Just One of the Guys (1985)
When Terry Griffith loses her high school's writing competition, she's convinced that it's because she's a girl. So Terry decides to change high schools and pose as a boy to prove her point. Her brother, Buddy, helps her pass as a guy so well that she is soon making friends with the boys at school, including the attractive Rick, who becomes her new best friend. But her gender-swapping makes things difficult when she falls in love with him.
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May contain spoilersA feel good comedy about a girl named Terri who feels as though no one takes her seriously as a journalist because she's a woman and beautiful. It came out during a time of female empowerment when woman wanted to persuade high paying jobs instead of home economics. Does it feel dated? Some of the dialogue and costumes does feel like the eighties. But the theme is timeless, being explored in other mediums through the years, and it makes it special for being first.You can really emphasis with Terri As she walks in another's shoes and sees what being a teenage got is like.Her brother Buddy is a typical horny teen who helps his big sis not only with her transformation but get the boy of her dreams. This adds so much depth to an otherwise shallow character.This movie is great on so many levels that it would take a whole novel to explain its a appeal. Check out one of the guys.
"Terry Griffith" (Joyse Hyser) is a popular senior in high school who wants very much to be a journalist for a newspaper after she graduates. Unfortunately, when her paper for a local newspaper journalism prize is rejected, and she is slighted because she is essentially too attractive, she decides to secretly enroll in a rival high school and compete for the journalism contest there--as a guy. But what she doesn't count on is the unexpected turmoil her decision creates by leading two totally different lives. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this film was simply hilarious. Along with that it doesn't take much to see that both Joyse Hyser and Bill Jayne (as her younger brother "Buddy Griffith") were clearly having a good time playing their parts which made the movie even more enjoyable. Likewise the performance of William Zabka (as the high school bully named "Greg Tolan") and the addition of such attractive actresses like Toni Hudson ("Denise"), Sherilynn Fenn ("Sandy") along with the aforementioned Joyse Hyser certainly didn't hurt either. In short, this is a good example of 80's comedy and I recommend it to all those who might be interested in something of this nature. Above average.
The eighties were notorious for great and goof-ball movies! This being a funnier story than a lot of others that I had seen, it's in league with "The Secret of My Success" "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" a lesser talented "Tootsie" but still very much a fun and wacky teenage tale of ' investigative mischief '. This is an Arizona filmed 'gem' movie. There are many shot in California and other places but, since I have lived here it's great to see familiar territory. Arizona is a great place to shoot certain films anyway. This being one of them. I hadn't seen the lead female or Sherilyn Fenn before, much less Billy, and barely knew Clayton Rohner the love interest of our lead fem-reporter, 'Terry'. Despite any of this, who cares? They did a fairly wonderful job as teenage curious trouble makers and one aspiring for 'greatness' in reporting. This won't take home any awards but it will entertain most viewers. William Zabka was the only one that I truly was familiar with since "The Karate Kid " (1984) which of course hit big at the Box-Office!With so many new comers in this, it is kind of cool to be in the story because it seems more real to me. I think, due to the fact that they are not famous-famous, yet. This wasn't a huge story line or amazing plot with twits and turns, it was an uncomplicated story of high school interaction and of those that are just starting to figure out a life path and begin the coming of age process. This is fun and will be loved by some liked by others and not thought of still by some more. Any way you slice it though, it will come out amusing. The one little thing that I wish the director would have done is have the two 'alien' nerds from homeroom, standing on the curb as they all ride off (Teri and boyfriend & younger brother with biker-gal)and the mother ship 'arrives' and the two nerds look up, smile, a light shines down on them and both turn to glittering matter swirling upward to the ship and then head back into the cosmos.(**)
I've seen this film over one hundred times in my twenty-five years on this planet. It's not that it's my favorite movie. It's that no matter what day it is, at any given time this movie is showing. It's the story of Terri (the always pleasant (!sarcasm alert!) Joyce Heisser) a journalist with great fashion sense who chops off her hair and dresses as a guy to help her write a story. While playing the part of a guy she meets a nerd who she vows to help make cooler. The fact that they refer to this guy (Clayton Rhoner)as a nerd is insane. If anything this guy is cooler then everyone in this movie, but I digress...Rounding out the 80s cast is her little brother (Billy Jacoby) who makes it his goal to lose his virginity. Terri encounters a nemesis (William 'why-can't-I-play-the-nice-guy" Zabka) and manages to find her story somewhere between the sock in her pants and her Elvis Costello makeover. It's got a good soundtrack, a great fight scene and a nice scene where Terri flashes her...I don't want to give away the surprise.