JUST ONE OF THE GUYS (1985) by jeff

Directed By: Lisa Gottlieb
Written By: Dennis Feldman & Jeff Franklin
Story By: Dennis Feldman
Cinematography By: John McPherson
Editor: Tony Lombardo

Cast: Joyce Heyser, Sherilyn Fenn, Billy Jacoby, Clayton Rohner, Ayre Gross, William Zabka, Toni Hudson, Leigh McCloskey, Deborah Goodrich, 


I remember this movie fondly as a child. I discovered this movie just like everyone else who watched cable in the 80’s I was on a search for boobs. Let me explain I was going through puberty and had no hope of seeing any porn. There wasn’t this whole internet thing around at the time where you can see anything and everything. So as a loyal subscriber to TV-Guide, I would read the movie guide to see which films had nudity, brief nudity, or adult situations which have now been changed to sexual situations in the guide.

Though back then adult situations didn’t necessarily mean sex but had that slim chance that it could. I would always read the synopsis of these films to see if I could stand sitting through them until I could get to the nudity next I would look at the schedule to see when I could catch it. Sometimes this backfired as I couldn’t watch it because an adult was in the room. Sometimes I was lucky my dad would rent the movie for me thinking it was an innocent teen comedy that he wouldn’t want to watch. Then I was in boob heaven. That is why probably still a lot of these movies are horrible but I have a soft nostalgic part spot for them.

This one isn’t that bad it’s funny in parts while showcasing a lot of 80’s fashion and thinking. It is in some way is a tale of showing that women deserve equal treatment in high school while showing 80’s clichés. Then it casts one of the preeminent 80’s actor/bullies in teen movies William Zabka Johnny from Karate kid Greg Tolland from back to school Oscar Nominee (For best film short subject)

The plot is far fetched but giddily entertaining.

One of those old gender-benders where a girl works for the school paper. When Her story is cut from the school paper. but she it is so good that the only reason it was not published is that she’s a girl. Terry (Perfect any sexual name) comes up with the plan to enroll as a guy then see if it is the same results plus she can get a story out of it by impersonating a man and seeing what it is like to live in a man’s world when you are really a woman. The fact that not only does no one recognizes her while enrolling at the same school.

Not only that but how does she explain her absence from school for weeks and plan to graduate. All she really does is cut her hair dress differently and speak an octave lower. The only person she lets in on all of this is her brother who is obsessed with naked women that he has postered his room with playboy and penthouse playmate centerfolds. She doesn’t even tell her college-aged boyfriend who actually looks more like he’s 30.

Why? To make more comedic scenes when he comes by to take her out even though she is supposedly only 17. Of course through the movie she meets a guy who she slowly falls for he’s a bit of a nerd obsessed with James brown who she slowly makes over and he has a crush on the bullies girlfriend and goes about trying to seduce her away while terry gets jealous not feeling she is good enough for him while she is ducking a freshman girl who is obsessed with her.

Joyce Heyser who starred in this should have gone onto bigger and better. After seeing this I had a little crush on her and always hoped she would make a comeback which she did kind of in a small role in the movie greedy with Michael j. fox. By the end of this movie I got the goods so I was also happy because of that I got what I was seeking and was entertained while doing it. Especially as an 11-year-old.

The funny thing is that for all the sexual energy and vibes in this movie there is only one scene of nudity towards the end. Maybe it’s influenced by the fact that this film is directed by a female. That may be the reason this is more of a clean comedy. If I recall it was one of my favorite movies. It helped through my oncoming years of frustration through the years of teenage sexuality. This is one you should definitely check out if you are into 80’s comedies it should be up there like other teen classics of the 80’s such as the John Hughes films.

GRADE: C+