friday flick fix: girl (1998)

Girl is a 1998 movie about - you guessed it, a girl.  Specifically a straight-A high school senior from the upscale part of a small town, who suddenly discovers the underground scene and swaps her safe, boring life for an exciting new one filled with rock music, grungy fashion and cute boys.

In short, she falls in love with a rock star and becomes a full-fledged groupie.

This flick was based on a novel of the same title, written by Blake Nelson.

The girl in Girl is Andrea Marr, played by Dominique Swain, who you will probably recognize as Lolita (1997) or John Travolta's daughter in Face/Off (1997).

Before:  Geeky Andrea

After: Groupie Andrea

Here she is below in that memorable cowprint dress, which, if you've seen the movie, you'd know held some symbolic significance for her.  BTW, I just have to say I love how it was used in the end scene.

The guy opposite our girl is Sean Patrick Flannery, whose claim to fame is a career as Young Indiana Jones.

Seeing him again with fresh eyes, it made me wonder why that look was ever attractive.

Also in the movie were Tara Reid, as Andrea's schoolmate and silky-voiced rock prodigy, Sybil ...

 I didn't realize at that time that she was one of the blondes in American Pie.

Selma Blair, as Amanda's best friend Darcy, who Amanda soon ditched for a cooler crowd...

Summer Phoenix (yes, the late great's sister) as Amanda's new best friend Rebecca ...

And a pre-Ellen Portia de Rossi as Carla, the oh-so-nonchalant older girl that Andrea wanted to be like.

It's another one of those coming-of-age stories that explore high school life, friendships, first love and sexual awakening, set against a rock-and-roll backdrop.

It's a memento of those days when everyone had a band that practiced in bedrooms and garages to get a gig in some dark, dirty bar, just in case, you know, someone thought the incoherent lyrics were brilliant.

... those days when many nice girls thought that one of the most amazing things to be was a rock star's girlfriend.  Oh wait - those days have never really ended, have they?

... those days when it was hip and trendy to have multiple hairclips in your intentionally-messy hair.

... and those days when your biggest problem was simply whether he loved you back or not.

As fun as "those days" were, every girl - as Andrea Marr discovered - had to grow up into a woman soon.