Old Enough

I could not remember the name of this movie. In 1984 I was 11 years old and I watched this movie every time it was on. This movie moved me. When I was 9 years old I was a lot like the innocent girl. A new girl moved across the street from me. She was from a city. I was from a very small town. She had me wanting to be like her. I even helped her steal a mini-skirt outfit for her school pictures. She was the one who told me about the "period". She used curse words, she wore makeup, and her mother used to drink vodka all day long. After she got into some trouble, her mother said I was a bad influence and we were no longer allowed to hang around anymore. She moved away 2 years later and I never saw her again. When this movie started showing on cable when I was 11 I was drawn in forever. This movie is wonderful and so real. This movie was able to show exactly what I had lived and that I was not the only one. Nobody knew then or knows now that these things had happened to me. Im glad I finally found the name and now I will look for its next showing on bravo or IFC. I will record it and have it for my daughter.

I was also surprised to see the low rating of this great little film. I saw it as a teen in the mid 80's on cable and, like so many others, was unable to stop watching this story through to its end. Even though it now looks so dated, I mean, no dot coms, facebook or cell phones here, the meat of the story holds true now, as it did in '84. The acting is fine and the issues are realistic. Speaking for myself, as a young teen-aged girl growing up in New Orleans, I could totally relate to the emotions expressed by the two lead characters, both New Yorkers, because the feelings were universal. If you're a female, you'll probably get it (and let me just say, I don't usually enjoy 'chick-flicks'). Like someone else has already posted, I, too, look forward to my own daughter viewing this film. It's still one of my all-time faves & whenever I catch it on TV, I still have to watch it, all these years later. I'd say it has stood the test of time.

This movie is such an underdog. It is such a great movie that will never be captured again. Innocence, growing, great acting for such young people. The eyes alone tell the story. I highly recommend this movie. And Danny Aiello Is great as usual. These are people that never went anywhere and should have. The director was 24 years old. It encompasses everything a naive young girl, or woman would see in the city being from a rich foundation. Her compadre is just as naive towards the rich. She doesn't even know what to do as far as opening or closing doors with a maid. Simply gratifying movie that has been left in the dust.

This is a rare gem, one that isn't afraid to confront what it means to grow up in 80s America. Set in 80s New York, Silver has lensed an astonishingly authentic view of childhood, surprisingly devoid of sentimentality. She isn't afraid to paint life in realist tones, often shocking the audience with the intrusion of adult behavior upon the young protagonist's life. The issue of class difference is central to the film's development of the two main characters Sarah and Kare; the former a rich Upper East-side innocent; the latter a brash, precocious Italian-Catholic schoolgirl. Yes, this treatment of the different class systems seems rather trite at first, but the complexities of the characters are mapped through until the sombre end, which is a refreshing change from the feel-good nonsense made by Disney et al. This independent film could have been a Disney film; thank Mickey Mouse it wasn't. A testament to the true spirit of independent cinema in the 80s.

I just watched a 13-year-old taped-from-Bravo copy of this film, and let me tell you: it's a delight. Not only does it knowingly tap into the teenage experience of expanding cultural sensibilities, but it does so in a completely unpretentious and earnest way-- no John Hughes slapstick or over sentimentality here, just an honest portrayal of a pivotal friendship.

The two female leads are excellent young actresses, and the soundtrack is really quite unique (think a more primitive version of the "Virgin Suicides" soundtrack by Air).

Plus, you can see what Alyssa Milano was doing before she rocketed to "Who's the Boss?" fame.

Check it out if you can.