Smooth Talk (1985) Review

Title: Smooth Talk
Year: 1985
Director: Joyce Chopra
Country: US
Language: English

Adapted from Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where are you going? Where have you been?" Smooth Talk is a remarkable time capsule picture that captures the exuberance, energy, and danger of being a teenage girl in the 1980's. Director Joyce Chopra creates an intoxicating narrative revolving around the transition period between youth and adulthood. 

In this,  a free-spirited 15-year-old girl (Laura Dern) flirts with a dangerous stranger (Treat Williams) in the Northern California suburbs and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences.

Smooth Talk is beautifully shot; we are treated to incredible shots of beautiful girls and sun-soaked landscapes. The first half of the film is a construction of Laura Dern's character. We really get to know this girls' world, her growing pains, and generational conflict with her mother. The initial innocence of the picture slowly builds into a semi-horror movie when a stalker named Arnold Friend shows up. 

The writing, staging, acting, direction and score all add to a well-crafted picture that is compelling throughout as it deconstructs an age of innocence. Its exploration of human nature, in the context of sexuality and power, proves to be quite captivating. 

Prior to this picture, I only remembered seeing Laura Dern in Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. She has had a pretty long film career that I am certainly going to check out. I recommend you doing the same.