Calendar Girl **½ (1993, Jason Priestley, Gabriel Olds, Jerry O’Connell) – Classic Movie Review 1960

Director John Whitesell’s Fifties-set 1993 youth-oriented coming-of-age comedy stars Jason Priestley, Gabriel Olds and Jerry O’Connell as late teens who go to Hollywood to fulfil the dream of meeting Marilyn Monroe.

One summer holiday, cocky Roy Darpinian (Priestley) decides to enlist his spineless buddies, Scott Foreman (O’Connell) and Ned Bleuer (Olds), to go on a road trip with him to Hollywood to make as many stop-at-nothing attempts as it takes to meet Marilyn or get arrested trying.

This  easy-going, good-natured if occasionally shaky comedy falls between two stools of daft wackiness and soppy schmaltziness. But, nevertheless, it is still surprisingly pleasant to watch, often amusing and sometimes even funny.

Paul W Shapiro’s screenplay is familiar and schematic. But the pleasing stars an supporting actors (especially Joe Pantoliano, Steve Raisback, Kurt Fuller and Stephen Tobolowsky) give it a little lift.

It cost $13million, took only $2.5million in the US and went direct to video in the UK but it doesn’t deserve to be totally forgotten.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1960

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