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.

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.

It isn’t often that a cool, musically-based film comes along that also delivers amazing acting and a great storyline. Which explains why I love The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) so much.

The film, which was written and directed by Steve Kloves, is about the Baker boys, Jack and Frank (played by real-life brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges, respectively), who play piano at various bars in Seattle for a living.

Older brother Frank is responsible–he’s married and has kids. Little brother Jack, the “real” talent of the pair, is all about the music and women and booze.

When the pair decide to try adding a gal to the show, they audition a slew of mediocre singers until in walks Suzie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer), a beautiful woman with a breath-taking voice.

The film chronicles their travels, including each character’s personal highs and lows, and it all adds up to a smart, quiet, cool film. The score by Dave Grusin only enhances this already stellar film. Believe me, you’re gonna want the soundtrack.

The Fabulous Baker Boysearned three Academy Award Nominations, including Best Actress for Michelle Pfeiffer, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. It earned a Golden Globe for Best Actress (Pfeiffer).

Fans of Pfeiffer, the Bridges brothers, jazz music, and generally great films will surely find The Fabulous Baker Boys to be, well, fabulous.

The Bedroom Window(1987), an homage to Alfred Hitchcock, starred Steve Guttenberg as Terry Lambert, a guy who was having an affair with his boss’s wife, Sylvia Wentworth (Isabelle Huppert). During a rendezvous at Terry’s apartment, Sylvia witnesses an attempted rape and he agrees to be the one to report it.

Unfortunately, because he didn’t see the crime take place, his story shifts and he becomes the very suspect he’s trying to help the police catch.

He also becomes involved with the rape victim, Denise (Elizabeth McGovern), which serves to further convolute things.

Director Curtis Hanson, who went on to helm L.A. Confidential and 8 Mile, also penned the screenplay for this film, which is based on the novel by Anne Holden.

While The Bedroom Window certainly doesn’t have the snap of Hitchcock classic such as The Rear Window and North By Northwest, it is entertaining and serves up enough plot twists to keep viewers interested in the outcome.

I missed Tequila Sunrise when it was released in theaters in 1988, but I had a chance to see it the following year when it came out on video (remember videos?).

Tequila Sunrise had it all–romance, danger, action, drama, witty dialogue, handsome leading men and a beautiful female lead. And the music…”Surrender to Me” still makes me swoon.

Writer/director Robert Towne (Chinatown) outdid himself in this quiet little tense crime film noir, which starred Gibson as a former drug dealer whose best friend from high school (Kurt Russell) works for the Los Angeles sheriff’s drug detail.

As if that’s not enough to complicate a long-standing friendship, both men also share designs on the same woman (Michelle Pfeiffer), the owner of the Italian restaurant they both frequent.

Gibson plays Dale “Mac” McKussic (Gibson), an ex-drug dealer trying to live the straight life, no thanks to the company he keeps. He and his old friend, Detective Lieutenant Nicholas “Nick” Frescia (Russell), dance around entrapment, and Jo Ann Vallenari (Pfeiffer) gets tangled up in the mess as the men compete for her affection, as well as to see who will come out on top professionally speaking.

The film also starred Raul Julia, Arliss Howard and J.T. Walsh.

Gibson enjoyed success in other films such as Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon (1987), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), The River (1984), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)  and Mad Max 2 (1981).

Pfeiffer upped the ante with her performances in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Ladyhawke (1985) and Scarface (1983), and went for leess-than-stellar in Married to the Mob (1988) and Grease 2 (1982).

Russell also starred in other 80s dramas, including The Mean Season (1985), Swing Shift (1984), Silkwood (1983), The Thing (1982), Escape from New York (1981) and Used Cars (1980) and the comedies The Best of Times (1986), Tango & Cash (1989), Overboard (1987) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986).

Both Walsh and Julia are deceased, but Julia’s work can also be seen in Compromising Positions (1985) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), and Walsh’s in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986).

Putting aside my new-found dislike for Gibson, I think Tequila Sunriseis one of the best crime dramas released in the 80s, and fans of Gibson, Pfeiffer and Russell should definitely check it out.

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.