Common Sense Media Review
Dance to the cheesy '80s beat with tweens and up.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Parents say this film is a nostalgic and entertaining watch for tweens and their parents, highlighted by its fun 80s vibe, dance moves, and fashion. However, many reviews raised concerns about inappropriate themes, particularly regarding a trivialization of sexual assault, suggesting parents should be prepared to have discussions about consent and the film's context with their children.
- fun nostalgia
- discuss consent
- 80s themes
- appropriate age
- entertaining watch
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 14 kid reviews
What's the Story?
In GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN, Janey (Sarah Jessica Parker) starts school in Chicago, home of her favorite dance show, Dance TV. When the station announces it's holding a contest to choose two new dancers for the show, her best friend, Lynn (Helen Hunt), encourages Janey to try out. She has to lie to her drill sergeant dad and sneak out of the house, but when she makes it to the finals, will her dream come true? Will the evil rich-girl Natalie (Holly Gagnier) fix the contest to take the final spot? Will Jeff (Lee Montgomery) fall in love with her?
Is It Any Good?
Sit back and giggle: This movie is just a good, cheesy time. Take a big helping of Hairspray (minus the political consciousness and the divine Ricki Lake) and sprinkle it with a candy-covered version of My So-Called Life and what you have is the totally tubular '80s teen dance movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Complete with bad fashions (neon fingerless gloves, anyone?), bad hair, and even worse dancing, This movie features some of today's most popular actors doing some of the cheesiest things you've ever seen. See a pre-Sex and the City Parker as the Catholic school girl Army brat who dreams of dancing on Dance TV (hosted by Richard Blade, whom some '80s music lovers may recall as a DJ on an L.A. radio station). Watch her doing back flips and practicing dance lifts a la Dirty Dancing. Witness the Oscar-winning actress Hunt hamming it up in some of the most absurd -- but actually worn -- '80s ensembles and big, ratted-out hair. It's Totally Awesome without the irony. And if you love the '80s, it is totally awesome.
Forget the plot, though. Just concentrate on the Solid Gold-quality dance numbers and the outrageous fashion. Forget, if you can, that Helen Hunt is way too mature-seeming to pull off the role of Lynn (where's AJ Langer when you need her?) and just look for the cameo by a preteen Shannen Doherty and the New Wave girls in Cindy Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about appropriate ways to blow off steam -- what things do kids often want to do that parents won't let them? Are they dangerous?
Do you think Janey's dad's rules are too strict? How do you deal with rules you don't like?
What kind of role models are the movie's characters? Can a teen movie have strongly positive role models and still be entertaining?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 24, 1985
- On DVD or streaming : April 28, 2008
- Cast : Helen Hunt , Sarah Jessica Parker , Shannen Doherty
- Director : Alan Metter
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Anchor Bay Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 87 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate