La troviamo a Beverly Hills

A pleasant and amusing story about three senior high school students (although all look way older than that) who are infatuated with Marilyn Monroe. (so am I am and who isn't or wasn't?) It is a nice movie about the importance of the value of good friends. There are various sub plots here. Jason Priestley's character learns to reconnect with his estranged father and all three young men learn and grow by the end of the movie. It is funny and amusing and really rather sweet. I enjoyed it and I recommend it. Jason Priestly does a good job, but he is so much shorter, he is 5'6 or 5'7, than the other two boys who are 6 ft, and he is always looking so short--they even hold him up to see an event in the movie. Anyway, it is an enjoyable movie and one especially suited to teenagers, and, of course, all us Marilyn Monroe fans. There are various clips from Marilyn's movies. Lest we forget.

Priestley tries to bring that handsome charm from the small screen to the big screen in this dull fantasy about three high school grads who fulfill their dream date with Marilyn Monroe in 1962 Hollywood. Priestley is a capable young actor, but he needs better scripts than this.

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.

This movie, although of its year of made, is quite close of any teenager-light-stupid-vacation movie made in the 50's. That was the idea? I guess so. Three youngsters deeply in love with Marilyn Monroe travel to Hollywood to meet her. That's all. Jason Priestley is the leader of them (he is the protagonist, by the way), playing the role of the typical unbearable & arrogant American High school popular kid, who thinks that can deal with any chick round there. Jerry O'Connel plays again as the poor little fool dominated by his friends (do you remember "Stand by me"?) & the other guy, Gabriel Olds (sorry but, who is he? Never heard of him) is the peacemaker of the group. It's a very light comedy, & that's all. Nothing too hard to understand.

I have seen this as it has been on HBO non stop lately. I think the writing and acting is good. It seems innocent enough. However, it seems a little strange as well. It is about three boys who worship Marilyn Monroe and even keep pictures of her in the "Holy Bible." They take a road trip to go meet Marilyn and continue to bother her at home until one gets a date with her. Seems like they had a little too much time on their hands. I have advice for the three boys: grab a dictionary and look up the word "pathetic." I give it a 6 out of 10. Could have done without the stalking stuff as that is what made it strange to me. Otherwise, it was pretty good.