CALIFORNIA GIRLS
US, 1985, 100 minutes, Colour.
Robby Benson, Martin Mull, Ernie Hudson, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Tawny Kitaen, Charles Rocket.
Directed by William Webb.
California Girls is a popular television movie of the mid-'80s. It is a star vehicle for Robbie Benson as a bored auto mechanic from New Jersey. He heads for California to meet the girls but has a different relationship with the `woman of his dreams'. There is a strong supporting cast led by Martin Mull and Ernie Hudson. Also a guest appearance by Zsa Zsa Gabor.
The film is conventional material, given life by a pacy presentation and audience response to Robbie Benson.
1.Entertaining telemovie, telemovie style, for the home audience? Expected characters and situations? Ironies?
2.The contrast between the New Jersey setting and its gloom and the cliches about California, sunshine, beaches? The California ending? The background of the Beach Boys and other popular images of California?
3.The film as an American fantasy, reality and unreality? The credits, the commercials, the media?
4.Robbie Benson as Nathan, bored, auto mechanic, stuck in his job, stuck in New Jersey? His dreams? The contrast of reality, to marry Barbara? His job, relationship with his boss, promotions? Friends? His relationship with his mother? Father, sister and her family? The taunts about his life?
5.What brought about his decision? Seeing the boss, his friend, going on the road, off to dreams and reality?
6.Going to California, the flight, chat with the friend, the help, apartment, the party and Zsa Zsa Gabor, the photo? His expectations?
7.The party and Karen Malone? The crash and his Dream Girl? The clash, the mechanic, fixing the car, the affair? The ditching of Karen? The two weeks of a wet dream? In business - and Martin Mull and his influence on Nathan? Hard work? Her ignoring him, his absconding, meeting Karen?
8.The real world: airport, people being nasty, meeting Karen, true love?
9.The television style, delineation of characters? California gloss and sunshine? Reality and unreality? Truth?
