Experience Preferred... But Not Essential

No matter how many times I watch this delightful coming-of-age movie, I discover something new about the characters. They almost seem to grow with you over the years, so familiar do they become to you, like old friends. These (well, most of these) are people I would want to know, women I would love to have as friends for life -- I DO have friends for life like them. I find myself wondering what their lives would be like now, 40+ years after the film is supposed to take place. That, to me, is the mark of a film extraordinarily well conceived, written, directed and acted. An absolutely dear, touching, funny film, very worth hunting down.

"Experience Preferred but not Essential" was, for me, one of those beautifully done esoteric films that deserves to be seen more than once to fully appreciate it humor, insights and writing.

It is akin to another such movie, "She'll be Wearing Pink Pajamas." I really appreciate writers, directors and actors who can delve into a humorous story, dig out the subtle humor and make it work on the big screen.

These are two films I'd really like to get a hold of and to watch again and again. Both films contain the kind of encouragement that one can find one's identity and not be lost in a "majority mentality."

If the characters in your ensemble cast are so annoying that you'd walk out of a bar giving away free drinks to escape them, you have a problem.

If the boyfriend of the main heroine is a sex-obsessed stalker who tries jumping into bed with her at every opportunity and this is presented as 'charming' behavior, you have a problem.

If the best thing about your film is an ongoing joke about a naked sleepwalker and the soundtrack full of 60's hits, then you have a problem.

Basically, this whole film shouldn't be rated PG for Parental Guidance, it should just be P for 'problem'. And plodding. And prosaic. And pedestrian. And... 4/10.

Every other reviewer here hit the nail on the head about this film-- "enchanting", "sweet", "a gem", "beautiful", "charming", all apply to this terrific sleeper of a film. I came across it very late one night on cable TV when I couldn't sleep and was doing some channel-surfing. I had never heard of this film, director Peter Duffell or pretty much anybody in it, so I figured I'd give it a shot, see how bad it was. I couldn't possibly have been more wrong. A lovely, warm, funny, beautifully directed, superbly acted slice of life that just charmed the pants off me. I haven't seen it since--this was in the mid-'80s--and I'd love to see it again. If you ever get the chance, do yourself a HUGE favor and check it out. You won't be disappointed.

I had this film on VHS when I was a young girl,and I watched it until the tape broke! I would love to watch it again but I can't seem to find a copy anywhere. The characters are so varied and interesting that you find your self drawn into the world behind the running of a busy hotel and in the end your sad to leave all of the colourful characters behind. The storyline is so simple, but so cleverly written it only enhances the enjoyment of the film. What I loved the most about this film was the attention to detail, Annies attic room was a a wonderful piece of set design. I too would loved to have seen what happened to these people a few years on. It's such a shame this hasn't been released on DVD it's such a waste for for it not to be seen.