80sfilms

One of my favorite Kevin Bacon films ever is 1988’s She’s Having a Baby. Although my husband and I never had children, I imagine that Bacon’s character, Jake, reacts pretty much how most guys do when facing down the reality of having their first kid–pure panic, followed by random acts of stupidity and mid-life crisis.

The film is about Jake and his wife Kristy (Elizabeth McGovern), who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant and not quite where they thought they’d be in life before undertaking having children.

From Jake’s acts of immaturity, to his wandering eye, to Kristy’s disapproving parents, there are plenty of laughs mixed with thoughtful moments in the film.

Look for Alec Baldwin in a small but crucial role as Jake’s best friend/instigator, who underhandedly tries to sabotage Jake and Kristy’s marriage and happiness.

She’s Having a Baby is written and directed by 80s genius John Hughes (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), but definitely skews to an older audience, as the subject matter is well beyond the high school setting. The film also deserves best use of the Kate Bush song “This Woman’s Work” (actually, the whole soundtrack is great).

She’s Having a Baby is rated PG13, but is more suitable for adults than teens and ‘tweens, who most likely won’t understand (or appreciate) the adult situations presented realistically and honestly.

Who knew that such a goofy idea would take hold like 1984’s rom com Splash?

The film starred Tom Hanks, who before this film was a relatively unknown TV actor with “Bosom Buddies” as his biggest credit to date, and was directed by Ron Howard, who took years to put his “Happy Days” behind him.

The film costarred Daryl Hannah (as a mermaid), and John Candy as Hanks’ character’s brother.

Hannah and Hanks share a genuine chemistry that makes their love story all the sweeter, and Candy and Hanks provide plenty of laughs.

Splash is a family-friendly film that everyone can enjoy for its good, clean fun and cute love story.

Roxanne (1987) is one of those great feel-good films that anyone can enjoy and appreciate.

It’s a remake of the classic romantic story of Cyrano de Bergerac with Steve Martin as the man endowed with a giant nose (Martin also wrote the screenplay).

Martin plays small-town firefighter C.D. Bales who falls for a beautiful astronomer, Roxanne (Daryl Hannah), but he thinks his nose will get in the way of any romantic possibilities, so he helps handsome co-worker Chris (Rick Rossovich) woo Roxanne.

Roxannealso stars Shelley Duvall, Fred Willard and Damon Wayans.

This is a fairly clean-cut (PG-rated) little rom com that the whole family can enjoy.

In 1985, the handsome and hilarious Chevy Chase stole my heart in Fletch. Yes, I was young, but even then I could recognize comedic genius when I saw it.

The film, based on the same-named Gregory McDonald mystery novel, was about an undercover newspaper reporter cracking a police drug ring.

Chase played I.M. “Fletch” Fletcher, said reporter who dished out the cynicism as much as the stories.

Fletch costarred Tim Mattheson, George Wendt and Genna Davis, and was directed by Michael Ritchie, who also helmed Fletch Lives (1989), The Couch Trip (1988), The Golden Child (1986) and Wildcats (1986).

In Fletch, Chase is at his best as Fletch, where he spouts off so many funny lines that the film is literally packed with one-liners from beginning to end. According to those behind the scenes, Chase ad-libbed the majority of his lines in the film, which only goes to show his genius.

Chase enjoyed a successful run in other 80s comedies, including Christmas Vacation (1989), Fletch Lives (1989), Caddyshack II (1988), Funny Farm (1988), ¡Three Amigos! (1986), Spies Like Us (1985), European Vacation (1985), Deal of the Century (1983), Vacation (1983), Modern Problems (1981), Seems Like Old Times (1980) and Caddyshack (1980).

Fans of Chase (or, along those same lines, Steve Martin, or the younger set that includes Adam Sandler and Dane Cook) are sure to enjoy Fletch, one of the comedic gems from the 80s. 

Grease 2 (1982) is one of those films I think you either love or hate. Die-hard fans of Grease may not appreciate it, but for the rest of us, it’s a fun romp that’s comparable to Grease, with a fresher, more contemporary feel.

Again, it’s about the kids at Rydell High, and while the first film cast John Travolta as the uber-cool dude and Olivia Newton-John and the beautiful dork, this time the roles are reversed.

Then-unknown Michelle Pfeiffer plays the cool chick this go around, and newcomer Maxwell Caulfield plays the hot geek.

Pfeiffer is Stephanie Zinone, the leader of the Pink Lady gang, and when she meets recently-transferred British student Michael Carrington (Caulfield), the pair seem to share an attraction that belies their social standings in the school. But alas, a Pink Lady can only date a certain type of guy…a greasy guy.

As Michael tries to transform himself into a greaser to see if he can win the gorgeous Stephanie’s heart, she finds herself not caring about her status as much as she used to.

Pfeiffer took Grease 2 as a successful jumping off point for her career, and she went on to star in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Tequila Sunrise (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Ladyhawke (1985) and Scarface (1983).

Grease 2 is a fun 80s romp that’s full of song and dance, as well as a few laughs along the way.

Major League (1989) is about baseball, but it’s a comedy for everyone. The Cleveland Indians have a new owner, Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitten), and she wants to move the team to Miami, but in order to do so, she needs to show marked decline in attendance, so she fires most of the regular players and invites a bunch of has-been and never-was players to training camp in the hopes of building a losing team. 

Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) is a washed-up catcher with bad knees, Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) is the pretty-boy third baseman, Rick Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) is a hot-headed “wild thing” pitcher, and Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes) is a scene and base stealing centerfielder who can’t hit to save his life.

The films follows this rag-tag team from Spring Training through the regular season. Rene Russo plays Jake’s ex-girlfriend, Lynn Wells.

Major League, which was written and directed by David S. Ward, is not a classic baseball film in the vein of, say, Bull Durham, but it is a great little comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

On the comparison scale, if Bull Durham (1988) is akin to Beverly Hills Cop (1984), then Major League is akin to Police Academy (1984). All are funny films, it just depends what kind of humor you prefer.

I may be in the minority here, but I adore 1986’s Legal Eagles.

The film starred Robert Redford as Tom Logan, a rising assistant D.A. who is tasked with prosecuting a woman (Daryl Hannah) for theft of a painting by her father.

The defendant’s lawyer, Laura Kelly (played by Debra Winger), client Chelsea Deardon (Hannah) and Tom eventually make for an odd little love triangle.

Legal Eagles was directed by Ivan Reitman, who also helmed Ghostbusters II (1989), Twins (1988/I), Casual Sex? (1988), Ghost Busters (1984), Stripes (1981), and, lest we not forget, the more recent comedic gems Road Trip (2000) and Old School (2003).

Redford took on more serious roles in Out of Africa (1985), The Natural (1984) and Brubaker (1980); while Winger starred in both big hits and small gems of the 80s, such as Made in Heaven (1987), Black Widow (1987), Terms of Endearment (1983), An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Cannery Row (1982) and Urban Cowboy (1980). Hannah also enjoyed success in the 80s with turns in Steel Magnolias (1989), Wall Street (1987), Roxanne (1987) and Splash (1984).

Legal Eaglesis a light, funny romp through the legal system, and stars Redford and Winger share nice chemistry–enough to make it worth watching this 80s rom com.

In 1988, working girls everywhere rejoiced as Working Girl splashed across the big screen, portraying the story of a struggling executive assistant with high aspirations.

The film starred Melanie Griffith as said assistant, Tess McGill, who when she tires of being sexually harassed by her male coworkers, quits and seeks employment from a woman.

That woman, Katherine Parker (played by the uber-cool, scene-stealing Sigourney Weaver), is a narcissist with a cute, slightly dopey boyfriend, Jack Trainer (played by Harrison Ford), and a penchant for claiming other people’s great ideas as her own.

When Weaver’s character breaks her leg in another country, Griffith’s steps in to run the show, and in the process meets Ford’s character, and the pair share sparks, both personally and professionally.

Working Girl was well received in theaters and was even nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Griffith), and Best Supporting Actress (both Weaver and the always quirky-funny Joan Cusack). The only award Working Girl took home was for Carly Simon’s song “Let the River Run”, which is also one of her best. 

Director Mike Nichols did a great job with this fun, flirty look at climbing the corporate ladder, and the fact that he allowed New York City itself to become a character only enhances viewing pleasure. Nichols also directed the films Biloxi Blues (1988), Heartburn (1986) and Silkwood (1983).

Ford enjoyed great success in the 80s in films such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Frantic (1988), The Mosquito Coast (1986), Witness (1985), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Blade Runner (1982), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Weaver can also be seen in Ghostbusters (1984), Deal of the Century (1983), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Aliens (1986) and Ghostbusters II (1989).

Working Girl also costarred Alec Baldwin, who was in Great Balls of Fire! (1989), Talk Radio (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), Beetle Juice (1988) and She’s Having a Baby (1988); as well as Joan Cusack; Oliver Platt; Kevin Spacey; Olympia Dukakis; and David Duchovny.

Working Girl is a feel-good 80s film that’s flirty, fun and fabulous. Think empowering, pre-”Sex and the City”–but with less sex and more work. 

In 1985, the summer before my freshman year of high school, Secret Admirer came out and captivated me.

The film starred teen heartthrob C. Thomas Howell, and while it was billed as an R-rated teen comedy, it was definitely on the mature R side due to its language, nudity, adult sexual situations.

But the premise was simple: Michael (Howell) receives an unsigned love note and hopes it’s from a pretty, popular girl he’s in lust over named Debbie (played by Kelly Preston).

Debbie is too snooty for Michael, and in steps his best friend Toni (played by the adorable Lori Loughlin), who convinces him to send her an anonymous note of his own. The catch is that Toni is secretly in love with Michael, and, because she loves him and wants to see him happy, even if it’s not with her, she rewrites the note so he’ll have a shot at being happy.

Debbie falls for Michael, the note gets into the wrong hands, and soon everyone is in on the action.

The film was written and directed by David Greenwalt, who went on to write/direct for two of television’s best shows, “Buffy” and “Angel”.
  
Howell, who never enjoyed quite the career success that heartthrobs Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise had, did star in several 80s flicks, including the hilarious Soul Man (1986), the freaky The Hitcher (1986), and Red Dawn (1984), Grandview, U.S.A. (1984) and Tank (1984).

Look for Preston in the 80s films Mischief (1985) and Christine (1983), and Loughlin who went on to star in television’s hit “Full House”.

Secret Admirer also starred Fred Ward, Swing Shift (1984), Uncommon Valor (1983), Silkwood (1983) and The Right Stuff (1983); and Dee Wallace, Cujo (1983), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and The Howling (1981).

Secret Admirer is a light rom com that delivers laughs, but is best suited for older teens and adults. 

In 1989, John Candy turned in one of his best performances in the John Hughes film Uncle Buck (Hughes both wrote and directed the film).

Candy starred as Uncle Buck, a black sheep screw-up who watches his brother’s kids in a pinch. While Uncle Buck wins over his young relatives Miles and Maizy with his bachelor-esque cooking and cleaning skills, Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), his rebellious teenage niece, goes out of her way to hate him. Meanwhile his girlfriend, Chanice (Amy Madigan, Field of Dreams), is left wondering what he’s really up to.

Uncle Buck star Candy can also be seen in the 80s hits The Great Outdoors (1988), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Spaceballs (1987), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Armed and Dangerous (1986), Volunteers (1985), Summer Rental (1985), Brewster’s Millions (1985), Splash (1984), Vacation (1983), Stripes (1981) and The Blues Brothers (1980).

Uncle Buck also starred adorable Gaby Hoffmann (Field of Dreams) as Maizy, and Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone) as Miles.

If you’re looking for family-friendly fun, you can’t go wrong with 1989’s Uncle Buck.