Foxes (1980)

Foxes (1980)

“Ya never know what ya don’t know — y’know?”

Synopsis:
A group of teenage friends (Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Marilyn Kagan, and Kandice Stroh) support each other during difficult times.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Family Problems
  • Friendship
  • Jodie Foster Films
  • Laura Dern Films
  • Lois Smith Films
  • Randy Quaid Films
  • Sally Kellerman Films
  • Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
This surprisingly disappointing coming-of-age flick showcases all the classic tropes of teenage angst — drug abuse, losing one’s virginity, negative body image, strained relationships with one’s parents, etc. — but fails to fully deliver on any of them. As in Joel Schumacher’s St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), too many characters spoil this movie’s narrative cohesion; Foxes would have been a much better film had it focused exclusively on Foster’s maternal concern for Annie (Currie), whose genuinely disturbing issues are given far too little screen time. Fortunately, despite the limitations of the film’s screenplay, Foster’s performance is as dependable as always; as Peary notes, she’s “terrific, even when her lines aren’t.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Jodie Foster in yet another mature, well-acted early role
  • Scott Baio as the girls’ skateboarding male friend
  • Cherie Currie (lead singer of the all-girl band “The Runaways”) as the deeply troubled Annie

Must See?
No. While it’s considered a minor cult classic, it’s ultimately not must-see viewing.

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One thought on “Foxes (1980)

  1. Oh, good God, does this movie ever *suck*!!! 😉

    Total…waste…of…time. …Oh, right!, it’s an Adrian Lyne movie.

    Let me put it this way: a hopelessly misguided look at the young, intended as an incisive portrait.

    Except that the writing is all surface.

    Foster had the good fortune to cross Scorsese’s path early; he brought two good performances out of her. I don’t feel she got anywhere near that level again until ‘The Accused’. (Although she didn’t particularly have great material in-between.)

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