SHE'S OUT OF CONTROL
US, 1989, 90 minutes, Colour.
Tony Danza, Catherine Hicks, Amy Dolenz, Wallace Shawn.
Directed by Stan Dragoti.
She's Out of Control is a comedy star vehicle for television's Tony Danza (Who's the Boss? It is a sitcom comedy - protective father, teenage daughters and their boy crises.
Catherine Hicks is attractive as his fiancee, Amy Dolenz enters enthusiastically into the role of the daughter who starts with braces on her teeth, thick lenses -and of course transforms into the beauty queen. Wallace Shawn enjoys himself as a child psychologist - who refers everybody to chapters of his books.
The setting is California, Danza manages a radio station which plays hits of the 60s. Direction is by Stan Dragoti (Love at First Bite). Looks like a cinema version of a telemovie sitcom pilot.
1. Enjoyable comedy? Americana? TV sitcom ingredients?
2. California, families, schools, beaches, social life?
3. The difference of the generations: styles and memories, the 60s and music, protests, the 80s?
4. The title, parents and children, growing up, training and discipline, books advocating parental control?
5. The opening with the radio station, the accident, the flashbacks?
6. Doug as a father, his concern about his daughters, his wife's death? Managing the radio station, the decline in the ratings, his optimism? Relationship with Janet? Katie's birthday, buying the teddy bear, the party, her being sullen with Richard? Her wanting to grow up? H-.s going away, the return, seeing his daughter, the fears, the succession of boys at the door and his rejection of them, his consultations with the doctor and the references to the book, reading up the book, befriending the enemy, being nice to Joey, playing the records, the car, the drag race, the smashing of the car and his fainting, the insurance and the new car? Joey seeing him as a father? Richard coming for advice? Tim as perfect and the perfect credentials? To the doctor, the surveillance, the compromising photos? His engagement to Janet? Hurrying away, spying, the spying at the dinner, at the Prom, going as the waiter, bursting in on Tim and Katie? Hearing the doctor had no children, fighting him at the radio station, out the window? The reconciliation with Katie at the airport? The clashes with the doctor on radio? Bonnie and her emerging as a glamorous young teenager? How realistic Doug as father, how much spoof and satire on fathers' concerns? His preoccupation with his little girl, wanting her to be asexual, wanting to protect her?
7. Janet, attractive, relationship with Doug, helping the girls, her wisdom, the engagement, her parents?
8. Katie and her age, her teeth, her eyes, 15, out with Richard, dancing, wanting to change, a phase with boys, the reaction of her father, going out, Bonnie keeping the book, going to the beach on the Sunday and Joey's presence, running along the beach like Bo Derek in 10? The evening with Joey, the records, the drag race? Tim and his niceness, the Prom night, his sexual advances and her resistance, quoting her father? Growing up, learning, going on the trip, reconciliation?
9. Bonnie and her wisecracks, keeping the book, helping her father, the ending?
10. The doctor, the parody, his ideas, quoting his book, his wealth, the TV monitor interview, Doug as his favourite patient, wanting to go on radio, the fight, the new programme?
11. The background of the radio station and its ratings?
12. The gallery of boys: Richard as the next-door neighbour, rejected, transforming himself into leather? Joey as musician, the glasses, tough, wanting a father, the drag race, the stalling of the car and the crash? Tim and his hypocrisy?
13. Sitcom morality - the American family, puberty, girls growing up, boys, virginity being protected, the protective father? The repetition of concerns from generation to generation?
