Product Details

• Actors: Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Elizabeth Daily, Michael Bowen, Cameron Dye
• Directors: Martha Coolidge
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Polygram Video
• VHS Release Date: November 5, 1996
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304263457
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,529 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #18 in	Video > Comedy > School Days
  #23 in	Video > Drama > Love & Romance > Young Love
  #23 in	Video > Comedy > Teen

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Valley Girl is, like--Omigod!--one of the most "tubular" teen comedies of the early 1980s. This movie launched Nicolas Cage's career, and it's easy to see why: Following his tiny role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cage is perfectly cast as a Hollywood punk who instantly falls for Julie (the irresistible Deborah Foreman), a San Fernando "Valley Girl"--a brighter variant of the stereotype immortalized in Moon Unit Zappa's 1982 novelty song--who must choose between wild-boy Nic and her preening jock boyfriend (Mark Bowen). Fortunately, Julie knows what's right for her (even if her "Val" friends don't), and in refreshing defiance of teen-flick tradition, her post-hippie parents (Frederic Forrest, Colleen Camp) are supportively cool. With sincere humor, a lively soundtrack of '80s hits, and a time-capsule cruise of Hollywood landmarks, Valley Girl is both timeless and nostalgic, owing much of its lasting appeal to Martha Coolidge's sensitive direction. Fer sure, y'know, it definitely won't gag you with a spoon. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally it's here!, January 6, 2004

By	Ei "crzybookmoovielover" (Seekonk, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley Girl (DVD)

I had this movie on vhs for years and must have watched it a million times as it's just that kind of film I like to watch over and over and never get tired of.
Then, the day after my birthday last summer, it came out on dvd. It seemed like perfect timing..I thought for sure I'd get it as a gift. I didn't. I did get a late Christmas present from my husband a few days ago, and this was it.
It is the most romantic gift he gave me next to the sparkly diamond stud earrings. I think this movie belongs in the class.
Why? Well, first off, I am 34 yrs old, which make this movie one of many of my generation. It brings me back to those glory days of 1980's high school.
"Valley Girl" is a romantic comedy/drama, that has so much heart and such a clear and simple message of it's what inside that counts. Frederick Forrest, who plays the father to Julie, who is played by Deborah Foreman, and is Valley Girl extradionare, delivers some of the best lines of the movie in the scene where he talks to her about what really matters in life.
This is a very 80's version of Romeo & Juliet instead it's Randy & Julie. Randy, who is played by a very young Nicholas Cage, is the punker dude type that Julie falls in love with. Their's is a typical teenage romance with phony friends and a jilted ex boyfriend trying to tear it all to pieces.
"Valley Girl" has a bittersweet quality to it. I always cry when I watch it, and my heart swells up like a balloon. It sounds corny, but it's true. I still adore it after all these years.
The dvd had some good extras, I'm still checking some out, can't comment on all of them. One really good bit of trivia I learned is that Michael Bowen, who played Tommy, the Valley dude boyfriend of Julie, has appeared in a few Quention Tarentino films. It seems QT is a fan of this small, indy film..Gee, I wonder why? It's totally cool to know that now. I am only sad that Deb Foreman is not among the stars that came back after 20 years to be interviewed for this special edition disc.

I highly recommend this to fans of 80's films, or even just films about the 80's, or fans of love stories...Oh to heck with it, all movie fans will find something to appreciate in the movie "Valley Girl". My husband did.

Eileen F.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like, totally tubular!, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

I just rented this movie for the first time this weekend and I watched it four times. I was a kid when this came out, but I've heard about it over the years. Since they're closing the Sherman Oaks Mall & that was where I'd heard this took place, I succumbed and decided to check it out. Yes, some of the acting is bad (Julie's Val boyfriend) and the directing was sloppy (the teacher in the purple dress was seemingly simultaneously dancing and standing by the punch bowl at the prom), but I probably noticed most of it because I watched it 4 times in 3 days.

One of the best parts was when Julie dumped her Hollywood dude and he yelled an obscenity I'm guessing Amazon.com won't let me type followed by "Like, totally fer sure" in that Valley lingo we all know and love. And Nicholas Cage was so young he was cute! Fred's Pepe Le Pew imitation in the hills was hilarious. And the end...well, you'll just have to watch it!

Please re-release this - I would buy it in a second!

PS - Why don't they use the original lead actress on the cover? She was great & it looks like the cover is newer than the movie...(legwarmers?)

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cage: The ultimate rebel, December 11, 1998

By A Customer

Most comments concerning this film seem to concentrate on the simple plot, lite storyline, etc. I believe this film is a winner because of the way Nicholas Cage renders wrong-side-of-the-tracks punk god Randy. Really, we're almost talking about two different movies when we look at Cage's scenes and the scenes in which he's absent. The Cage-less scenes deliver somewhat predictable bopper-movie fare. When Cage appears onscreen, however, we observe a genuine rebel who is not afraid to admit to his best pal that his life has no meaning without Valley Girl Julie in it.

Cage owns this film as he struts before the camera in black leather and chains, bronzed bangs whipping in the Valley breeze. He will not rest until he gets the girl.

Memorable scenes in which Cage takes charge:

1. The party crashing scene. Cage and sidekick Fred (Cameron Dye, where have you gone?) electrify the Valley crowd as they infiltrate in search of hot girls. Cage finds his and the story takes off.

2. Scene in the gritty Hollywood bar, in which Cage simply tells Julie he must see her again. The Plimsouls are on stage and life is grand.

3. Vignette in which Cage and Julie get to know each other. Sure, a tad cheesy, but this vignette, powered by "I Melt With You," set the standard for such cheese.

4. Cage admitting to Fred that he's miserable without Julie. Cage blowing his frustrations out through a toy kazoo (or is it a Pez dispenser) anchors this scene and makes it believable.

4. Prom night, of course. Cage and Fred have a plan to get Julie back. Will it work? "Let's...squash...that...fly"

Best lines in the movie:

Julie speaking to other Valley girls of the reasons she's thinking of dumping Tommy-the-tow-headed-surfer-dude:

"He makes me feel like...AN OLD CHAIR" (spoken with much Valley Girl intensity.

Tommy, speaking to his cronies after Julie has dumped him for the first time. (this is a bit of a paraphrase).

"I can't believe she dumped me. Who else is she going to get? WHAT OTHER VAL DUDE CAN TOUCH ME?"

**************************************

In sum, I believe this to be Cage's best performance ever. How surprising that it's his first. Too bad he never did anything like this again.