one of my absolute favorites!

Absolutely brilliant

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Adrian Lyne's "Foxes" (1980) opens with a shot of a teenage foot, a homage to the opening of Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita", a film based upon a Nabokov novel which Lyne would himself adapt in 1997. We're then introduced to Jeanie (Jodie Foster), an American teenager who hangs with her friends Madge (Marilyn Kagan), Annie (Cherie Currie) and Deirdre (Kandice Stroh). Deirdre can't get enough boys, Madge hates being a virgin and Annie repeatedly runs away from her abusive father."Foxes" pretends to be an "edgy" and "gritty" examination of teenage life during the Disco Era; a sort of precursor to the films of Larry Clarke. Everything about it, though, reeks of phoniness. The film's "American Graffiti" styled plot ends with our heroes making various life decisions, Madge marrying an older lover, Deirdre learning to resist boys and Jeanie, the film's voice of young wisdom, graduating from high-school. Everywhere the film's wistful subtext clashes awkwardly with its phony neo-realist surface.6/10 – See "Ghost World".

If you want to say that there were girls like this at that time and in that place, that's fine. I know there were and this is a movie about them. But let's not ever say that just because you have little parental supervision and you live in the Valley during the disco era, does not mean that decadence is your only option.You could choose to pursue academics, school sports or extracurricular activities. You could get a part time job,explore church, do volunteer work or practice a musical instrument. You could be in a committed relationship or listen to classical music.These girls are choosing the White Trash option. None of their parents are unemployed or living in a trailer.I always wonder about the hygiene of such kids. It's not like they did a lot of flossing or ate whole foods. They vomited, ate junk food, smoked, drank, did drugs and slept around. Wouldn't their breath reek and their clothes be crusty? Disgusting.I think it's completely ridiculous to say that this is the way teens of that era were in So Cal. Some were, but plenty weren't.Having said all that, this movie had grit and that was its' best quality. The street scenes, the freestyle dialog, and the concert footage were real and made an impact. Real people do not live in a polished way, even the educated, and real people do not speak from a script.Great opening and utilization of Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder music. Also nice use of a climax that would inevitably lead to a permanent change in course for the girls. Actions have consequences. The blonde chick was a train wreck waiting to embrace her fate.While it's true that the sheer size, commercialism, and heat of the Valley can lead to alienation, it didn't have to be that way. Back then there were plenty of parks, book stores, skating rinks, and single family homes with pools and orange trees. You just had to choose your friends wisely and stay focused on productive pursuits.

Although I was born in the year that this movie came out and had never heard of it until my junior year of high school (1996) when I saw it I became totally engrossed laughing and crying and feeling along with the characters because me and my friends were them.Their hair, clothes and speech were outdated but the emotions and the desperation of each situation were so familiar! I remember thinking how real it was and how I wished that they would make movies like that still.In fact I saw this movie the night after I had been at a crazy party (not so unlike the one in Jay's house) which had been crashed by what we considered the loser derelicts who hung out on the fringes of our crowd. A world class BS'er and "responsible" mother figure type I identified immediately with Jeanie (I was also the one with a car) although I had a little bit of Madge's insecurities floating around in there too. My best friend was a Deidre and her good friend from childhood was our Annie.Watching the scene when Jeanie is in school or the one where her and her boyfriend break up and then she is telling Madge how much she loved him felt like conversations and situations I had personally had.Now at the age of 27 I recently saw the movie again and felt a surge of emotions because it was like watching back a piece of my own youth (though none of my friends died). I think this is a must see for all girls 13 and up.

"Foxes" is a serious look at the consequences of growing up too fast in the 1980s. And unlike the teen sex comedies that overshadowed it (Porky's, Fast Times at Ridgement High), the movie holds up well against time.Its theme of teen angst is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago and Jodie Foster and sk8er boi Scott Baio (remember him?) lead a fine young cast that's well worth watching.The film follows four Southern California girls as they move through a rootless existence of sex and drugs and devoid of parents. The teens spend their days in and out of school and their nights at parties, concerts, or out on the street. Seldom are they home because instant gratification is a pill, party, or boy away.But rather than condemning them, the film is sympathetic, blaming absent, uncaring adults for forcing the teens to grow up alone. And the charismatic cast is impossible to dislike.The film's opening – a long and loving pan - sets the tone for what follows. We see the girls asleep at daybreak amid the objects that define teen girlhood, from Twinkies to a picture of a young John Travola, while Donna Summer's "On the Radio" is scored beneath.From there the movie picks up speed as the girls head off to school and to life. Annie (Runaway rocker Cherie Currie) is the wild child who lives for the next party or pill. Deirdre (Kandice Stroh) is the boy crazy drama queen. Madge (Marlilyn Stroh) is the shy girl in over her head. And Foster is the one with the plan. It's her job to keep this crew together long enough to finish high school while also holding her divorced and desperate man hunting mother in line (Sally Kellerman).It's an almost impossible job and one that Foster ultimately fails at.Despite its age, "Foxes" remains a pleasure to watch. Dated hair, clothes, and references to Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill haven't hurt the movie.The cinematography is simply stunning, with breathtaking filtered shots of the L.A. basin at dawn, dusk and at night. Giorgio Moroder adds a 80s soundtrack featuring the likes of Donna Summer and Janis Ian.Perhaps the movie's biggest disappointment is that the young stars around Foster never broke out like the casts of "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985) or "Empire Records" (1995). "Foxes" shows why they should have. But perhaps like Bowling for Soup's song "1985," they just hit a wall.