Joy of Sex (1984)

Teenager Leslie Hindenberg, mistakenly believing she has just weeks to live, decides she will lose her virginity before she dies. Meanwhile, hormone-crazed Alan Holt pursues some sex for ... See full summary »

Director:

Martha Coolidge

Writers:

Kathleen Rowell (screenplay), J.J. Salter (screenplay)

Stars:

Cameron Dye, Michelle Meyrink, Colleen Camp

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cameron Dye	...	Alan Holt
Michelle Meyrink	...	Leslie Hindenberg
Colleen Camp	...	Liz Sampson
Ernie Hudson	...	Mr. Porter
Lisa Langlois	...	Melanie
Charles Van Eman	...	Max Holt
Joanne Baron	...	Miss Post
Darren Dalton	...	Ed Ingalls
Heidi Holicker	...	Candy
Cristen Kauffman	...	Sharon
David H. MacDonald	...	Ernie Carpenter
Paul Tulley	...	Ted
Joe Unger	...	Mr. Ranada
Christopher Lloyd	...	Coach Hindenberg
Conni Marie Brazelton	...	Allison

Storyline

Teenager Leslie Hindenberg, mistakenly believing she has just weeks to live, decides she will lose her virginity before she dies. Meanwhile, hormone-crazed Alan Holt pursues some sex for himself, with predictable results.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | sex comedy | loss of virginity | f rated | title directed by female | 

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Taglines:

Somewhere between Virginity and Senility lies Paradise.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cameron Dye, Michelle Meyrink and Colleen Camp also had parts in Valley Girl.

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Goofs

When getting a room to meet Inga, Alan is told to go to room 319 - the number on the door is shown clearly as Renato enters. When Carpenter later breaks down the door, it clearly says 302.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Leslie Hindenberg: Today is the first day of school.

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Connections

Featured in Who Is Alan Smithee? (2002)

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Soundtracks

You Never Call
Written by Joey Harris
Performed by Joey Harris & the Speedsters
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc. and RDM Records - A Division of Brighton Music Corp.

User Reviews

Big swing, no ding

Pretty tame and in spite of the random humour of site gags, a few wacky characterisations and the very occasional one-liner, it's also mostly bereft of comedy. What's left is a coming-of-age story concerning high school senior (Meyrink), who mistakenly believing she only has weeks to live, tries to "seal the deal" and lose her virginity. Lisa Langlois plays her bestie, as the two manufacture a series of oddball situations in which the deed can be done.

There's a couple of funny moments (e.g. Paul Tully's self-absorbed anchorman trying to cajole Meyrink into a sleazy motel shag), but mostly the capable cast is just wasted in embarrassing, undignified characterisations. An exception to this is Joanne Baron's bookish school mistress characterisation, humiliated by her adolescent tormentors at every opportunity; sexualised pranks are the order of the day for the ill-disciplined students of this particular school establishment, much to the frustration of hard-line principal Ernie Hudson.

Interesting to see Hudson and Lloyd just ahead of their career-defining moments in "Ghostbusters" and "Back to the Future" respectively, while I could have sworn it was Jeff Daniels playing the sleaze-bag reporter, alas, it was Paul Tully (no disrespect intended). Hastily concluded the plot holes have been papered over and the film leaves you to presume more than it resolves. It's quirky but ultimately not among the best of its eighties' breed.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 August 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

National Lampoon's the Joy of Sex: A Dirty Love Story

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,913,001, 5 August 1984

Gross USA:

$4,463,841

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,463,841

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Cinema Group Ventures, National Lampoon

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1