Room 768: Girls Just Want To Have Fun

The movie.

It was on TV tonight. And I watched it. Out of irony, I think. I had seen it on cable when I was in junior high maybe once or twice. OK, that’s a lie. I apparently saw it many times because I knew some dialogue word for word. I was simultaneously shocked and embarrassed and a wee bit impressed. Girls Just Want To Have Fun is a simple story: new Girl tries out for dance show, pairs up with Bad Boy dance partner, Rich Bitch rival makes trouble, Girl and Bad Boy win spot on dance show and, not surprisingly, fall in love. With one or two montages thrown in. The Girl who is aching for a little joy is none other than Sarah Jessica Parker in her transition from Square Pegs brunette to blondish Carrie Bradshaw. The Bad Boy is Lee Montgomery who is somewhere trying to not be recognized from Girls Just Want To Have Fun. And the Rich Bitch rival is someone who would later be on General Hospital for a brief time. GJWTHF (it’s the new LOL or LMAO) also features a young Jonathan Silverman and a young and non-angry Shannon Doherty. Netflix-ing yet? But wait! It also stars a young Helen Hunt! She’s the kooky best friend that encourages Sarah Jessica Parker to rebel and sneak out to try out for Dance TV. (Side note: it’s apparently Helen Hunt week in my house. I watched Twister the other day while cleaning. It’s not a great movie but you can Swiffer to it. And speaking of “Young Suchandsuch”, Twisterhas a young Philip Seymour Hoffman in a role where I could have sworn he would be an actor who would annoy me in every film he’s in. Who knew he would be brilliant? And here’s a little “Six Degrees” for you: Twister features Jami Gertz with a bad Southern accent. Jami Gertz’s first big role was on Square Pegs!) So go ahead. Pop in GJWTHF. Take a trip back to a time when synthesizers ruled the soundtracks. Recall the words you didn’t realize you knew to the song “Dancin’ in Heaven” that underscores the big dance off climax. And revel in the glory of the ‘80’s. How ‘80’s? The end credits to Girls Just Want To Have Fun are on a lavender background.

Amenities of Room 768: TV with the Mad About You channel. Wake up call from Cyndi Lauper. And courtesy leg warmers.