Don't Let The Review Fool You...

Well, you knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time.

But there’s not much else that can really be said about the greatest teen sex-comedy of 1980 that hasn’t already all been said. So why not let the professionals handle it?

Likely the most poignant review of the film came from the great Roger Ebert, who summed up the film's best moment quite well:

“Little Darlings…belongs to the young actress Kristy McNichol. She plays a 15-year-old who has just experienced sex for the first time. It was not, of course, quite like she expected it to be. She sits quietly in a corner of a deserted summer cottage, her thoughts a million miles away from her teen-age boyfriend. At last she says, "I feel so lonely."

The feelings implied in that single line of dialog are completely true to the scene and to the character. She is lonely because she has suddenly and rather unhappily passed on from the ranks of pubescent girls. She is now an individual, possessed of the sometimes uncomfortable freedom to make decisions.”

 

I couldn’t agree more, Roger.

But let’s stay away from the heavier side of Little Darlings, and focus on why it’s really awesome: Kristy McNichol. 

Ironically, though, one of the bigger stars to come out of this movie was Cynthia Nixon (pictured right), who had a minor role in the film but has since gone on to find immense fame as Miranda on Sex and the City (coincidentally, a show that featured O’Neal as a rival of the main character, Carrie Bradshaw, during the sixth season). I would’ve chosen Matt Dillon, who played McNichol’s love interest in the film, but his star has been fading as of late. 

So if you’re looking for an awesome movie about summer camp at the dawn of the 1980s, then Little Darlings is the flick for you. It’s the perfect way to end an epic night of playing NBA 2k11’s My Crew mode. 

So, throw some waffles in the toaster, get some provolone, grab a glass of milk, and sit back and enjoy Kristy's breakout film role: Little Darlings.