HE'S MY GIRL

US, 1987, 104 minutes, Colour.
T.K. Carter, David Hallyday, Jennifer Tilly, David Clennon, Bibi Besch.
Directed by Gabrielle Beaumont.

He's My Girl is an enjoyable comedy in the Tootsie vein (though nowhere in the same league). It capitalises on mistaken identity and a man having to impersonate a woman.

Pop Singer David Hallyday (son of singer Johnny Hallyday) wins a competition and goes to Los Angeles but has to take a girl. His black best friend, an exuberant T.K. Carter, plays Reggie disguised as Regina. All the expected things happen. There is humorous farce, some witty lines - but it is all fairly predictable. The film doesn't seem to have an ending and information is given about the future of the characters (which doesn't quite fit with what went before). There are songs, comic detail, satire on the record and video world. Direction is by the English Gabrielle Beaumont,(The Godsend, Gone Are The Dayes).

1. Enjoyable comedy of impersonation and mistaken identity? in the Tootsie vein?

2. The background of the Missouri town, the contrast with California and its lifestyle, wealth, record industry?

3. The musical score, the theme song, the songs?

4. The friendship of Reggie and Dan, playing at the gig, their relationship, clashes, their ordinary work, home life, the competition, the irony of winning?

5. The condition that a girl go on the trip? into Regina?

6. Going on the trip, the arrival, the press? Tasha and her looking after them? Mason asking, racial prejudice? The encounter hotel and the infatuation by Dan? The transformation of Reggie, the invitation to kiss? and his organisation, money with the girl working at the hotel?

7. Mason and Sledge, the satire on the British singer, his being drugged out, his having to compose his music? Prejudice, sex? The stealing of the song? The build-up to playing it? Sledge acknowledging Dan's writing? The ending?

8. Mason and his competition, video, his manic behaviour, sexual attraction towards Regina, the bath, stealing the song, her luring him away, taking his clothes, the ending and his discovery of Reggie?

9. In California: Reggie as Regina? Having to cope as man and woman7 The jokes, the advice to Tasha about Reggie? Having to cope with jealousy? The farcical ups and downs of his disguises and changing disguises? The ending?

10. Dan and the girl, her sculpting him, his relationship with her, getting caught? The mutual jealousies of the women?

11. The ending, the happy story, the captions about what happened to everybody?

12. A blend of the light comedy and the tatty and corny comedy? The variety of points of view? A piece of light Americana?