Pop Culture | Movies | 80s

10 Reasons Why 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' Is The Best Movie You've Never Seen

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I know there are a lot of great movies from the eighties. Whether you wanted horror, action, romance, or comedy, there is something amazing in every category. But there is one genre that the eighties managed to excel in more than the others: Dance movies.

There were a lot of great movies like Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Footloose that are still talked about to this day, but there's one movie that was made in 1985 that is constantly forgotten, even though it really should not be.

How many of your have seen Girls Just Want To Have Fun? If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. But that's okay, because now you've got the chance to experience it for the first time, and that's a great feeling.

But why should you care about a movie that is over 30 years old? There are many, many reasons. Believe me.

1. First of all, it's a classic fish out of water story

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Janey Glenn (Sarah Jessica Parker) moves to Chicago because her dad gets transferred there. She goes to a new school and instantly reveals her love of dancing. But it's not until that night when she comes across the one, the only, Lynne Stone (Helen Hunt) who immediately befriends her.

Not only does she befriend her, but she helps take Janey out of her comfort zone and actually go after her dreams in a big way.

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She plucks little Janey from the world she's comfortable in that is full of rules, schedules, and military time, and teaches her how to have fun.

2. They don't waste time before showing us what we really want

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Here's the thing, with a dance movie, what you want is to see them dance. I know you've got to develop plot and characters, but if you could do it while a cool dance number happens, it's just so much better.

As soon as Lynne finishes introducing herself to Janey by literally changing her outfit on the bus in front of her, they go and watch Dance TV at the house were Lynne has a babysitting job.  

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We know within the first few minutes what the stakes are. Janey wants to enter the dance contest, and Lynne wants to be the queen of DTV. It's that simple. As an added bonus, while they make their dreams clear, we get to see a little bit of dancing by the DTV stars.

3. The contest is perfect

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Any good dance movie has an epic montage, and this movie gives you many. The first is at the contest where they are trying to make it to the next round.

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There are a bunch of people dancing up a storm, but Janey stands out. Her acrobatics and flips are truly unlike anyone else. And that's where she meets Jeff.

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Jeff is a talented dancer, although he shows off his skills by just spinning around the stage. Apparently that's all he needed to get into the competition though.

4. Then there is the classic odd couple relationship

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When you pair up the untrained Jeff with the perfectionist Janey, you are guaranteed to get some kind of craziness.

It's kind of a reversal of the roles in Dirty Dancing, where Janey has to teach Jeff how to dance, and just like Patrick Swayze, she's getting super frustrated with him.

5. Strained relationships = movie magic

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Even though they are struggling, it's still super fun to watch. The couple can't help but get on each other's nerves, and it doesn't help that the spoiled Natalie is constantly trying to sabotage them.

6. Girl power wins the day

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When Natalie tries to ruin Janey's chances, Lynne steps in to help get back at her in yet another great montage. They plan on sabotaging her party, and they do so by inviting all kinds of people that she didn't want.

They all break in and destroy everything, but because Jeff is there, he sees that Janey isn't always so uptight and they bond better than ever.

7. True friendship means breaking your friends out of house arrest

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Lynne Stone is the best friend every girl needs. Not only did she help Janey go after her dreams, she literally came to get her when her dad put a security system on her window.

She helped her get down to the bottom floor, while sporting the best hairstyle ever, and then brought her all the way to the studio just in time.

8. More dance montages mean a better movie

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I know what you're thinking, "there are already so many montages, how could they add another?" Well, don't worry because they have more. You see portions of all the finalists dance routines while her dad frantically tries to make it to the station after seeing his daughter on TV.

9. Don't worry though, it's too late for her dad to stop them

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Janey and Jeff already nailed the routine, and it was epic. Seriously, Baby and Johnny's lift has nothing on Janey and Jeff's. Sorry, but it's the truth. And if we're being completely honest, this movie came out two years before Dirty Dancing anyways.

10. Once again, the real winner here is Lynne Stone

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I cannot emphasize this enough, Lynne Stone is the real star of this movie.

Every single thing she does is perfect, and she deserves the world. When she comes out on that carriage as the new self-appointed queen of DTV, it's like the world finally has recognized her true purpose in life.

I would like a sequel of all Lynne please. Someone call Helen Hunt and make this happen.

So please, I beg of you, go watch this movie. Or if you've seen it, watch it again. Believe me, you will not regret it.

More from Throwbacks:

10 Reasons Why Helen Hunt Is The Real Hero Of The 80s

10 Movies From The 80s That Will Make You Want To Put On Your Dancing Shoes Right Away

12 Facts About 'Flashdance' That Will Make You Go 'She's A Maniac!'

Only Someone Born In The 80s Will Be Able To Name These Movies Based Only On Their Dance Scenes

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