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A cleverly written and generally underrated little ‘teen comedy’ from the mid-80’s, David Greenwalt’s Secret Admirer benefits from a quick pace and a colorful cast. Plus - if you’re in pretty good mood - there’s some solid laughs to be had.

The plot-heavy flick sounds a bit like a high concept sitcom plot: a love letter intended as communication between two horny teens ends up being read by a half-dozen confused people, each of whom believes the poetry was meant for them. This leads to all sorts of mistaken propositions, unwitting double entendres, and endless social misunderstandings. Silly stuff, to be sure, but still winning and well-delivered.

The screenplay (by director Jim Greenwalt and Jim Kouf) combines an air of old-style farce with the more sexy sensibilities of 1985, and there’s simply no denying that this cast is a joy to behold: C. Thomas Howell, Lori Loughlin, and the amazingly adorable Kelly Preston capably handle their teenage parts, though the best returns come from the “grown-ups”. Dee Wallace-Stone and Cliff De Young steal several scenes as two clueless parents, while Fred Ward is drop-dead hilarious in a few bits toward the end.

Given that Secret Admirer hit the screens around the same time as Fraternity Vacation and Porky’s Revenge, this one could be seen as a mini-classic. Secret Admirer sure isn’t a brilliant movie - but it’s a pretty funny distraction for a solid 90 minutes.

Look, at the very least it's got a topless moment with the future Mrs. Travolta.

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originally posted: 01/15/03 01:48:46
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