Little Darlings (1980)
Little Darlings (1980)
DVD5 (HDTV-to-DVD) | ISO | NTSC 16:9 | 01:34:28 | 3,48 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 256 Kbps | Subs: None
Genre: Comedy, Drama | USA
DVD5 (HDTV-to-DVD) | ISO | NTSC 16:9 | 01:34:28 | 3,48 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 256 Kbps | Subs: None
Genre: Comedy, Drama | USA
Little Darlings is a teen sex comedy about a group of 15-year-old girls at a summer camp who establish a contest to see which one of them will lose their virginity first. Tatum O'Neal stars as Ferris, a naive but sexually aware rich girl on the make with the older camp swimming instructor Gary (Armand Assante). Her rival in this race for deflowering is Angel (Kristy McNichol), who is quick to point out, "Don't let the name fool you." She sets her sights on the young Randy (Matt Dillon). But the contest gets obscured by inter-personal crises: Cinder (Krista Errickson), a young tease in a bunny suit, seduces Randy away from Angel, while Ferris has second thoughts about offering herself to the camp counselor.
IMDB
Little Darlings (1980)
Kristy McNichol is a tough, poor chainsmoking tomboy. Tatum O'Neal is a prissy rich girl wearing the latest designs. They're sent off to summer camp by parents who are having problems: McNichol's single mom Blye is man hunting, and O'Neal's parents are on the verge of a divorce. After the two polar opposites get off on the wrong foot with a fight on the bus, McNichol and O'Neal are egged on by snooty aspiring model Errickson (think Mena Suvari's AMERICAN BEAUTY character) to settle their differences with a contest: as the only two "inexperienced" girls at camp, they will compete to see who loses her virginity first–with everyone else wagering on the outcome. McNichol sets her sights on Matt Dillon from the neighboring boys' camp, while O'Neal aims older: French-speaking swim coach Armand Assante (30 at the time to O'Neal's 16!).
Little Darlings (1980)
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LITTLE DARLINGS is yet another film at odds with its marketing. Those of a certain age (I was 11) at the time of LITTLE DARLINGS' release will remember print ads playing up the titillation factor, but the two teenaged stars were already respected Emmy (McNichol, for FAMILY) and Oscar (O'Neal, for PAPER MOON) winners, and the script by Kimi Peck and Dalene Young is ultimately a sensitive coming-of-age drama despite the comedic elements. There's some profanity, sure, but no F-bombs, and if you blink you'll miss the only glimpse of nudity: males skinny dipping, from Schacter's binocular-aided P.O.V. Yup, LITTLE DARLINGS is not only a rare summer camp teen drama, it's a chick flick.
Little Darlings (1980)
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The MPAA gave it an "R" but teen boys were hooked by the marketing, teen girls by the word-of-mouth, and LITTLE DARLINGS ended up 20th at the box office for the year 1980, grossing the equivalent of just under $100 million in today's dollars ($34 million in '80 if you're curious). They just don't make 'em like this any more. In addition to the central plot, there's underage drinking/smoking and perhaps the biggest eyebrow raiser today: the aphrodisiacs and other questionable pills/potions passed out by Nixon's tween hippie chick.
Little Darlings (1980)
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McNichol is the standout but the teen cast is uniformly strong, with future stars Nixon and Dillon already showing considerable chops. Peck and Young help out with credible dialogue. Their script is far from perfect: the resolution of the O'Neal-Assante situation (potentially very sticky) is glossed over too quickly and the food fight seems forced, as if they were trying to "punch up" a script deemed "too serious". Overall, though, LITTLE DARLINGS is a solid drama from a perspective too seldom seen in the summer camp subgenre, and given its popularity its absence from DVD is particularly puzzling. Maxwell directed McNichol again in 1981's THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA. O'Neal went on to another May-December romance in her next film, the disastrous CIRCLE OF TWO, with 54 year old(!) Richard Burton.
Little Darlings (1980)
Wonderful funny teenage coming-of-age flick! A must see for viewers from 12 to 92! It's endearing and the acting is quite good for the age group of the cast. Matt Dillon's performance is stellar and he melts the hearts of all the women in the audience. Kristy McNichol and Tatum Oneal have a believable rivalry that ends in a moment that captures the true essence of teenage friendships. It's a great movie for parents to watch with their about to be teenage daughters, the sons may find it too cheesy. But give it a try. It's a classic flick that will hang around for many, many years to come. The scene where the girls go on a hunt for condoms is priceless! It's definitely a knee slapper. The next scene stealer would be gentle Sunshine who proves that even hippie tree hugging types have their limits. Go on out and pick up a copy. Rent it. You won't be sorry you did.IMDB Reviewer
Little Darlings (1980)
Still no any Official DVD releases.
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