Search - Valley Girl on DVD

B.J. W. (analogkid01) from CHICAGO, IL
Reviewed on 7/5/2025...

In 1985, Martha Coolidge directed the quintessential 80s masterpiece "Real Genius" with Val Kilmer and Michelle Meyrink. As much as I adore that film, I realized - I've never seen anything else she's done.

"Valley Girl" is Coolidge's 1983 effort starring Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman, and despite its immaturity (on both a story and filmmaking level), it has developed a strong cult following.

Titular valley girl Julie (Foreman) lives a normal valley life with her normal valley friends. She even has a valley boyfriend, Tommy (Michael Bowen, who you might remember from Kill Bill as the human-trafficking hospital orderly who meets a grisly end), but she decides he's too, like, boring for her and, like, dumps him. Her friends are all like "gag me" and disapprove not only of the dumping, but also of Julie's rebound attraction to local beachgoing punk Randy (Cage).

Randy & Julie...R & J...Romeo & Juliet? Hmm. Tempers flare, thumbs are bitten, swords are drawn. Okay, swords aren't drawn, but Julie is given an ultimatum from her friends: get back with Tommy or...you're no longer a valley girl or whatever. Will Julie stay true to her heart, or cave to social pressure? I won't say. You can guess, if you want. And you're right. But the conflict between Julie and her friends isn't convincing - she seems to be making the conflict up in her head, rather than basing it on anything the friends say or do.

There's more evidence of the weakness of the script - there are long scenes of the kids driving around not doing much, and one strange subplot where Julie's friend Suzi (Meyrink) gets caught up in a love triangle with local boy Skip, and...her own mother. This plot line has little to do with the main story and goes largely unresolved. One of the best performances is by Frederic Forrest, who plays Julie's dad - you know him as "Chef" from Apocalypse Now. Never get off the boat, man, never get off the boat...

Oh, and here's a sleazy bit of trivia: the producers of this film insisted on no fewer than *four* scenes with naked breasts. Sleazy of them to ask, sleazy of Coolidge to acquiesce, sleazy of the actresses involved to do it. But, it was the 80s, and everyone wanted to get paid, so here we are. Coolidge had a bit more clout and maturity by the time Real Genius came around - there are boob *jokes* but no actual bare boobs. Progress! (I'll defend to the death the idea that movies from the 80s were more original and therefore better, but yeah, there are a few worms under that rock.)

I see that they remade the film in 2020, but I'll leave it for someone else to review. Michelle Meyrink isn't in it anyway.

Grade: C+

Debbie P. from GALAX, VA
Reviewed on 9/7/2013...

I have loved this movie since it first came out. I think it is a great story on how to not judge someone by the way they look. Oh course it is so funny to sees Nicolas Cage at a young age!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Amy R. from COSTA MESA, CA
Reviewed on 2/14/2011...

I first saw this movie as I was beginning my teenage years and all the valley girl stuff was starting. I thought this was funny way back then and even more entertaining now. Mabye I'm just entertained by the idea of being entertained by it:)

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Finally it's here!

Ei | Seekonk, Massachusetts | 01/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had this movie on vhs for years and must have watched it a million times as it's just that kind of film I like to watch over and over and never get tired of.
Then, the day after my birthday last summer, it came out on dvd. It seemed like perfect timing..I thought for sure I'd get it as a gift. I didn't. I did get a late Christmas present from my husband a few days ago, and this was it.
It is the most romantic gift he gave me next to the sparkly diamond stud earrings. I think this movie belongs in the class.
Why? Well, first off, I am 34 yrs old, which make this movie one of many of my generation. It brings me back to those glory days of 1980's high school.
"Valley Girl" is a romantic comedy/drama, that has so much heart and such a clear and simple message of it's what inside that counts. Frederick Forrest, who plays the father to Julie, who is played by Deborah Foreman, and is Valley Girl extradionare, delivers some of the best lines of the movie in the scene where he talks to her about what really matters in life.
This is a very 80's version of Romeo & Juliet instead it's Randy & Julie. Randy, who is played by a very young Nicholas Cage, is the punker dude type that Julie falls in love with. Their's is a typical teenage romance with phony friends and a jilted ex boyfriend trying to tear it all to pieces.
"Valley Girl" has a bittersweet quality to it. I always cry when I watch it, and my heart swells up like a balloon. It sounds corny, but it's true. I still adore it after all these years.
The dvd had some good extras, I'm still checking some out, can't comment on all of them. One really good bit of trivia I learned is that Michael Bowen, who played Tommy, the Valley dude boyfriend of Julie, has appeared in a few Quention Tarentino films. It seems QT is a fan of this small, indy film..Gee, I wonder why? It's totally cool to know that now. I am only sad that Deb Foreman is not among the stars that came back after 20 years to be interviewed for this special edition disc.I highly recommend this to fans of 80's films, or even just films about the 80's, or fans of love stories...Oh to heck with it, all movie fans will find something to appreciate in the movie "Valley Girl". My husband did.Eileen F."

Cage: The ultimate rebel

Ei | 12/11/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most comments concerning this film seem to concentrate on the simple plot, lite storyline, etc. I believe this film is a winner because of the way Nicholas Cage renders wrong-side-of-the-tracks punk god Randy. Really, we're almost talking about two different movies when we look at Cage's scenes and the scenes in which he's absent. The Cage-less scenes deliver somewhat predictable bopper-movie fare. When Cage appears onscreen, however, we observe a genuine rebel who is not afraid to admit to his best pal that his life has no meaning without Valley Girl Julie in it.Cage owns this film as he struts before the camera in black leather and chains, bronzed bangs whipping in the Valley breeze. He will not rest until he gets the girl.Memorable scenes in which Cage takes charge:1. The party crashing scene. Cage and sidekick Fred (Cameron Dye, where have you gone?) electrify the Valley crowd as they infiltrate in search of hot girls. Cage finds his and the story takes off.2. Scene in the gritty Hollywood bar, in which Cage simply tells Julie he must see her again. The Plimsouls are on stage and life is grand.3. Vignette in which Cage and Julie get to know each other. Sure, a tad cheesy, but this vignette, powered by "I Melt With You," set the standard for such cheese.4. Cage admitting to Fred that he's miserable without Julie. Cage blowing his frustrations out through a toy kazoo (or is it a Pez dispenser) anchors this scene and makes it believable.4. Prom night, of course. Cage and Fred have a plan to get Julie back. Will it work? "Let's...squash...that...fly"Best lines in the movie:Julie speaking to other Valley girls of the reasons she's thinking of dumping Tommy-the-tow-headed-surfer-dude:"He makes me feel like...AN OLD CHAIR" (spoken with much Valley Girl intensity.Tommy, speaking to his cronies after Julie has dumped him for the first time. (this is a bit of a paraphrase)."I can't believe she dumped me. Who else is she going to get? WHAT OTHER VAL DUDE CAN TOUCH ME?"**************************************In sum, I believe this to be Cage's best performance ever. How surprising that it's his first. Too bad he never did anything like this again."

Sleeper hit!

D. Case | San Rafael, CA | 12/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the ultimate love story- and chalk full of teen angst. The soundtrack alone is enough to make anyone who was a teen in the 80's love it. On top of the music you get classic lines, great clothes, Nicholas Cage and Deborah Foreman at their best, a Mrs. Robinson storyline, the utlimate hippie parents, and an all-time prom scene. Like Julie's dad says- "Things were different back then. Different priorities. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll." (not sure that's an exact quote, but it's close). This movie is way too hard to get a hold of. My copy of a copy is not going to make it much longer. This movie must be made on DVD, so I can force my son to watch it when the time comes. What better way to experience the 80's!"