Terry Griffith, played by Joyce Hyser, is a petite teenage girl living in a time where big hair and colorful clothing define the style. As an aspiring journalist trying to get an internship at the Sun Tribune, she realizes that it is still very much a man's world. The consensus...male consensus that is, is that she should become a model instead because she's a "pretty girl." Sure, she's a talented writer but she needs to face reality.
Her consensus? To disguise herself as a high school boy, write an article, win the internship and prove that her talent has been overlooked because of her looks. She cuts her long curly hair, borrows clothes from her younger brother and sets off to her new school. To fit in and be convincing as a boy, she takes the advice of her brother, Buddy, played by Billy Jayne, lowers her vocal cords, adopts a smooth walk with a slight bend at the knees and goes where no other woman has gone before. Hyser's attitude toward her character was amusing as she gave the right amount of expressions and exaggerations in her transformation. Entertaining enough, right?
The reason for her undercover work is soon forgotten though as she gets caught up in the male world where bullying and sex are the main concerns for the guys around her. Of course, her job wouldn't have been complete without her venturing into the male locker room and bathroom. Her new male-friend Rick, played by Clayton Rohner, becomes the outlet to her new male persona and the subject of her news story. He's the shy loner on campus who is comfortable in his own skin when he's in private. Her male bonding with him takes up most of her time and she tries harder than ever to be one of the guys...kind of. No '80s high school movie is complete without a high school romance where the girl secretly crushes on her friend. This movie is no exception.
An underlying, comical plot is her younger brother, Buddy, who doesn't try to hide his raging hormones. There is no shame in his urges and they treat sexuality as something natural for a young teenager. Let's just say the topic is so comfortable between the siblings that he has the walls to his room covered with playboy centerfolds while his parents are away. If that weren't enough to show how desperate he is for sex, he has his techniques practiced for when he finally gets lucky. Jayne is natural at playing the role.
I give the movie credit for trying to cover male/female inequalities but it failed to portray those inequalities and in reality, it was another movie about teenagers who are just trying to have fun by running around wild with no visible parents trying to cause memorable ruckuses.
Sure, Terry's article gets noticed, but that is after she made the necessary changes when she was told by a second teacher that she (he) has the basic skills but still needs better stories. It was the same thing she was told by her journalism teacher. Even when she is published and her article praised, her teacher quickly ignores the article and asks for an update about her crush. In reality then, the initial point of the movie becomes a moot point. Her whole scheme of becoming an undercover boy could have been a dare and worked as well. That attempt could be crossed out and really doesn't play a big part in the movie because the chemistry between the characters, the adventures and teen issues that arise dominate the comedy. In the end, all she is enlightened with is that guys are territorial, and think about girls and sex... a lot.
Karla Casillas
Just One of the Guys
Terry Griffith, played by Joyce Hyser, is a petite teenage girl living in a time where big hair and colorful clothing define the style. As an aspiring journalist trying to get an internship at the Sun Tribune, she realizes that it is still very much a man's world. The consensus...male consensus that is, is that she should become a model instead because she's a "pretty girl." Sure, she's a talented writer but she needs to face reality.
Her consensus? To disguise herself as a high school boy, write an article, win the internship and prove that her talent has been overlooked because of her looks. She cuts her long curly hair, borrows clothes from her younger brother and sets off to her new school. To fit in and be convincing as a boy, she takes the advice of her brother, Buddy, played by Billy Jayne, lowers her vocal cords, adopts a smooth walk with a slight bend at the knees and goes where no other woman has gone before. Hyser's attitude toward her character was amusing as she gave the right amount of expressions and exaggerations in her transformation. Entertaining enough, right?
The reason for her undercover work is soon forgotten though as she gets caught up in the male world where bullying and sex are the main concerns for the guys around her. Of course, her job wouldn't have been complete without her venturing into the male locker room and bathroom. Her new male-friend Rick, played by Clayton Rohner, becomes the outlet to her new male persona and the subject of her news story. He's the shy loner on campus who is comfortable in his own skin when he's in private. Her male bonding with him takes up most of her time and she tries harder than ever to be one of the guys...kind of. No '80s high school movie is complete without a high school romance where the girl secretly crushes on her friend. This movie is no exception.
An underlying, comical plot is her younger brother, Buddy, who doesn't try to hide his raging hormones. There is no shame in his urges and they treat sexuality as something natural for a young teenager. Let's just say the topic is so comfortable between the siblings that he has the walls to his room covered with playboy centerfolds while his parents are away. If that weren't enough to show how desperate he is for sex, he has his techniques practiced for when he finally gets lucky. Jayne is natural at playing the role.
I give the movie credit for trying to cover male/female inequalities but it failed to portray those inequalities and in reality, it was another movie about teenagers who are just trying to have fun by running around wild with no visible parents trying to cause memorable ruckuses.
Sure, Terry's article gets noticed, but that is after she made the necessary changes when she was told by a second teacher that she (he) has the basic skills but still needs better stories. It was the same thing she was told by her journalism teacher. Even when she is published and her article praised, her teacher quickly ignores the article and asks for an update about her crush. In reality then, the initial point of the movie becomes a moot point. Her whole scheme of becoming an undercover boy could have been a dare and worked as well. That attempt could be crossed out and really doesn't play a big part in the movie because the chemistry between the characters, the adventures and teen issues that arise dominate the comedy. In the end, all she is enlightened with is that guys are territorial, and think about girls and sex... a lot.
