Adolescents love funny movies about adolescence, but their parents are usually looking for something with more redeeming qualities than “Porky’s” or “American Pie.”
Which leads us to the more modest, yet far more realistic, pleasures of Bill Forsyth’s “Gregory’s Girl,” from 1980. Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) is a gangly, acne-
pitted specimen of teenage awkwardness at a typical Scotland high school, lending his dubious talents to a pathetic soccer team and wondering when a girl will actually talk to him.
In jogs star soccer player and feathered-hair hottie Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), who runs circles around the team and teases Gregory with the possibility of a date.
Forsyth, as we mentioned in touting “Local Hero” here a few months ago, tends to inhabit the communities he features, rather than elevate or destroy them with his cameras. Gregory’s optimism in the face of all evidence to the contrary is infectious, and presents a reassuring view of the high school years. Your kids will survive those transition years, and even have a good time once in a while.
“Gregory’s Girl” is rated PG, but to avoid surprises you should note this was before Hollywood added PG-13. This movie is so innocent it makes “American Pie” look like an NC-17, but there is one early scene where Gregory and his friends catch a glimpse of a distant girl taking off her bra. The fact they have no idea what to do with this revelation is what makes Forsyth’s film so appealingly true.
Each Tuesday, Michael Booth uncovers a movie gem for families in search of rewarding entertainment. He can be reached at mbooth@denverpost.com; find the Screen Team blog at denverpostbloghouse.com
“Gregory’s Girl”
Rated|PG for brief topless nudity, some mild language
Most appealing|Children 11 or older
