Obscure 80s Movies Part 1 – Just Friends

Note: this is not the movie that stars Ryan Reynolds.

“Just Friends” is an awesome movie about kids at a roller rink in Australia.  It is part of a series called Winners meant to illustrate different themes to kids and how they might react to them.  I first saw this film when I was about 7 years old and again when I was 13.  In college I desperately tried to find any information about it (including emailing the folks at Showtime and posting on numerous 80s movie message boards), but to no avail.  All I remembered about it was one character name, 2 lines, and the entire plot.  A few years ago I was fueled by something unknown (BMX Bandits?) and started googling Nicole Kidman.  I came across a film she did called “Room to Move” which was part of Winners.  I scrolled farther down the page and found…the plot of Just Friends.  Soon I received my own copy for Christmas thanks to my good friend Tabitha.

The Plot: Susan, 13 years old, is new in town and hanging out at the local roller rink.  She is noticed by a few people, including Buzz (a punk who wears a light up bow tie) and Julio (whom looks like a Greg to me, and often wears a white shirt and camouflaged pants).  Susan usually wears tank tops over t-shirts in pastel yellow and lavender stripes.  Buzz admires her superior skating skills and flirts with her, even in front of his girlfriend Francine (whom looks like a punk girl scout).  Susan becomes part of the gang with Buzz, Julio, Francine, and Francine’s best friend Mags.  Eventually Buzz and Susan get serious even though he is still kind of with Francine, who hates Susan now.  Susan’s parents dislike her being monogamous at such a young age because Susan’s older teenage sister is pregnant.  Their father also lost his job.  Every now and then, the roller rink holds a big contest to see who the fastest skater is.  In the first race, it is down to Buzz and Susan and he wins (possibly by cheating).  Susan still really wants Francine to like her.  At Mag’s (or Francine’s) birthday party, Francine purposely invites a local skank named Marjorie (who looks like a red-head rebelling from the Lullaby League).  Buzz immediately drops Susan (who is wearing a pink shirt with hearts all over it) and starts drinking and smoking with Marjorie.  Susan whines about this to Francine and Mags, but Mags is drunk and not helpful.  Susan goes over and dumps beer on Buzz which amuses his new girlfriend and impresses his old one.  Susan reconciles with her parents and her sister has the baby.  Julio, who has liked Susan all along, comes over and they bond on a merry-go-round.  Back at the roller rink, Susan is hesitant to go.  Buzz treats her like crap, while still treating Francine like crap, and trying to teach Marjorie to skate.  There is a big race again with Susan vs. Buzz and…Susan wins!  By a long shot.  Francine and Susan become friends and Buzz is seen for the idiot that he is.

Celebrity link: this screenplay was written by Jan Sardi who also wrote Shine (starring Geoffrey Rush). 

Memorable costume: Mags alternates t-shirts that display different members of Duran Duran.

Lines I remembered: “See?  Even Francine hates me.” said by Mags and “I’m not the one who got pregnant!” said by Susan.        

Character I remembered: Francine

Why I like this movie: I’m a sucker for vengeful romance and I like roller-skating.  I like that Susan and Francine realize what a jerk Buzz is and become friends, and I like when Susan kicks his butt in the race – to a really cool song!

TRIVIA:

Name 2 unrelated actors who appeared in 2 different films as father and son. 

(My answer on the next blog.)

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