Movie Review: Valley Girl (1983)

★★★★★

Valley Girl is way more than just retro fun. The ‘80s fashion and Nicolas Cage are great in this gem.

Beth C.

Texas

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Valley Girl

1983

On the surface, Valley Girl (1983) looks like your average ‘80s teen rom-com: pastel clothes, mall culture, a quirky romance, and enough “likes” and “totallys” to fill a Forever 21 catalog. But here’s the thing it’s way smarter than it lets on.

Directed by Martha Coolidge and loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the film follows Julie (Deborah Foreman), a sweet but conflicted Valley girl, and Randy (a young and feral Nicolas Cage), a punk from the other side of Los Angeles. Sparks fly, cultures clash, and what unfolds is a surprisingly grounded love story wrapped in neon colors, killer music, and one of the most iconic coming-of-age soundtracks of the '80s.

What Makes Valley Girl Stand Out (Yes, Even Now)

Most people remember Valley Girl for Nicolas Cage’s messy hair and the exaggerated valley speak and sure, that’s part of the fun but there’s a whole lot more going on if you take a closer look.

First of all, the character development here is refreshingly real. Julie isn’t just a stereotype. She’s thoughtful, conflicted, and relatable. Her journey is less about choosing between two guys and more about figuring out who she is beyond the world she’s always known. That subtle emotional layer is something most teen films from the era glossed over.

And then there’s Randy. Nicolas Cage brings this unpolished, weirdly magnetic energy to the role that breaks the mold of the typical ‘80s heartthrob. He’s not polished, he’s not rich, and he definitely doesn’t blend in but that’s what makes his character so compelling. There’s a vulnerability in his performance that’s often overlooked, and it’s what gives the romance its emotional weight.

Valley Speak, Punk Rock, and Social Commentary

A lot of reviews talk about the movie's charm or its fashion (and yes, there are so many leg warmers), but fewer dig into the social commentary baked into the story. Julie’s world the sanitized, mall-centered Valley is obsessed with status, appearances, and conformity. Randy, by contrast, exists in the grimier, more authentic punk scene. The tension between these two worlds is more than just aesthetic; it’s a subtle critique of class, culture, and identity.

Valley Girl doesn’t preach it lets the contrast play out naturally. Julie’s friends, for instance, aren’t villains. They’re just caught up in the same bubble Julie is trying to escape. That nuance gives the film a timeless quality, even if it’s rooted in a very specific cultural moment.

Also worth mentioning? The film’s female perspective. Directed by Martha Coolidge, one of the few female directors working in mainstream film at the time, Valley Girl treats its female characters with more care and complexity than you'd expect. Julie isn’t objectified, her friends aren’t one-dimensional, and the love story never feels male-gazey or exploitative. That might not sound like a big deal now but in 1983, it absolutely was.

A Soundtrack That Does More Than Set the Mood

We have to talk about the music.

The Valley Girl soundtrack is often ranked among the best of the decade, and for good reason. Featuring tracks from Modern English, The Plimsouls, Josie Cotton, and Men at Work, it’s not just background noise it’s part of the film’s emotional and cultural fabric.

One of the most unforgettable scenes? Julie and Randy making out in the shower while “I Melt With You” plays. That moment has become a shorthand for teenage longing, and the song itself is now practically synonymous with the movie. But beyond that, the soundtrack perfectly bridges the gap between new wave, punk, and pop echoing the themes of connection across subcultures.

Where It Shows Its Age (and Why That’s Okay)

Look, no movie from 1983 is going to feel completely timeless. Some of the fashion and dialogue are hilariously dated, and a few side characters lean hard into ‘80s caricature territory. But honestly? That’s part of the film’s charm.

What Valley Girl gets right is the emotional truth behind the absurdity. High school really does feel like the end of the world. Parents really do seem clueless. And finding someone who sees you for who you are not who you’re supposed to be really is earth-shaking when you’re 17.

Final Thoughts from BoxReview.com

At BoxReview.com, we revisit a lot of '80s teen movies, and most don’t hold up the way Valley Girl does. It’s colorful, catchy, and yes, kind of ridiculous but it also has heart, depth, and genuine emotion beneath the surface.

It’s a love story, a social satire, a musical time capsule, and a film that gave Nicolas Cage one of his most oddly grounded roles. And if you haven’t seen it in a while (or ever), it’s absolutely worth a rewatch not just for the nostalgia, but for the storytelling.

Totally recommended, fer sure.

Act Fast... Limited Time Offer!

Valley Girl

1983