Totally Tubular 80's Movies: Valley Girl

     I'm as much of a John Hughes fan as the next person, but one of my favorite 80's movies (There's no way I could pick just one!) is a flick directed by Martha Coolidge called Valley Girl.  Released in 1983, and starring relatively unknowns Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman, it's a love story about two kids who live in very different worlds.  Foreman plays Julie, a valley girl who like totally spends too much time at the mall.  Cage plays Randy, a guy who doesn't want to conform to what the world thinks he should be.
     One thing that makes this movie so awesome to me is the soundtrack.  A great movie should have a great soundtrack and this one does.  Featuring artists such as The Plimsouls, Payola, and The Psychadelic Furs, the soundtrack is just so 80's...and that's a good thing.  It also features Josie Cotton rocking out at the prom to the memorable "Johnny, Are You Queer".  There's also a wonderful montage of Julie and Randy falling in love to Modern English's "I Melt with You".  The soundtrack helps to emphasize the amazing chemistry Cage and Foreman have, and it makes you feel as if you will have a great love like Julie and Randy.
    It seems like these two are perfect for each other.  What, you may ask, is the problem?  Well, that would be the pressure Julie feels from her friends to be with the right guy for her.  They want her to get back with her ex, Tommy, even though he doesn't make her happy.  Julie needs to get some new friends in my opinion.  What kind of friend doesn't want you to be happy?  Of course, Julie's friends have some problems of their own.  One of them is competing with her stepmother for a guy, and another is dealing privately with a betrayal.  Then there's Julie's totally groovy parents who pretty much let her do whatever she wants.  They want her to be happy, but Julie just can't make up her mind.  Without giving too much away, I will tell you that true love conquers all, but who knows what will happen after prom?