Smooth Talk

source: Smooth Talk

Trailer—Smooth Talk

Smooth Talk

A free-spirited 15-year-old girl trapped in the body of a 25-year-old woman (Laura Dern) flirts with a dangerous stranger (Treat Williams) in the Northern California suburbs and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences. I had moderate expectations for this film. I figured anything from the 1980s, which was a thriller and had Laura Dern could not be awful. But, you know what, it was actually rather disappointing. Other than maybe ten minutes of suspense, it is basically a movie about a teenage girl and her friends hopping and being generally irresponsible. Nothing to see here. In 1985, this might have been something groundbreaking, but today (2017) it comes across as a Lifetime movie of the week. I suppose it is a good film to see for James Taylor fans, but otherwise you're not missing much.

I give this film a ten because it was very entertaining and thought provoking. For years I have been trying to remember the name of it so I could order the video to watch again. I saw it 20 years ago. I don't remember all the details but I remember how much it touched me. It was quite frightening, even at the age of 23. I never forgot the strength of Laura Dern's performance. It was incredible, defining. I have followed her career ever since. Treat Williams was also excellent. I don't want to risk a spoiler so I will just say he was a very convincing character. I also believe it would be as meaningful today as it was in 1985. The relevance of this film is timeless.

Of the $16000 this movie apparently made, 12 dollars were mine. I saw this twice when it first came out. There's something about this movie that is spellbinding. Treat Williams, Laura Dern, Elizabeth Berridge, and Marry Kay Place are perfect in their roles, even if they are more ambiguous than real. Did anything actually happen? Is this "The Turn of the Screw" in California? Maybe I'm reading more into it than exists, but it's worth watching, if only for the acting.

This was definitely somewhat different to what I had expected. The performances are exquisite, Laura Dern proving she had enormous talent at such a young age. She's fantastic here, infusing her character with the much needed charm and likability it needed, while also proving to be strong-willed and vulnerable in her own way. She certainly had a great year in 1985, with between this and Mask, and it's great to see some of the acting notes she would come to perfect even later on in her career. The supporting cast is nicely balanced and also provides some strong work. The film is contemplative and calm, and the sentiment at the end is very well-earned, such a great final scene to go along with the rest of what the film was actually doing.

Joyce Chopra directed this adaptation of the Joyce Carol Oates short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" that stars Laura Dern as teenager Connie Wyatt, who is spending the summer in a cottage somewhere in California, who has grown bored and restless, and spends much of her time at the mall with her friends chasing boys. One day, things take a strange turn when, after Connie is left alone for a day because she doesn't want to go on a family outing, is confronted by a "smooth talking" older man named Arnold Friend(played by Treat Williams) who drives up to her home, and tries to convince Connie to take a ride with him... Good performances(especially by Dern) but film never really goes anywhere, and ends inconclusively.

This film is one of the most realistic "coming of age" films I have seen. In fact, parts of it gave me deja vu when I remembered the summer of my 15th year when my best friend and I first discovered we were attractive to men and didn't know quite what to do with that knowledge, as we made the transition from "little girl" to "woman." The main character, Connie, is clearly torn between wanting to bond with and be a part of her family and wanting to exert her independence, and trying to balance all of her roles as she grows up. The best part of the film - which is a small moment actually, but very powerful - is when Connie plays James Taylor's Handy Man and her mother listens to it in another part of the house - that scene shows that mother and daughter are both going through "growing pains." Although the ending was a downer, it is worth seeing the film for Laura Dern's brilliant performance.

"Smooth Talk" spends the first half of its run time developing the Dern character, showing her to be a typically (more or less) rebellious, angst-filled, brittle teen who is just discovering boys and dating when an unexpected encounter with a smooth talker (Williams) forces her to take a quantum leap toward maturity. A simple little serious-minded indie with a thin story and not so thin message, "SM" is a slow starter with a solid performance by Dern which will likely be most appreciated by females. B-