"Gettysburg" director Ronald F. Maxwell's "Little Darlings" beat "American Pie" to the punch back in 1980 with this mildly entertaining but ultimately coy 90-minute comedy about the rivalry between two 15-year old girls at summer camp that to see who could be the first to lose their virginity. Of course, the PG-rated "Little Darlings" has nothing in the way of nudity or raunch to compare with "American Pie." Tatum O'Neal of "Paper Moon" fame plays Ferris, a rich but introverted girl from a broken home, while Kristy McNichol of "The Pirate Movie" is Angel, the street-wise, chain-smoking Marlboro tomboy from the wrong side of the tracks. The minute that Ferris and Angel meet, it's hate at first sight. They fight on the bus in route to Camp Little Wolf, and they seem destined to battle each other the rest of the summer. One of the girls Cinder (Krista Errickson of "Jailbait") suggests a way for the two girls to work off their rage more creatively.
The screenplay by Kimi Peck and Dalene ("The Baby Sitters Club") Young is provocative but harmless. Immoralities abound. Angel hot-wires a school bus and takes a group of girls gets on a joy ride, but there is more talk than action. Slow moving as it is, "Little Darlings" is a curious film. It is rated R; presumably, the rating is for the implied sex. Parents will be relieved that "Little Darlings" discourages pre-martial sexual intercourse. In the words of one character, "Kissing is more fun." Ferris sets her sights on an older man for her first conquest, Gary Callahan (Armand Assante of "American Gangster"), who teaches high school French and serves as the camp counselor, while Angel pursues Randy (Matt Dillon of "Drugstore Cowboy") when she fuels up the bus at a gas station. Meanwhile, Ferris plays like she is drowning to get Mr. Callahan to come after her. The film promises more than it delivers, and the characters are too sketchy to be believed.
If you're a parent, "Little Darlings" depicts what questions and ideas are turning over in a young girl's mind. There is nothing here to corrupt anyone except the 'idea' which comes along at that age anyway. Teenage girls will probably appreciate the shop-talk dialogue. The trailer where McNichol kicks a dude in the family jewels is one of the more memorable scenes along with the condom stealing scene. Look for "Sex in the City's" Cynthia Nixon in her first role.
The screenplay by Kimi Peck and Dalene ("The Baby Sitters Club") Young is provocative but harmless. Immoralities abound. Angel hot-wires a school bus and takes a group of girls gets on a joy ride, but there is more talk than action. Slow moving as it is, "Little Darlings" is a curious film. It is rated R; presumably, the rating is for the implied sex. Parents will be relieved that "Little Darlings" discourages pre-martial sexual intercourse. In the words of one character, "Kissing is more fun." Ferris sets her sights on an older man for her first conquest, Gary Callahan (Armand Assante of "American Gangster"), who teaches high school French and serves as the camp counselor, while Angel pursues Randy (Matt Dillon of "Drugstore Cowboy") when she fuels up the bus at a gas station. Meanwhile, Ferris plays like she is drowning to get Mr. Callahan to come after her. The film promises more than it delivers, and the characters are too sketchy to be believed.
If you're a parent, "Little Darlings" depicts what questions and ideas are turning over in a young girl's mind. There is nothing here to corrupt anyone except the 'idea' which comes along at that age anyway. Teenage girls will probably appreciate the shop-talk dialogue. The trailer where McNichol kicks a dude in the family jewels is one of the more memorable scenes along with the condom stealing scene. Look for "Sex in the City's" Cynthia Nixon in her first role.