Clayton Rohner's character Rick Morehouse is obsessed with James Brown. Before the prom scene was shot, Brown spent three days on the set teaching Rohner his dance moves. During the 30 year cast reunion Clayton quipped, "I got to spend a week with James Brown!"
This movie scored very well in test screenings, especially among the teenage group. However, 1985 in film saw a huge boost in the Young Adult genre, particularly the John Hughes films, which were getting a lot of publicity due to the Brat Pack. This movie ended up getting lost in the shuffle, and only made a little over 11 million dollars worldwide. It would later gain a larger following on the home video market.
In the boy's restroom at the high school, there is graffiti on a stall that reads: LISA + JOYCE ARE SLUTS, an in-joke referring to star Joyce Hyser and director Lisa Gottlieb.
Actress Joyce Hyser, who played the lead character Terry Griffith, wore a wig for her early scenes as a female, and then had her hair cut short for her later scenes as a male.
As seen in her room, Terry Griffith, played by Joyce Hyser, has a few Bruce Springsteen posters. At the time of filming, Hyser had already been dating Springsteen for several years. Director Lisa Gottlieb said he even visited the set.