The Last American Virgin

This is a very unusual teen sex comedy. One part of of it is the expected T & A laff riot, but the other half is a surprising sensitive and dead-on portrayal of teenage life. The movie keeps switching from one of these viewpoints to the other throughout the movie. In another movie, it would end up making the movie to be quite a mess. Yet somehow it works.

True, some of the comedy scenes go to the lowest denominator, but there are some wittier scenes here and there. Take the first scene, when the boys invite the girls over to Gary's house. The nervousness and awkwardness between Gary and the fat girl has me in stiches each time - because it's not only funny, but true. Though all the cast members are first-rate, it's Monoson who really steals the movie. As a shy teen looking for true love, his anguish will really break your heart.

I can't leave out the soundtrack. The songs picked for the soundtrack are excellent in so many ways. They are timeless, so they are very listenable even two decades later. Plus, they actually manage to comment on the action going onscreen at the time. I will never forget when the Commodores' "Oh No" plays during that certain sequence.

And I can't leave out the ending - when I first saw the movie, I was simply stunned at what happened at the end. I couldn't believe it at first, then I realized that hey, this kind of thing does happen.

With all the fans this movie has, I am very surprised it has not been re-released on video or DVD. MGM, you now have the rights - what are you waiting for? Though since they are rereleasing a lot of older movies on video and DVD now, maybe - just maybe - we'll be able to get a new copy in each of our hands.

Often overlooked overshadowed by well known classics of the era. It didn't help that the ads (which I can still remember oddly enough) made it look slapstick. Instead halfway through it veers in a far more serious direction. One of the main protagonists helps a girl he's in love with through a crisis (pregnancy). Whereas other teen movies of the era offered generally feel good but not terribly realistic endings, this one offers a punch to the gut. Maybe that's not what people were looking for. I won't say much more than that but to most guys the ending is eminently relatable. Considering the prevailing atmosphere in Hollywood I'm amazed the people who made the movie went with such a gritty ending. For that reason alone, I give it a 7.

I have always liked this film and I'm glad it's available finally on DVD so more viewers can see what I have been telling them all these years. Story is about a high school virgin named Gary (Lawrence Monoson) who works at a pizza place as a delivery boy and he hangs out with his friends David (Joe Rubbo) and Rick (Steve Antin). Gary notices Karen (Diane Franklin) who is the new girl in school and one morning he gives her a ride and by this time he is totally in love. That night at a party he see's Rick with Karen and now he is jealous of his best friend but doesn't tell anyone of his true feelings.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Rick asks Gary if he can borrow his Grandmothers vacant home but Gary makes up an excuse so that Rick can't get Karen alone. But one night Rick brags to Gary that he nailed her at the football field and Gary becomes enraged. A few days later in the school library Gary see's Rick and Karen arguing and he asks Karen what is wrong. She tells him that she's pregnant and that Rick has dumped her. Gary helps her by taking her to his Grandmothers home and paying for her abortion. Finally, Gary tells Karen how he really feels about her and she seems receptive to his feelings but later at her birthday party he walks in on Karen and Rick together again. Gary drives off without the girl! This film ends with a much more realistic version of how life really is. No matter how nice you are you don't necessarily get the girl.

This film was directed by Boaz Davidson who would go on to be a pretty competent action film director and he did two things right with this movie. First, he made sure that there was plenty of gratuitous nudity so that this was marketable to the young males that usually go to these films. Secondly, he had the film end with young Gary without Karen and I think the males in the audience can relate to being screwed over no matter how hard you try and win a girls heart. Yes, this film is silly and exploitive but it is funny and sexy. Actress Louisa Moritz almost steals the film as the sexy Carmela. Moritz was always a popular "B" level actress and you might remember her in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". Like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" this has a very good soundtrack and the songs being played reflect what is going on in the story. But at the heart of this film is two very good performances by Monoson and Franklin. There is nudity required by Franklin but she still conveys the sorrow of a young girl who gets dumped at a crucial time. She's always been a good actress and her natural charm is very evident in this film. But this is still Monoson's story and you can't help but feel for this guy. When the film ends it's his performance that stays with you. It's a solid job of acting that makes this more than just a teen sex comedy. Even with the silly scenarios of teens trying to have sex this film still manages to achieve what it wants. Underrated comedy hits the bullseye.

For the most part, "The Last American Virgin" is your run-of-the-mill teen sex comedy (a genre for which I've apparently lost taste over the years), albeit with a pretty remarkable soundtrack. There were a couple of comedic bits that were amusing, certainly enough to keep me hooked in.

But at a certain point (somewhat late in the game) the movie takes a real turn, and one of these three horndogs becomes the film's romantic, doomed to a sex life full of frustration and misery. Eventually, the songs become emotional music cues as the movie adopts a mature tone (possibly sexist, but deeply cynical). And that ending (I won't give it away, but I could sense it coming with dread) is what makes this film resonate. And it's a jaw-dropper.

7/10

I am so glad to see this come out on DVD. I have thought for many years that this is truly an underrated film. It goes beyond the typical teen chasing sex flick and packs an emotional punch. The emotions of the actors seem real and raw and each time I see it, I am transported back 20 years in time to the memories of what the teen years can be like.