''Valley Girl'' is a 2020 American

jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs perfo ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

teen film Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers, preteens, or young adults by the plot being based on their special interests, such as coming of age, attempting to fit in, bullying, peer pressure, first love, teen rebellion, conflict with paren ...

directed by

Rachel Lee Goldenberg Rachel Lee Goldenberg (born 1984/1985) is an American film director and screenwriter. She has directed a number of feature films and television episodes. She had her breakthrough after she was discovered by Will Ferrell, who gave her the opportu ...

and written by

Amy Talkington Amy Virginia Talkington (born 1969) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and author. Background Talkington was born in Dallas, Texas. Her father, Clement Talkington, is a surgeon; her mother, Virginia Savage McAlester, is an architectural ...

from a story by

Wayne Crawford Wayne David Crawford (February 11, 1947 – April 30, 2016) was an American film and television actor, and film producer, director and screenwriter. Crawford appeared in nearly thirty films, produced fifteen, wrote nine, and directed seven. Cra ...

and Andrew Lane. It is a remake of the 1983 film of the same name and stars

Jessica Rothe Jessica Ann Rothenberg (born May 28, 1987), better known as Jessica Rothe (), is an American actress. She is known for her role in the MTV comedy series '' Mary + Jane'' (2016) and her lead role as Tree Gelbman in the comedy slasher film ''Happy D ...

Josh Whitehouse Joshua George Whitehouse (born 27 February 1990) is an English actor, musician and artist. His films include '' Northern Soul'' (2014), ''Modern Life Is Rubbish'' (2017), and ''Valley Girl'' (2020). On television, he is known for his roles in th ...

Mae Whitman Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She began acting in commercials as a child, making her film debut at the age of six in the romantic drama '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994). She achieved recognition as ...

, and

Judy Greer Judith Therese Evans (born July 20, 1975), known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress, who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She first rose to prominence in a variety of suppor ...

. The film follows Julie Richman, a

Valley girl A valley girl is a socioeconomic, linguistic, and youth subcultural stereotype and stock character originating during the 1980s: any materialistic upper-middle-class young woman, associated with unique vocal and California dialect features, fr ...

, who falls in love with Randy, a rebellious

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, during the early 1980s.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

first announced a musical remake in February 2012, but it was halted until November 2016 when Goldenberg joined the project as director and Rothe was cast in the lead role. Casting announcements continued until May 2017 and

principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

began that same month, taking place in Los Angeles. Following the completion of filming, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer scheduled the film for release on June 29, 2018. However, the film was delayed following controversies surrounding Logan Paul, who portrayed Mickey. ''Valley Girl'' was released simultaneously through

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...

and in select

drive-in theater A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers ...

s on May 8, 2020, by

United Artists Releasing United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studio ...

. It was initially set to receive a wide theatrical release on the same date, but these plans were cancelled because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the soundtrack, acting, and tone, though many deemed it to be inferior to the original film.

Plot

In present day, Ruby Richman arrives home, upset about breaking up with her boyfriend that night over her plans to participate in a study program in Japan. Her mother, Julie, sits her down and recounts to Ruby her own final semester of high school. In the early 1980s, as a teenager, Julie is a

who lives in

Encino, Los Angeles Encino (Spanish for "oak") is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. History In 1769, the Spanish Portolá expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, traveled north through Sepulveda P ...

, frequents

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

s with her friends, Stacey, Karen and Loryn and dates Mickey, a popular but arrogant jock. However, she begins to feel disillusioned to her lifestyle and has second thoughts regarding her future with Mickey. She also aspires to attend the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) and focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. It ...

in New York, rather than

Cal State Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...

, as her parents and friends expect. At the beach, she comes across Randy, a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

punk and lead singer of the band Safety Recall. The two flirt briefly before she abruptly leaves. That night, Julie and her friends attend a costume party at Mickey's house. Randy and his bandmates, Sticky and Jack, arrive at the venue, but are promptly thrown out. Later, Randy insists Julie leaves the party with him. Accompanied by a reluctant Stacey, Julie joins Randy and his friends to attend the band's performance at a punk nightclub. After Stacey leaves and Safety Recall perform, Julie spends the rest of the night with Randy, culminating with the two sharing a kiss. The next morning, Julie breaks up with Mickey, which frustrates her friends. She begins spending more time with Randy and changes her fashion style, while Karen begins dating Mickey. This causes further conflict between her and her friends, while the same rift occurs between Randy and his bandmates. One day, Julie invites Randy over for dinner on behest of her parents Diana and Steve. However, he overhears them talk about his lack of discipline and leaves. Later, at Stacey's birthday party, Mickey begins to antagonize Randy, resulting in the two getting into a physical fight that gets Randy thrown out. Stacey also gets upset at Julie for bringing him and forces her to leave too. Outside, Julie breaks up with Randy after the two argue over their clashing backgrounds and her friends' attitudes toward him. Later, Julie reluctantly agrees to be Mickey's date to the prom, who has broken up with Karen. She apologizes to Stacey, who forgives her and reveals she has been accepted to

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

. Meanwhile, Randy makes amends with his bandmates and decide to leave for New York before encouraging him to go after Julie. At the mall, Mickey reveals that Karen was not accepted to Northridge, unlike Loryn. On the night of the prom, Julie and Mickey are crowned prom king and queen. As the two dance, Julie breaks up with Mickey and begins to leave. Safety Recall arrive for a surprise performance, however, Mickey and his friends sabotage the equipment. Despite this, Julie and Randy share a duet and reunite. Later, Julie reconciles with Karen and Loryn is contacted to be a background dancer in an upcoming music video. As their friends dance, Julie and Randy leave the venue in Mickey's rented limousine. In present day, Julie reveals that Safety Recall signed a

record deal A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

in New York as she was finishing her degree at FIT and joined them on their first tour before eventually breaking up with Randy. She tells Ruby that while she did not end up with Randy, she enjoyed their time together and is happy with the life that she chose. In the end, text appears on screen, revealing everyone's future successes, except for Mickey who received a restraining order from the producers of '' The Bachelor'' for repeatedly sending them his audition tape.

Cast

Production

In February 2012,

and

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

announced a musical remake of 1983 film ''

Valley Girl A valley girl is a socioeconomic, linguistic, and youth subcultural stereotype and stock character originating during the 1980s: any materialistic upper-middle-class young woman, associated with unique vocal and California dialect features, fr ...

'' with

Clay Weiner Clay Weiner is an American director and writer of commercials, film and television. Life and career Weiner grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Clay studied philosophy at Columbia University. During college, Clay began working with Robert Smige ...

directing. In November 2016,

joined the project as director, with Clay Weiner and Paramount Pictures dropping out of the project which will be distributed through

. The same month,

was cast in the starring role of Julie Richman.

was announced as the punk rock musician love interest in January 2017. In April 2017,

Chloe Bennet Chloé Wang (; born April 18, 1992), known professionally as Chloe Bennet, is an American actress and singer. She starred as Daisy Johnson/Quake in the ABC superhero drama series '' Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013–2020). Early life ...

was cast as Karen, a

queen bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...

Valley girl,

Ashleigh Murray Ashleigh Monique Murray (born January 18, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She portrayed Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the band Josie and the Pussycats, on the CW television series '' Riverdale''. Murray reprised this role in the '' Ri ...

as Loryn, a boy-crazy popular girl, Jessie Ennis as Stacey, Julie's loyal best friend, and

Logan Paul Logan Alexander Paul (born April 1, 1995) is an American media personality, podcaster, actor, and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is inactive due to a knee injury. He has over 23 ...

as Mickey, a popular tennis star. In May 2017,

joined the cast as Jack, Randy's

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

best friend and bandmate, followed in June by Peyton List as Courtney, a cheerleader.

Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

began in May 2017, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, and wrapped in June 2017.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album for the film was released by

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...

on May 8, 2020. The song "

We Got the Beat "We Got the Beat" is a song by the American rock band the Go-Go's, written by the group's lead guitarist and keyboardist Charlotte Caffey. The band first recorded the song in 1980 for a single on UK-based Stiff Records, and later rerecorded it fo ...

" performed

, Jessie Ennis and

was released as a promotional single on April 24, 2020.

Release

The film was originally scheduled for release on June 29, 2018, but it was later pulled from the schedule following controversies surrounding Logan Paul. ''Valley Girl'' was released simultaneously through

and in select

s on May 8, 2020, by

. The film was initially set to receive a wide theatrical release on the same date, but these plans were cancelled due to the movie theater closures since mid March because of the

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 6, 2020 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (under license to

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

Critical response

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average of . The website's critical consensus reads, "''Valley Girl'' won't, like, make you forget the original or anything, but as a breezy jukebox musicals go, it's still fairly rad." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

References

Note

External links

* * {{Rachel Lee Goldenberg 2020 films 2020 romantic comedy films 2020s high school films 2020s musical comedy films 2020s romantic musical films 2020s teen comedy films 2020s teen romance films Remakes of American films American high school films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films American teen comedy films American teen musical films American teen romance films Comedy film remakes 2020s English-language films Films directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic Films set in the 1980s Films set in the 2010s Films set in Los Angeles Films set in the San Fernando Valley Films set in shopping malls Films shot in Los Angeles Jukebox musical films Lesbian-related films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Musical film remakes Orion Pictures films Romance film remakes United Artists films Films scored by Roger Neill 2020s American films