Dirty Girl is great! I had such a fun time watching this movie because the laughs kept coming, the story kept getting richer and the actors were phenomenal. Set in the 80s, Dirty Girls is coming of age dramedy written and directed by Abe Sylvia. It stars Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy alongside newcomer Jeremy Dozier. It’s the story of a promiscuous girl named Danielle (Juno Temple) living with her single mother (Milla Jovovich) in Norman, Oklahoma but things are far from Normal. She’s pretty much forced to befriend the shy gay kid in school, Clarke (Jeremy Dozier), as she’s teamed up with him to do one of those Home-Ec take care of a baby projects. As Danielle’s mom tries to marry a Mormon (William H. Macy) who wants to convert her and Clarke’s homophobic dad tries to convert him, they both run away to the beaches of Fresno, California in search of Danielle’s biological dad.
The premise is ridiculously funny in itself but along the way, the two get into even more mishaps. There are plenty of references to the 80s as well as the great soundtrack for the road. There’s plenty of social commentary dealing with young girls to homosexuals to parenting, etc etc. I honestly couldn’t stop laughing throughout most of the film. There’s also plenty of drama too and many people are sure to shed a tear or two by the end. The movie mixes in a lot of personal experiences from Sylvia’s own life but makes them broad enough for a large amount of people to relate to. There are some scenes that hit really close to home. But Dirty Girl does an amazing job balancing the serious drama with the comedic storytelling. The movie almost screened as a play with very definite scene changes and transitions. I thought it was directed wonderfully.
Juno Temple and Jeremy Dozier in Dirty Girl
Our two main characters are hyperboles. Danielle is very slutty from the very beginning. She thinks she knows what she wants and goes right for “it.” Clarke is the definition of a closet case that doesn’t even know how to hide it. Furthermore, he’s naive and inexperienced unlike how Danielle thinks she is. They’re polar opposites but at the same time they’re similar and their relationship grows strong because of that. That and the fact that they have to play the mommy/daddy role for their little flour kid from Home-Ec class. The bag of flour itself is a hilarious character who steals almost every scene it’s in. As the two travel west, they meet a few characters but none of them have lasting impressions like the group the runaways left at home – their parents. Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen, and Dwight Yoakam all give outstanding performances. It was interesting to watch how all of heir relationships unfold – there are some characters you love to hate and then others you grow to love and root for.
Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy in Dirty Girl
I highly recommend watching this movie. It’s not just for the LGBT crowd even though it will play extremely well for it but Dirty Girl is a great movie all around and can be enjoyed by anybody. There are tons of lessons on tolerance, upbringing, love and friendship. If you want a quick trip back to the 80s, check this one out. If you want a look into the life of a young gay boy with no support around him, check this one out. If you want a glimpse of a confused girl trying to find her way, check this one out. If you just want to laugh or dance or have a good time, check this one out. This won’t get as wide a release as it should so you might have to look a little harder for it or rent/stream after theaters but I would really recommend getting a group together and watching this one on the big screen because it is honestly a fun time. Dirty Girl is a lot more than what it seems on the surface, but aren’t they all?
Juno Temple is a Dirty Girl with a different accent
Tags: Abe Sylvia, Dirty Girl, Dwight Yoakam, Jeremy Dozier, Juno Temple, Mary Steenburgen, Milla Jovovich, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy, William H. Macy
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
