Janey Glenn (Sarah Jessica Parker) is new at her Catholic girls school. She's happy to be in Chicago near her favorite show Dance TV. She's a good girl struggling under her controlling Army father. She is befriended by worldly Lynne Stone (Helen Hunt) who shares her love of Dance TV. The girls, ruthless little rich girl Natalie Sands, Jeff Malene with his comedic friend Drew (Jonathan Silverman) and little sister Maggie Malene (Shannen Doherty), and many others audition for the show.This is so very cheesy. One can have a great grilled cheese sandwich party with this movie. It has no reality. It tries to be a light fun affair. Cyndi Lauper does have a cameo. It's a silly teen movie with a few familiar faces when they were younger. It has some fun value in the right mindset.

Released in 1985, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" mixes the 80's teen/school genre with the 80's dance genre. The story revolves around a Catholic school girl (Sarah Jessica Parker) who hooks up with a cool guy from public school (Lee Montgomery) to enter a TV dance competition. A young Helen Hunt is on hand as the protagonist's best friend while cutie Holly Gagnier plays her spoiled nemesis. A 12 year-old Shannen Doherty appears as Montgomery's little sister.To be expected, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a fun, energetic flick, sort of like "Heavenly Bodies," but more teen-oriented; and lighter than "Footloose." Although these 1984 films are leagues better, "Girls" is a great movie for when you're in the mood for a lighthearted fun 80's flick. Sarah was 19 years-old during filming and never looked better; same thing with Holly Gagnier, except she was 26 at the time. And Montgomery plays a great "hip" male protagonist; it's a wonder his career never took off. If you like him, be sure to catch him in his final movie, 1988's "Into the Fire," aka "The Legend of Wolf Lodge" (although he plays the same type of character as in "Girls," the movie's an adult-oriented tragedy).Interestingly, the producers didn't use Cyndi Lauper's version of the title song for licensing reasons, but the cover version is acceptable.The film runs 90 minutes and was shot in L.A. and Chicago.GRADE: B

Jane (Sarah Jessica Parker) is the daughter of a stern Air Force officer. They have moved around so much that she has gone to at least a dozen different schools. However, the family has just settled in Chicago, with an intention to stay awhile. This is good news for Janie, for she dearly loves a national television show that is shot in Chicago, Dance TV and she hopes to catch a live viewing. After Janie makes her first close friend at school, Lynn (Helen Hunt), they both discover that Dance TV is looking for a new dance couple to be featured on the show and that the executives are holding a tryout very shortly. Lynn encourages Janie to audition, even though it will mean cutting a few classes and sneaking out to practice, as Jane's father must not know about it. Making it to the finals, Janie is paired with handsome Jeff (Lee Montgomery) and they begin to rehearse every night. But, will Janie's father find out? And, can they really win the darn thing when another contestant, rich and spoiled, is trying to get her father to rig the event? This is a cute movie with a big heart. Parker, in one of her first major roles, is enchanting as the strong-willed but soft-hearted Janie, who doesn't wait for boys to kiss her, she kisses them first! Hunt provides great support, as does Montgomery, Shannen Doherty (very young), and especially Jonathan Silverman as a money-scheming friend of Jeff's. Yes, the film looks a bit dated, with its 80's costumes and pedestrian camera work. But, the dance scenes are quite energetic while gal-themed movies with good values and strong-female roles are always welcome for young viewers everywhere. If you and your daughters want to share an upbeat, follow-your-heart movie, with humor and sweetness, this is a wonderful choice. All who do will just have fun, indeed.

Again I watched this movie a long time ago when i was just thinking about starting dance classes. As with all movies with a heavy soundtrack from the 80's - it has aged. But I still love it and watch it at least once a year with my best friend, if not only just to remind us of high school. It was great watching Sarah, Helen and (to a lesser degree) Shannon's careers move on from here. It was a pity that Lee's career never surfaced again (unless we take into account "Models Inc".If you have ever been an aspiring dancer, someone in their 30's reminiscing about the 80's or just someone that loves a stereotypical Hollywood climax - you will love this too.