Secret Admirer

One of my favorite 1980s movies is "Secret Admirer" starring C. Thomas Howell, Kelly Preston & Lori Loughlin. Michael (Howell) gets an anonymous love note and suspects it's from his dream girl, Deborah Ann Fimple (Preston), when it's actually from his best friend, Toni (Loughlin). Toni is roped into passing notes between Deborah and Michael (all of which she writes) until she must finally confront Michael with her feelings.

During the 1980s Preston often played the boy every girl thought was their dream girl-...blond, blue-eyed, and game for some tasteful nudity-...before they realized how vapid and conceited she truly was, and fell in love with their brunette best friend. This is the case in "Mischief" as well. She fulfilled her role brilliantly in this film, titillating until her self-absorbed antics became tiresome.

Lori Loughlin is the ultimate brunette "best friend" type. She's attractive, but not sexually enticing. Her understated beauty, along with her agreeable manner, ensures that she usually goes unnoticed by men. She is devoted to Michael to a fault, aiding in his pursuit of Deborah despite her own feelings. But she plays the tortured soul, pining for love almost within her grasp to a T.

And Michael? Has there been a more oblivious man? Toni smiles, sympathizes with and supports him, and still he wants his blond-and-blue bimbo. It's just frustrating enough to make you hate his guts, but makes his ultimate realization and his valiant attempts to win Toni back all the more gratifying. He is puppy dog cute, completely infuriating, and then makes you swoon with his final romantic gesture. What more could you want?

This was the 1980s' favorite romantic-comedy formula and for good reason: It gives hope to the underdogs. You can't watch this without feeling hopeful by the end.