand the new decisions her bestie is making.

Mae Whitman and Mario Revolori play Randy’s friends and are very much secondary characters, to the point where it seems like they were thrown in at the last minute to explain a bit of Randy’s background. Most of the friends, Randy’s and Julie’s, could have been left out and nothing would have changed about the overall story.

The one big win this movie had for me was the casting of Alicia Silverstone. She plays the adult Julie and was a great addition to the movie. When I think of a valley girl, I can’t help but think of Silverstone’s Cher in Clueless. This was a great way to add a little extra nostalgia to the movie. Having her character share the story of her first love with her daughter actually works in this film and adds a bit of warmth to the flick.

Valley Girl will be released straight to On Demand, but I would wait until it appears on a streaming site or on TV before watching the movie. There are other hit 80s romantic comedies and musicals you can tune into if you are looking for a fix.

Grade: C-