Calendar Girl (1993)

Director:

John Whitesell

Writer (WGA):

Paul W. Shapiro (written by)

Release Date:

3 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

Three young men go on an end of the summer trip to Hollywood, CA. Their quest: to fulfill the fantasy of meeting Marilyn Monroe.

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Marilyn Monroe | Summer | Buddy | Dream

Cast

Jason Priestley	...	Roy Darpinian
Gabriel Olds	...	Ned Bleuer
Jerry O'Connell	...	Scott Foreman
Joe Pantoliano	...	Harvey Darpinian
Steve Railsback	...	Roy's Father
Kurt Fuller	...	Arturo Gallo
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Antonio Gallo
Emily Warfield	...	Becky O'Brien
Michael Quill	...	Photographer
Leslie Wing	...	Ned's Mother
Blake McIver Ewing	...	6-Year-Old Ned
Michael David Kaye	...	6-Year-Old Scott
Sean Fitzgerald	...	6-Year-Old Roy
Maggie Simman	...	6-Year-Old Becky
Elizabeth Quill	...	Howdy Doody Mom

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Parkway Productions

Trivia:

Straight to video in the UK.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the boys go to Uncle Harvey's house and the girls put the lei's on the boys, Jason Priestly's changes from white to yellow and then back to white again as they move through the scene.

Movie Connections:

Features "Mister Ed" (1961)

Standard coming-of-age story with some interesting side characters

Three friends grow up worshipping Marilyn Monroe. When they are in their late teens they decide to drive out to Hollywood to meet her. Roy, Ned and Scott head off a week before Roy is due to join the army. They stay with Roy's uncle Harvey and begin their quest, however Roy has borrowed mobster money and his fathers car for the trip and before long the Gallo brothers come looking for their cash.

As I sat to watch this, it did cross my mind that I didn't really need to watch another coming of age movie set in the 50's and 60's. However I thought the premise was interesting enough to justify the time. However the film fails to use the idea of the quest to meet Monroe to raise anything more than a few laughs. We also have to deal with the usual subplots of teenage angst, girls, sex, anger at father etc, these take even more of the comedy away leaving a so-so comedy with bits of drama forced in.

The characters are standard – Priestly plays the cocky one, Olds plays the thoughtful one and O'Connell plays the shy, cowardly one. The only interest is provided by the support cast - Pantoliano is good as Roy's uncle with a typically Hollywood obsession with looks and Tobolowsky and Fuller provide the only quirky characters as the Gallo's. The idea of Monroe as the holy grail would have worked better if the film didn't try to have her as a shadow but also use her – her memory is badly used here.

Overall this has some funny scenes but not enough to justify the film. The coming of age drama doesn't really work and I think we've all got the `seize the day' message by now. Average.