LOVERBOY (1989)

 

Directed By: Joan Micklin Silver Written By: Robin Schiff, Leslie Dixon & Tom Ropelewski Story By: Robin Schiff  Cinematography: John Hora Editor: Rick Shaine 

Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Kirstie Alley, Kate Jackson, Robert Ginty, Dylan Walsh, Nancy Valen, Barbara Carrera, Vic Tayback, Bernie Coulson, Kim Miyori, Carrie Fisher, Robert Picardo, E.G. Daily 

Randy is still unfocused after 2 years in college. His dad will no longer pay tuition and Randy gets a job delivering pizzas. Several cute cougars pay him $200 for pizza delivery and "services rendered". Their husbands?

This is the final chapter in the unofficial teenage sex comedies starring Patrick Dempsey. That started with CAN’T BUY ME LOVE and continued with IN THE MOOD and this is the finale. Unless you want to count HEAVEN HELP US in which he had a smaller supporting role and SOME GIRLS. Which was much more dramatic.

This film is what one would consider a seat filler. As a movie that seemed more simple and meant to fill seats and hopefully win the box office for a week or two. Rather than any concerns about quality. As on face Value, this film seems relatively simple about a college kid forced to work and who lucks into being a gigolo for older married women.

You would expect more of a sex comedy that was more concerned with T & A, but surprisingly though it has its fair share of juvenile humor and cheap jokes. It surprisingly has heart also as it doesn’t focus so much on sex, but more on romance and making women feel beautiful and their full worth. That their husbands have seemed to have stopped or given up. 

One of the reasons that this film might be more intended for a female audience is that it has a softer touch due to the direction of Joan Micklin Silver who had directed more independent dramas before this and this film seeming her one chance at more of a mainstream big studio release.

While the film has Its laughs and a surprisingly stacked cast considering its premise. It also allows for aortic Dempsey to show off his physical comedy skills. Is more of a surprising romantic male lead with an atrocious dye job at the film's beginning. 

I remember watching this film. In The theater when it came out. As I did with CAN’T BUY NE LOVE. While that film affected me more. As I couldn’t wait to see it based on all the commercials and being a fan of Patrick Dempsey this film was perfectly fine and keeps you entertained. It didn’t have what I was expecting but it offered a nice surprise. That actually manages to offer some substance and polish.

Grade: C+