These Girls

I had the honor this evening to see a screening of the movie "These Girls" at the Philadelphia Film Festival. Going into the movie, I knew very little about it and just took a chance on it because the film's plot sounded interesting. So as I entered the theater just hours ago I wondered what the final verdict would be thumbs up or thumbs down.

"These Girls" is the story about three best friends from a small town. Keira (Caroline Dhavernas) is the ringleader who basically doesn't know what to do with her life after High School but her father keeps pushing her to go to college which is something she doesn't want to do. Lisa (Holly Lewis) will be going away to a Christian school after the summer. And finally, Glory (Amanda Walsh) who plans on spending her summer babysitting. But this summer is going to be a special one as they all blackmail Keith Clark (David Boreanaz) the sexy older hunk who they baby-sit for. Fun times and a lot of laughs ensue…

I normally don't like movies like "These Girls" but there is something about this movie that I really liked. I think the quality I liked most about it was that it seemed rather realistic. Three girls who want to explore their sexuality pick a hunky guy who lets all of them have sex with him only to be blackmailed by them later. It's a pretty funny tale about growing up, friendship and sex but even though it sounds pretty cheesy I can see majority of this film happening in real life.

The subject matter here is probably a main reason why this film didn't get a mainstream release in the United States. All the girls in this film are suppose to be under 18 which if I remember correctly two of them are 17 and one is 16. Now in the USA even though underage sex occurs on a daily basis many production or finance companies won't finance a film like this because of the sexual content. This information was actually confirmed by the director himself John Hazlett at the Q&A after the film. The thing that gets me is that the sex scenes in this film aren't graphic and the nudity is minor. Not to mention that all the actresses in this film are way over 18 in real life. Go figure.

What the movie does best is it provides a lot of laughs as well as very strong characters. I liked all the characters in this movie and each character seemed to have a "Now & Then" characteristic to them. The jokes were funny because they were cleverly written not because they were dirty or over the top. Everything seemed to flow together nicely both the comedy and the drama. The script was very strong.

The acting was very good for the most part. I thought all the three girls were great. Caroline Dhavernas who also starred in one of the most underrated television series of all time "Wonderfalls" was just terrific; as well as Holly Lewis and Amanda Walsh who both did a fine job as well. David Boreanaz did a good job and he looked like he was having fun while shooting most of the scenes. The guy played a pot head so it was funny seeing him play that role.

I had the pleasure of meeting John Hazlett tonight who seemed like a very nice guy and was very appreciative of the comments made about the film. I am shocked that this movie didn't go anywhere. I think with a little marketing behind it, it could have taken off. Sadly it's going to be one of these direct to DVD films which so few will ever have the pleasure to see. I think with what little budget Mr. Hazlett had to work with, the film turned out well and I think he did a fine job directing this little gem.

For someone who typically hates teen sex comedies I can honestly say I really enjoyed this film. The character development and witty script allowed me to sit there for an hour and a half and be amused. This is a fine comedy because it has heart and spunk to it. I know I will be sure to buy this film when it comes on DVD on May 16, 2006. If you're a fan of coming of age stories, teen sex comedies, or romantic comedies be sure to check this film out because it's one of the funniest films of its kind to be released in years.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "These Girls" is an 8/10.

I found this movie pretty funny. I initially got the DVD because I am a HUGE David Boreanaz fan. I've adored him, ever since Buffy & Angel, so I'll watch pretty much anything he's in; this was surprisingly pretty good.

The premise was intriguing, especially with DB playing the hunk that gets "blackmailed". His performance is really good too. Considering he somehow made me not hate Keith, and let's be real, the character Keith is a serial cheater who is kind of a d!ck! LOL

The actresses playing the teenage girls are all well past their teen years, but that was actually a plus for me. Movies where an underage girl makes out with an older guy make me cringe. Like when Hilary Duff (15) kissed Chad Michael Murry (22) in a Cinderella Story. Yuck. This is definitely NOT that.

If you're looking for a film some deep, in-depth & inspiring message, this film won't give you that. However, if you're looking for a bit of silly fun... These Girls is definitely worth a look.

Keira St. George (Caroline Dhavernas) is a freshman in university recalling what she did during the summer. Her best friends back in her small town are Glory Lorraine (Amanda Walsh) and religious ballplayer Lisa MacDougall (Holly Lewis). Keith Clark (David Boreanaz) is a local with a wife and kid. He's friendly with Gordon Gruber who is a bit slow. Gordon tells Keira about Keith growing pot in his backyard. Keira and Lisa go to steal a few leaves and peep Keith having sex with Glory. Glory tells Keira that she loves Keith and he's a great lover. Keira is bored and decides to have sex with Keith. Lisa also wants to have sex with Keith before she's baptized as born-again. Keith has enough of the girls and tries to end it. Instead, the three girls blackmail Keith and make up a schedule to share him.

First of all, these girls are no teenagers. The youngest Amanda Walsh is mid-20s while Holly Lewis is pushing 30. It's very odd when women who don't look like teenagers try to act like teenagers. This tries to be funny by turning the usual sexual ideas upside down. It doesn't really get there. It tries to end with wild screwball fun but it doesn't get there either. Caroline Dhavernas has a sly sensibility which I love. It's not as edgy or as funny as it could have been.

Well, it didn't make me sad about seeing it. The narration in the beginning made me expect some wonderful coming of age tale for these girls. I was disappointed. I expected lots of good laughs. I was disappointed. I expected great indie performances; I was disappointed. The whole movie was a watered-down version of what it could of been. It just came off average. The female actors were given great roles, and didn't achieve greatness. David Boreanz did an adequate job; his part, however, may have been his downfall. The character was at one moment charming and the next a complete ass. I didn't feel the writing kept true to the character and served the sketchy plot more than the character. The ending was pretty dynamic though. It was an interesting story that wasn't told very interestingly. Oh well, it is still worth a watch though. I'm sure some people will like it far more than I did.

I was in the play These Girls in Ottawa at Art's Court back in 1999 and had the pleasure of working with Vivienne Laxdal on the production. I would just like to say how delighted I am that her work was made into a movie. I loved playing Caroline.. who i believe is now Kiara.... she had such a great story around her. I must say it was probably the best play I have ever had the pleasure to be involved with, thanks in part to playing such a great character and also in having the wonderful words of encouragement from Vivienne at rehearsals, who is also an accomplished actress. I can not wait to see this movie, if they have kept close to the play it is sure to be a riot!