Customer Reviews

Where the Boys Are [VHS]

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't be mislead by superficial reviews of a supposedly superficial movie. This is a movie for everyone who ever went someplace else to find himself. A group of teen-aged girls go on a road trip to Ft. Lauderdale to spend Spring Break. On the way, they join some guys who are doing the same thing. As each of them finds peace with his or her own personal dilemma, they emerge as adults ready to face adult obligations. They will have problems, even big ones, but you can see that because they know more about themselves and each other, they will be able to face their futures with wisdom and courage. Everyone, and I mean, everyone in the cast performs beautifully. The film is funny, moving, insightful, and entertaining and I haven't changed my opinion since I first saw it when I was a lost teen. Maybe I'm getting more out of it than the author intended, but this film will make you care about the characters and feel good about the future, your own and everyone else's.

It's Spring Break, and four man-hungry coeds leave the Midwest snow behind for fun in the sun in Ft. Lauderdale. Brainy Merritt (Dolores Hart) falls hard for an Ivy Leaguer, Tuggle (Paula Prentiss) pairs up with a comedian, singer Angie (Connie Francis) falls for a musician and sweet Melanie (Yvette Mimieux) wants to bag a real Yalie.

Has it really been 45 years since "WTBA" was first released? Just hearing the opening notes of the gorgeous theme song brings back 1960 in all its glory, when girls went to college to find a husband, college men were still called "boys," and there wasn't a Girl Gone Wild on the whole beach. Compared to today's teen flicks, this is quite innocent, although some of the dialogue was considered racy at the time. It's all about what good girls would and wouldn't do, with (pre-tan) George Hamilton dropping some pretty corny lines on the ethereal Dolores Hart.

If you have fond memories of one-piece bathing suits and shirt-waist dresses, join Connie in singing the theme song and relive those wonderful days. Highly recommended.

The strangest part of this film was the obvious decision that Connie Francis was not beautiful enough to play a romantic dramatic lead. So they cast her as sort of a Nancy Walker type comedienne, supposedly not attractive enough to be taken seriously but just perfect for comic relief. But watching the film that makes no sense. First, Francis steals every scene she's in. Second, she is absolutely darling. Third, as Paula Prentiss herself has said, it's hard to swallow Connie as someone who couldn't get a date, or a handsome date, since what guy could resist such a cute, right-there, sparkling, personable girl. This odd casting aside, the film has stood the test of time, is still fresh, fun, beguiling, tuneful and without one wasted moment. All the leading ladies are wonderful and went onto interesting careers (one as a nun). The leading guys did all right too. This made a ton of moolah for a very pleased M-G-M Pictures, found a big college audience, and is still refreshing entertainment.

"Where the Boys Are" has many things going for it and at the top of that list would be Paula Prentiss who makes her film debut here. In fact, it was her interview in the DVD extras that so enchanted me that it colored the whole film in an even rosier light. She is fun, ebullient, warm, and has nary a bad word for anyone, but she is also so unpretentious and open that it provided a lot of insight into what it was like to work on a film, fresh out of college and ironically at a location which she had missed on her own spring break.

The film tells the story of a group of girls on spring break in Ft. Lauderdale and the romances they encounter there, but as one reviewer here pointed out, it's not exactly "Beach Blanket Bingo." There's the fun 60's comic side of the film similar to "Beach Blanket Bingo" and other "madcap" comedies of that era, but there's also a deeper side with some serious issues raised about "date rape." The film is fairly well cast and pleasant to watch. It also has a real jazz score and Connie Francis performing and singing the title tune. Additionally, it's easy on the eye with great, candy-colorful costumes; beautiful on-location scenery including a panoramic shot of Ft. Lauderdale in full swing; a silly climax in a fish tank with the whole cast practically getting wet; and some unusual names for characters.

All in all, I'd say this one is a keeper and a classic in its own right. It may not be quite an "A" picture, so I didn't give it 4 stars, but it is a really fine film of its kind, mixing breezy, silly, 60's comedy with issues that were going to explode in the coming decade. And the stars are just great. I thoroughly enjoyed all the extras -- not only the wonderful, refreshing Paula Prentiss commentaries, but also a documentary that highlighted both Prentiss and Francis interviews.

One of the best of the beach flicks.

It's funny how some movies can take hold of you for a good part of your life. I was 12 when i saw this movie and i fell in love with it, the music, the cast and the location. Many years later i ended up living in Fort Lauderdale and before they torn the street apart where much of the movie was filmed i'd walk along that same streatch of sand, go into the same bar and the same hotel which later became a gay hotel and unfortunately now torn down also. But all this was such a romantic and simplier time.This is a great motion picture of a more trusting and honest time, a era that will never be seen again except thru the flickering of the motion picture projector hearing Connie Francis singing, seeing beautiful romantic Deloras Hart who is now a nun, and just a wonderful walk down memory lane. And as the song goes,,,,,"Someone waits for me."

Where The Boys Are is really the grandaddy of all Beach Flicks. Being made in 1960 it was totally different from the later Beach Movies the early 60's. For one thing it had a message about drinking, sex etc. which I find really incredible for the Genre, but again this movie made its own rules. I did not notice until a few years ago that this movie uses Jazz from the fifties instead of the Surf music from the later Gidget, Frankie and Annette movies of the 60's which is what this makes it a totally different beast from the Surf flicks of a few years later that were lightweight teen angst. This flick turned me on to the romance of Spring break as a teen but when you watch it later you pick up the romantic fable of post WW2 America. It may be a forerunner of 60's beach flicks but it is way above them.A final note on the fine- fine cast that went on to other movie and music roles except for the actress who fell for George Hamilton who I have read went out and became a Nun.

I have to admit I liked this movie. Sure, the premise was great, and it looks great too. But that could be said about a lot of movies, and eventually few of them live up to the expectations. This ain't no masterpiece, but it is very funny, has quite a lot of great location shots, especially the last one on the beach (adding a great title tune with great voice, courtesy of Connie), and great scenes like the one where Connie Francis and girlfriend go to the bar and order hot water because they can't afford anything else and slip tea bagas into them, or when all the cast jumps/falls into the saloon acquarium. I was unsure whether Yvette Mimiuex was raped or not because for 1960 I have rarely seen in movies, but after reading some reviews I was right. And the scene where she zombie-walks into traffic is very good (to look at).
All in all, a good movie.

I haven't seen this film in a long time. I lived this life every spring during break. I was a student at Ft. Lauderdale High and graduated '55. Growing up in South Florida at that time was great. No drugs or hatefulness going on. All of us kids had a wonderful time. When spring break came us girls would rent a motel room for a week and spend the time at the beach. The Elbow Room played a big part in our adventures. I'm ordering the movie tonight and can't wait for it to get here. All the places used in the movie are the places where we hung out. A Ronner

I love the music, the setting, and ofcourse the theme...college kids on Spring break. But this movie is about more than just having fun in the sun...it's about life and growing up. This movie introduces Connie Francis to the screen and the title song is beautifully done by her. All the leading actors Delores Hart, Ivette Mimieux, Connie Francis, Paula Prentiss, George Hamilton, Jim Hutton, and Frank Gorshin carry the movie beautifully. The special feature commentary by Paula Prentiss is great and gives you a different perspective of the film. The dialogue, which I imagine must have been a bit racy for 1960 (especially when Delores Hart is speaking to her professor in class) still holds up today. This is one of those films that will never go out of style.

"Where the Boys Are" is an interesting exploration of the mores of the college set circa 1960. The film has the task of juggling it's intention of entertaining but also making a statement about the mating rituals of young adults and I think it succeeds on both fronts. What I also found interesting was how the film approached the topic of date rape without trivializing it. All seriousness aside, though, this is a fun and engaging film that holds up remarkably well. This is made possible by an able young cast(Dolores Hart, Paula Prentiss, Yvette Mimieux, Connie Francis, George Hamilton, Jim Hutton, Frank Gorshin) who inject the film with vibrancy. Prentiss and Hutton probably come off best with their comic rapport but Hart anchors the film well as it's moral center. Mimieux is moving as the most vulnerable of the group. Francis comes off equally well as a songstress and comedienne. This may sound trivial but the film should interest fans of the "Batman" TV series because it features two villains in it's cast, Gorshin(the Riddler) and Barbara Nichols(Maid Marilyn).