Just One of the Guys (1985)

   

 "It's OK, everybody, it's all right. He has tits."

When it comes to 1980's teen comedies, the battle of the sexes rarely gets beyond the Porkys level of sophistication. Not as if that's a bad thing; guys getting their weiners grabbed through peepholes in the girls showers happens to be hilarious. But it's a pleasant surprise to see that Just One of the Guys does something a little different with its premise, without sacrificing the comedy and boob jokes.

Terry Griffith (Joyce Hyser) has the High School life most of the other girls can only dream about. She is popular, pretty, has a college boyfriend, all the school dweebs have the hots for her... what's not to be happy about? Well, it turns out the one thing Terry wants that she can't seem to get is equality. She has ambitions of being a journalist, but nobody takes her seriously. When a contest is run to see who gets an internship at the local newspaper office, she finds herself out of the running after overhearing some sexist remarks from her teachers. Convinced that she would have won the competition if she was a man, she concocts a crazy scheme to re-submit her contest story, only this time as 'Terrence'; a hip new male student who does his best to prove he really is one of the guys.

Despite being told by her teacher that the article just isn't good enough, Terry is sure that by posing as a boy, she can figure out a fresh new story with an angle nobody has seen before. She starts to get insights into how the average male survives high school, but it doesn't take long before she realises she may have bitten off more than she can chew. How will she overcome the gym locker room and the school bully?  As Terrence, she strikes up a friendship with shy loner Rick (Clayton Rohner), coaxing him out of his shell, and helping getting him in shape for the prom. But is she falling for him? She also has to deal with the hotties trying to get a bit of alone time with the cute new sensitive boy in school. Should she just give up on the aspirations for journalism and become something respectable, like a model?

There are plenty of fun high school shenanigans in Just One of the Guys. How Terry must deal with the everyday hassles of being a boy is well handled. The locker room moments work well, as does the horror of the possibility of playing 'shirts vs skins' in basketball. Surprise jock- strap inspections and using a urinal are all part of the fun. Sherilyn Fenn plays Sandy, the attractive girl who believes Terry to be a boy, and will do anything to get him in the sack. Terrys younger brother, Buddy, played hilariously by Bobby Jacoby, provides most of the sex gags in his never-ending quest to get laid. Jacoby is responsible for some of the funniest scenes in the film.

Despite the set up, the film starts to move more towards an interesting love story than going for the all-out sex/gross jokes. The relationship between Terrence and Rick is surprisingly well handled, and you really want the two characters to get together. Rick grows in a believable way, and it never feels too contrived. The outcome of their story is somewhat predictable, but you will be happy it goes there.

What makes the film work so well is the likability of the characters. Terry is never portrayed as a bitch to begin with, despite her social standing in the school. The same goes for her friends; they are popular but not cheerleader popular. The male characters are a mixed bag. Rick is awkward but funny; and it doesn't seem like a stretch that Terry would fall for him. Her brother, Buddy, is an oversexed teen, but the comedy of him trying it on with every girl and failing is a great running joke. Her college boyfriend, Kevin, is an uncaring dick; all he wants is to get laid. And how can we forget the bully, Greg (William Zabka)? Recognisable from Back to School and Karate Kid as one of the biggest douche bags from the 80's, he snarls and throws food and dweebs around whenever he is on screen.

The performances are generally good, with much of the weight being carried by Joyce Hyser. Her transformation into Terrence is never TOO startling, but with the boys haircut and pseudo-macho voice, she does a reasonable job convincing. She falls a little flat in some of the comedy scenes, such as the moments when she must quickly change from boy to a girl, but thankfully these are only small moments, and the laughs don't rely on these kind of scenarios very often. Clayton Rohner (April Fools Day) is great as the geeky love interest, and he has some big dramatic moments towards the climax. 

There is little to fault Just One of the Guys. Sure, it's got plenty of those moments that make you say, 'huh?'. How does Terry enroll in the school as a boy? And how come nobody notices she is missing for two weeks? And just where are her parents throughout all of this? Probably the same place Tom Cruise's parents went to for the duration of 'Risky Business'. But these are irrelevant details that would just hold up the flow of the film. The film is good solid fun, with some genuinely funny comedy and drama that works, and has a great soundtrack. Plus, it has one of the better uses of a boob shot that I can remember. Well worth your time.