User reviews

This is the popular film and now cult classic from 1980 and yes, this is the first time I have viewed it! The story is a familiar one, two girls from opposite side of the tracks are involved in a bet while at summer camp and they wager who loses their virginity first. Kristy McNichol is Angel, a girl raised by her mother in a bad neighborhood who is very tough. You can tell she's tough because she chews gum and when she smokes she blows smoke in your face! Tatum O'Neal is Ferris, a rich girl who's father is divorcing her mother. At the camp the other girls all say they have lost their virginity but Ferris and Angel admit they have not. The girls get their money together and make them agree to the bet. Ferris has eyes on an older camp counselor named Gary (Armand Assante) while Angel meets Randy (Matt Dillon) one of the boys from the boys camp across the lake. The film starts out with the usual bitchy banter from the girls and of course there's a food fight in the dining area. The film is not well made but the acting by McNichol is just top notch. Film has that low budget look about it and its not shot with any creative camera angles. But one thing that the film does well is keep the camera on McNichols face, when you think that the shot is going to change angles it does not. The camera lingers on her and it allows McNichol to vary her expressions during some scenes that require a lot from her. Film also does a good job of having this familiar material be from the perspective of a young girl instead of a young man. This is not a great film, most of the characters are badly written and just cardboard characters but when its time for McNichol to lose her virginity then the film becomes a compelling study of a young girl trying to cope with her first time. Its a very mature performance and one that most actress's of her age would not have handled this impressively. McNichol could vary her emotions at the drop of a hat, one moment she has tears in her eyes and in the next instant she gives you that smile that changes the complexities of the whole scene. You can make a case that its one of the best performances of the 80's. She's that terrific! Its also fun to watch a young Krista Errickson (The First Time) and a very young Cynthia Nixon (Sex in the City). I'm at odds with myself, I don't think its a great film but its one that I just can't stop thinking about. Not hard to figure out why. Thanks Kristy!

Angel (Kristy McNichol) and Ferris (Tatum O'Neal) compete at summer camp to see who can lose their virginity first. O'Neal goes after hunky Armand Assante and McNichol goes after punk Matt Dillon. This was a huge hit with teenagers back in 1980 (despite the R rating). There's no nudity and sex is kept off-screen, but there is a huge amount of sex talk, swearing, the kids smoking and drinking beer and every possible sex joke you can think of. Despite all this, the film is actually not that sleazy and kind of fun. Some of the jokes are very funny and the subject of teen sex is dealt with intelligently and seriously. It's also amusing to see Dillon, O'Neal, McNicol and Assante so young...and look for a VERY young Cynthia Nixon as one of the kids! All the acting is pretty good--McNicol is VERY good--a very natural, believable performance. Good 80s soundtrack too.

Worth catching.

At summer camp in the eastern USA, two girls (Kristy McNichol and Tatum O'Neal) have a contest regarding who will lose their virginity first. Angel (McNichol) sets her eyes on a cool kid (Matt Dillon) at the boys' camp across the lake while Ferris (O'Neal) pursues an older camp counselor (Armand Assante).

This is a coming-of-age drama with some amusing touches, similar to "The Summer of '42" (1971), except that it involves a group of girls during the summer of 1979 (when the film was shot). The first half has the girls meet at the buses, which take them to the camp, and the typical shenanigans thereof: Rivalry, friendship, borrowing a bus, meeting guys, stealing condoms, a food fight, swimming, canoeing and so on. It's similar to "Meatballs" (1979) and all-around routine, although somewhat entertaining. My attention perked up in the second half where I found I had stumbled upon drama at its finest.

Despite the set-up of the wager to see who can lose their virginity first, "Little Darlings" doesn't treat sex lightly. The scene where one of the girls says to a boy before (maybe) having sex for the first time: "Right now. Do you care about me a little?" This shows how little a gal will ask from a dude before giving it up.

Her tears after the fact are also an authentic reaction, not to mention thoroughly convincing. It drove home the point that sex was a big deal and not something of which to take lightly. This is followed by the interesting irony of what the two girls TELL their friends and, even better, Angel & Ferris' potent meeting at the swing set with its refreshing transparency. The final scene and closing still are heartwarming as "Let Your Love Flow" by the Bellamy Brothers plays over the credits.

I know a lot of people see this flick as little more than a fun summer camp romp, like "Meatballs," but those scenes are superb and represent drama & cinema at their finest.

The movie runs 1 hour, 36 minutes and was shot at Hard Labor Creek State Park, Rutledge, Georgia, as well as nearby Covington, Madison and Eatonton, Georgia.

GRADE: B

I still remember the first time I saw this movie. It was a sneak preview with Steven Spielberg's occasionally funny comedy "1941." I still remember filling out my preview card rating Tatum O'Neal and Matt Dillon as "Very Good" but rating Kristy McNichol as "Excellent." At the time, I thought I would see the movie once and forget about it. I have seen the movie many, many times and I have never forgotten it. The late Gene Siskel said in his TV review of the movie that it was really two movies, a broad "Animal House" type comedy with food fights and condom jokes (which it is) and a very good coming of age story (which it is). When Matt Dillon was recently on the Bravo series "Inside the Actor's Studio," Dillon heard so many students say they liked this film, he actually said they ought to do a sequel. I hope they don't. I think he was really surprised to hear people praise this movie twenty years later. Some films stay with you and this is one of them. Interesting to see Cynthia Nixon on the HBO series "Sex And The City" after doing this project.

Very entertaining movie but what really makes it worthwhile is the wonderful performance by Kristy McNicol. That alone makes it worth watching - she carries the movie all the way through. Love the scene where she and Tatum have their heart-to-heart confession of what really happened - Kristy shows true emotion. Matt Dillon sure was a cute thing back then! Also, watch for a very young Cynthia Nixon from Sex in the City playing the hippie kid. And Armand Asante - what can I say! He was sure in his prime in the looks department! Tatum is only just okay in this film but then maybe that's how her character was supposed to be. A fun watch!

This movie isn't as bad as its plot may suggest, mainly because of two excellent performances from Kristy McNichol and Matt Dillon. They both convey beautifully the discovery of sexuality and the confusions that go with it.

Less successful is Tatum O'Neal, who sounds like she's reading her lines from cue cards, and her rather unbelievable romance with Armand Assante (who had a very hairy back!).

The other girls have fun with their roles, especially Cynthia Nixon. But how daggy this era was! Everyone looks so drab.

This film impressed me so much back then that I not only made all my friends and family see it, but I drove all the way to Georgia to see where it was filmed.

It's not just about sex - it's about the two ways you can look at sex when approaching puberty. The wrong way - the Ferris Whitney way - is to romanticize it like Romeo and Juliette. The other wrong way -- Angel's way and the way I saw it at the time -- is to see it as something scary, invasive, animalistic, and biological which is approaching to seize you, engulf you, and reprogram you into a mindless reproduction-machine.

Of the eight characters, only Angel discovers the truth: "God, it was so... PERSONAL, like you could see right through me". Sex turns out not to be storybook romance OR a tyrannical usurping of your body by the Forces of Evolution, but something very, very, very, very real, immediate... and YOU.

In the boathouse, Angel discovers that sex is not something scary she is forced to be, but something wonderful she was always meant to be.

In the words of the novel, "All the fear and uncertainty melted away as they kissed. Soon she didn't know who was touching whom, only that it was wonderful, and right, and fine. And the moon stared impenetrably through the window".

Notice how "before", she's withdrawn, sarcastic, and hostile; and "after", she's relaxed and kind of at one with the world, like she's a part of it, instead of a stranger in it.

In the very last scene, she hugs her mom -- something she NEVER would have done before -- saying "What's this crap about sex being nothing? You've been hanging around creeps!" This resonated very, very strongly with me at that age; I wanted that to happen to ME. And I don't mean getting laid.

The movie was supposedly filmed in Madison, Georgia,at Hard Labor Creek state park. I was wondering if any evidence that a movie had been made would even still exist after two years. The first thing I came upon was a big sign over the road: "Camp Little Wolf". My God! All the sets and props were intact... and abandoned.

Alone, I explored. I walked on the dock and sat on the swing. When night came, I slept in Cabin A, in the bed that Angel did. The next day, I jumped into the lake, hoping that this baptism would somehow cause the same ...transformation which happened to her: the transformation from child to adult.

And finally, before leaving, I sat for hours in the boathouse, on the spot where "it" happened, just thinking.

Did I like the film, "Little Darlings"? Yeah.

Yeah, I did.

Rich girl Ferris Whitney (Tatum O'Neal) and poor tough girl Angel Bright (Kristy McNichol) are 15 year olds going to summer camp. They get into a fight right away. They don't get along but they are both teased as being virgins by mean girl Cinder Carlson. Cinder sets up bets to see whether Ferris or Angel loses her virginity first. Ferris falls for coach Gary Callahan (Armand Assante) and Angel takes hunky streetwise Randy (Matt Dillon) from the boys' camp.

It starts out with a good mean girl and two great child actors of their era. I like what it's setting up to do. The problem starts with the males. Assante is way too old and a bit awkward. Dillon is hunky hot with super fine hair. However he's a bit too empty. I like the girls' drama together but their time with the guys aren't that compelling. McNichol acts her little heart out bringing on the waterworks. It's not a broad teen comedy but it doesn't rise to be an intense coming-of-age story either. The girls are good but this could be better.

Wonderful funny teenage coming-of-age flick! A must see for viewers from 12 to 92! It's endearing and the acting is quite good for the age group of the cast. Matt Dillon's performance is stellar and he melts the hearts of all the women in the audience. Kristy McNichol and Tatum Oneal have a believable rivalry that ends in a moment that captures the true essence of teenage friendships. It's a great movie for parents to watch with their about to be teenage daughters, the sons may find it too cheesy. But give it a try. It's a classic flick that will hang around for many, many years to come. The scene where the girls go on a hunt for condoms is priceless! It's definitely a knee slapper. The next scene stealer would be gentle Sunshine who proves that even hippie tree hugging types have their limits. Go on out and pick up a copy. Rent it. You won't be sorry you did.

Disclaimer: We all have an Achilles' heel when it comes to our taste in films. There's always that one movie that we admit to liking to that sends our cool-point count plummeting. Here is mine.

Kristy McNichol, Matt Dillon & Tatum O'Neal...how can you go wrong?

Okay, so it goes terribly wrong, but who cares? Any movie where two babes wager a years supply of Bubble Yum over who gets boinked first is cool to me. It could also be that I had an evil crush on Kristy at the time, a curse that was corrected with one viewing of "The Pirate Movie".

You need to see this for 3 reasons:

* Condom machines in public restrooms...in the early 80's!

* Food fight! Pancake to the neck! That really puts me off!

* The worst screen-punch ever committed to Kodak film. Watch as Cynthia Nixon (future "Miranda" of "Sex & The City") throws the lamest fist this side of "Batman" reruns. It's full-out summer-campy! Misses by a good 12 inches!

Tell me you didn't crack a smile when "Let The Love Flow" started playing in that final scene.

Geeks unite! "Little Darlings" made 80's kids run and start packing for summers at Camp Hiawatha!

I really liked this movie when I saw it at the drive in when it was new. The home video version seems to have a minute missing, no doubt the scene with Christy McNichol and Matt Dillon in a boat, I sort of remember she fell overboard and he rescued her, not on video either. The opening scene where McNichol kicks some poor fresh guy in the balls, well, it was edited to off camera in the version I saw at the movies. Movies with an R rating through the seventies were always fun to watch for the arrival of the dirty part, five or ten minutes long at the most and filmed better than the whole movie was. Without the "r" I can't remember why I liked Little Darlings so much. Sorry. McNichol improved the mediocre material she had with one of her best performances. Rosanna Arquette later starred in Desperately Seeking Susan.

I grew up with this movie, surprising considering that I was born in 1979 and literally cannot remember a time when I did not know and enjoy this movie. I suppose my parents figured that being a small toddler and child I wouldn't get the sexual aspects of the movie. They were right. Although I nearly died of embarrassment years later when I asked my father quite innocently what were those "balloon things" that the girls stole from the restroom.

This movie is campy (no pun intended) this movie is 80's-style cheesy, but none of these factors change the fact that this is a GOOD movie. It details the exploits of a group of teenage girls at summer camp more accurately than any other summer camp movie I've seen. The acting isn't sterling at all times, but it doesn't change the fact that you feel as if you really are watching a bunch of girls goofing off and having fun at summer camp. The food fight scene is wonderfully real with the actors all genuinely laughing and having a great time, the condom-thieving scene is legendary and never loses its hilarity. All the fun and silliness is balanced with the seriousness of some of the situations they get themselves into, and there is a wonderful sense of shared growth between the characters. As stated by many other reviewers, Kristy McNichol shines in her role as Angel, and pulls off a startlingly emotional performance opposite a young Matt Dillon.

I recommend this movie to every preteen girl, even though it is a tad outdated, I think the heart of the movie will still ring true to all girls out there.

Odd mixture of elements in a coming-of-age flick made for teenagers but rated R in 1980. It's a sensitive 'first time' story for two 15-year-old girls at summer camp (naturally, one girl is poor and street-smart--and smokes--and the other is rich and sheltered). The writers want laughs so bad, they're shameless enough to throw in a food fight, stealing a bus, and an unlikely condom-machine hijack. There are continuity errors all through the film--not to mention bad blunders by the editor (Tatum O'Neal gets crush Armand Assante in trouble, but there are no scenes confirming this, and no scenes confirming his acquittal). One of the TV-versions (still shown today) features cut-footage to replace the risqué stuff (the scenes with Assante were filmed but got dropped). Kristy McNichol is wonderful trying to talk her way through a lovers' night with Matt Dillon, or when they finally warm to each other and she says, "Don't laugh...but do you care about me a little?" Those moments are much preferable to the slapstick interludes, and indeed Kristy looks more comfortable with her role than Tatum does as Ferris (whom we never get to know). Still, it's an enjoyable piece of fluff, better in its time I think than today. **1/2 from ****

I've watched this on a poor quality DVD, a shoddy release which seems to have been done as a DVD transfer from a VHS original, which looks like a bad GP3 download, and the major upset was that the first reel of film (more than 20 minutes) appeared in wrong aspect ratio. Which is beyond unforgivable, seeing that I obtained it as a legitimate buy, imported from America, took months.

As I understand, initially the producers thought "wow, Tatum, yeah...!" with the TV starlet bringing up the rear. But this movie should have billed Kristy McNichol as the main star. She is everything. Everything except the jaw-dropping surprise I had realizing that the super-cute little blonde fairy / hippie chickie there is Cynthia Nixon, who later starred in SEX & THE CITY.

But Kristy McNichol! Saying that she upstages Tatum isn't even half doing her justice. Kristy is all innocence and decadence rolled together in a performance unequalled by anything I have seen to this day. She's the Actress here. Plays the difficult part. Teary-eyed little tigress. Big question: Why didn't Kristy's career lift off, skyrocketing as it should have, after this powerhouse movie debut?

I was hesitant to buy this movie on video because there is a disclaimer on the back of the box stating that some of the music has been changed. I thought it would be like the video version of "16 Candles" where they replaced some of the music with "canned elevator music". Since I only saw the TV version of this movie, and never saw the theatrical release-I didn't find a huge difference in the video version except for the song during the ending credits. From what I remember it was a song called "Let Your Love Flow", or something like that. The video version closing music is awful! I don't know where Paramount dug up that song! For the movie, I still found it enjoyable and entertaining. Tatum O'Neal, and Kristy McNichol really shine through in this movie and make it fun to watch. I am glad that it's still available on video, but it would be nice if this movie was released on DVD in the original theatrical version, or TV version.

I was 11 the summer that "Little Darlings" was released, and it was filmed in my home state of Georgia. Although I was too young to see it in the theaters at that time, it was much discussed even by my fellow sixth graders. I finally saw the movie on cable a few years later. It's very much a teen coming-of-age movie of its time, when teenage girls still had idealistic, romanticized visions of sex. "Little Darlings" explores a competition between two rival, 15-year-old girls at a summer camp to be the first to lose her virginity. Kristy McNichol (at the peak of her stardom, mainly in hit TV shows like "Family") is the tomboyish Angel, and Tatum O'Neal (already an Oscar winner, with the ideal feathered, frosted hairdo of the time) is the slightly snobbish rich girl Ferris. Angel chooses to pursue a fling with Randy, a sultry, seemingly tough boy from a nearby camp (Matt Dillon, just before he became a major teen star with his role in "The Outsiders" and others), and Ferris decides her man is the sophisticated, older camp counselor played by Armand Assante (somewhat out of place here, but the object of many crushes for girls of that era). "Little Darlings" was considered titillating and controversial in its day because it was frank, although very tasteful (no nudity is seen on screen), about teens' sexuality, yet in retrospect, it could be seen as a cautionary tale as well. The teenage characters all come to realize that sex is serious stuff, not a game to be played. "Little Darlings," viewed today, may look and sound dated, but I think it is a touching, tasteful look at a serious topic, with engaging young actors in all the key roles. When I think of the much raunchier, crass teen comedies that would come later ("Porky's" and the like), "Little Darlings" seems tame by comparison. McNichol's performance really stands out; she was a wonderful teen actress. But O'Neal and Dillon, and a very young Cynthia Nixon, are all very good too.

Little Darlings is a classic teen movie but the appeal is that it can actually be enjoyed by all ages. I have seen this one and one half times. I FIRST saw it when I was a kid but I actually think it can be enjoyed as much or more as an adult. Little darlings is both a cute movie and a fun one-although it's a light movie, the characters go through and tackle, issues all young girls deal with in a fun non preachy manner and is pretty accurate in many places too. The reason it is so much fun to watch as an adult is for nostalgia purposes. Set at summercamp, it sort of takes you back to your youth. The movie is dated as anything and when I recently caught it again I almost had to laugh at the dated aspect but the fact remains it can still be enjoyed today.Teens will identify with it, adults will reminded of times gone by.

At "Camp Little Wolf" for girls, two 15-year-olds compete to see who will lose her virginity first. Marlboro smoking Kristy McNichol (as Angel Bright) sets her sights on nearby "Camp Tomahawk" hunk Matt Dillon (as Randy Adams), while rich kid Tatum O'Neal (as Ferris Whitney) targets hairy camp counselor Armand Assante (as Gary Callahan). By the time you get to the food fight, you realize "Little Darlings" meets expectations for being dumb and disappointing. However, stick around to see Ms. McNichol give her role some unexpected depth. She and Mr. Dillon are quite believable. He and the girls are cute.

****** Little Darlings (3/21/80) Ronald F. Maxwell ~ Kristy McNichol, Tatum O'Neal, Matt Dillon, Armand Assante