The Vals (1983)

Sam, Trish, Beth, and Annie are four Valley Girls bored with shopping and frat parties. They come across kind Mr. Stanton, who is running a home for orphaned boys. Mr. Stanton and his ... See full summary »

Director:

James Polakof

Writers:

James Polakof (story), James Polakof

Stars:

Jill Carroll, Elena Stratheros, Michele Laurita

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jill Carroll	...	Sam
Elena Stratheros	...	Trish
Michele Laurita	...	Beth (as Michelle Laurita)
Gina Calabrese	...	Annie
Chuck Connors	...	Trish's Father - 'Boom-Boom Girls' Producer
Sue Ane Langdon	...	Kathy - Soap Opera Star (as Sue Ann Langdon)
Sonny Bono	...	'Spaced-out' Musician
John Carradine	...	Mr. Stanton - Head of the Orphanage
Tiffany Bolling	...	Sam's Mother - Valley Attorney
Shirley Rothman	...	Trish's Mother\ - Valley Socialite
Matthew Conlon	...	Ken - Fraternity Pledge
Sharan Lea	...	Julie - Beverly Hills Girl
Tony Longo	...	Mike - Fraternity President
Jim Greenleaf	...	David - Beer Bong President
Adam Mills	...	Keith - Pledge Chairman

Storyline

Sam, Trish, Beth, and Annie are four Valley Girls bored with shopping and frat parties. They come across kind Mr. Stanton, who is running a home for orphaned boys. Mr. Stanton and his charges are in danger of being evicted from their home if they don't come up with the rent money that is due, and one of the boys has taken to selling drugs for a couple of sleazy dealers. When Trish's prized "TUBUL R" Mercedes convertible is lost in a bet in which their Beverly Hills rivals have cheated, mayhem ensues as the Vals, with the help of their frat boy boyfriends, save Mr. Stanton and his boys from being evicted, give the drug dealers their just desserts, and exact revenge on the Beverly Hills brats in a rematch.

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Plot Keywords:

schoolgirl | two word title | boys' orphanage | orphanage director | rent money | 

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Taglines:

It's the Valley Girls versus Beverly Hills and Hollywood

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot 1982, not released until 1983.

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Quotes

[In jail]
Prostitute: Looks like we got ourselves some genuine Valley Girls in here. What are you in for, tootsies? Shoplifting? Or perhaps talking on the phone too long? Maybe you forgot to empty your kitty's litter box?

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Soundtracks

How Can I Make You Smile?
Written by Daphna Edwards and Don Cromwell
Performed by Annine

User Reviews

Totally farfetched, but at least they looked good!

I've been a fan of the whole early 80's Valley Girl concept; the cute fashions, the carefree attitudes, and the mall roaming. The Nic Cage movie "Valley Girl" has been a favorite of mine for years, but the wardrobe of the Valley Girls in that movie seemed a little lacking in a sort of je ne sais quoi (I thought, anyway)... a sort of cuteness or spunkiness was missing.

Enter "The Vals," a low-budget movie about Valley Girls who wonder if there's more to life than partying with college boys, battling with Beverly Hills girls that seem to have invaded Val turf, shopping for new clothes, and riding down the street perched on the drop top of a white Mercedes. One day at the mall, they overhear a couple of drug dealers putting demands on one of their pushers, a young boy. Out of curiosity, they observe the boy as he pushes drugs on other kids, then they follow him home. His home is a house on the other side of town, an orphanage run by a kind old man who's been running the place for many years. The old man and his charges are in danger of losing their home unless they can come up with $25,000 of back rent, which is why the one boy had started selling drugs. Suddenly, the Vals "know" that they have to save the orphanage. How, though, is ridiculously farfetched and made you wonder if the Vals themselves weren't on something when they came up with their plan. Suffice it to say that everything turns out okay in the end, in typical early 80's movie style.

One of the few redeeming qualities about "The Vals" is the Valley Girls' wardrobe. The clothes were much more, well, Valley Girl than those from "Valley Girl." The Vals' clothes were fun, frilly, and funky. It's really hard to explain, but I'm more partial to that sort of cutesy Valley Girl look over the polished preppy Valley Girl look favored by the ladies of "Valley Girl."

Call me crazy, but I kind of dig the song "Girls In The Valley," which seems to be the featured track on the "The Vals" soundtrack. The end credits say "Soundtrack Available On Unicorn World Records," but that seems to be about as real as an actual unicorn (DID a soundtrack really exist in some form for "The Vals"?). The rest of the soundtrack is a take-it-or-leave-it thing, but I'd love to be able to get "Girls In The Valley" in a more portable version someday.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Valley Girls

Filming Locations:

Stockton, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Entertainment Artists, Valley Girls Associates

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color