Smooth Talk

I have long been a fan of the author Joyce Carol Oates. While she is a master novelist, penning several bestsellers, one of her most widely discussed and debated stories is a short story called "Where Are You Going Where Have You Been".The 1985 film "Smooth Talk" is based on Oates' award winning story "Where Are You Going Where Have You Been".

The movie stars Laura Dern as Connie, a curious young teenage girl who is also a dreamer. Connie believes that she deserves good things and she will do what she has to do to get them. Connie has two best friends, Laura and Jill. But Connie seems to have outgrown her friend Jill, who still acts somewhat like a tomboy. Instead, Connie and Laura like to go to the mall and flirt with boys.

When Connie catches the eye of a mysterious older man named Arnold Friend (played by Treat Williams), she is not prepared for what awaits her. Connie, long past joining in for family outings, stays home on a Sunday while her family goes to a family picnic. A car with two strange boys shows up and it is then that Connie realized that her flirtatious behavior has gone too far-- she gets herself into a bind that she can't get out of.

Throughout the film, Connie's relationships with her mother and her goody two-shoes older sister is very strained. Her sister June can do no wrong, but Connie doesn’t want to end up being an old spinster like her! Connie's mom, played brilliantly by Mary Kay Place, thinks her daughter is lazy and selfish. Connie's father seems pretty clueless to everything around him.

While there is not a huge plot to this movie, it is quite thought-provoking. I especially like to watch the dynamic between Connie and the people in her life. Connie versus her mother. Connie versus Jill. Connie versus Arnold Friend. It is truly a movie about the complexity of relationships. This movie has a great soundtrack, too. Most of the songs are by James Taylor.

Are there things in the movie (and the short story) that I don't understand? Absolutely. When Arnold Friend drives up in his car, he ahs all sorts of codes and numbers written on it. I am not sure of the significance of that and it's one of the points that fans of the story have been analyzing for years. Are the numbers the ages of women that he has stalked? That part of the story continues to baffle me.

The performances in this movie are all well done. Laura Dern was only about 17 years old when she starred in this movie (although the character of Connie was 15) and she gives a terrific performance. Mary Kay Place ahs always been a favorite of mine and she doesn't disappoint in this movie. And then there's Treat Williams. In the movie he says he is 18, but Connie doesn't believe him. In fact, Williams was 34 when he played the part of the much older Arnold Friend.

The imagery n this movie is also awesome. Connie's family lives in an old farmhouse, which they are trying to fix up. They seem to live out in the middle of nowhere, but within walking distance of a burger joint. The girls always need a ride to the mall or the beach, though. The mall looks like a typical mall from the mid 1980's. It is interesting to watch this film that is over 20 years old and to compare it to how teenagers act now. While the teens in this movie are very different from modern day teenagers, they are similar in certain ways.

It is also interesting to watch a film like this after reading the story version. I had a certain interpretation about the ending when I read the story, but the film portrays a very different ending in my opinion. I have enjoyed this movie for over two decades and it is one that I own in my personal collection. If you are looking for an interesting character study, I recommend "Smooth Talk". I would also highly recommend reading the story "Where Are You Going Where Have You Been" either before or after you see the movie.