Starring: Lawrence Monoson, Diane Franklin, Steve Antin, Joe Rubbo, Louisa Moritz, Brian Peck, Kimmy Robertson, and Tessa Richarde.
Directed by: Boaz Davidson.
Most teen films are usually expected to end with the typical Hollywood happy conclusion. “The Last American Virgin” is one those rare coming of age teen comedies that breaks this trend. In fact, it is probably the only one. If you’ve seen movies like “Summer Break” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, then you have a good idea about what to expect in this classic ’80s film. It’s a US remake of a film from Israel called “Eskimo Limon” (1978) which spawned several sequels. While the original was set in the 1950s in Israel, this US remake brings things to 1980s Los Angeles, California.
“The Last American Virgin” is set around the central character Gary (played by Lawrence Monoson), an everyday high school student, and his two best buddies – David (played by Joe Rubbo), the fat guy who likes to clown around, and Rick (played by Steve Antin), who is the quintessential ladies man. A large portion of the film deals with this trio trying several attempts to score with women. These situations range from tricking a group of girls by showcasing Sweet-n-Low as cocaine, paying a visit to a MILF which Gary delivers pizza to, and sleeping with a crabs-infested hooker.
The rest of the film revolves around a love triangle which forms between Gary, his friend Rick, and his love interest Karen (played by Diane Franklin). This subplot is what adds the extra depth to the comedy bits about having sex, it makes it all that much realer as we see things from Gary’s troubled perspective. He has a secret crush on Karen, but Karen turns out to be attracted to Rick (what else is new?). As this subplot progresses, the movie becomes less and less about having sex and more about Gary trying to win over his heart’s desire. The stakes get raised to an all-time high with this plot, and for a while, things actually go Gary’s way for a bit, but like an old saying suggested… “nice guys finish last.”
That saying rings very true for this film, however, it presents a very dark spin on it that you wouldn’t expect. “The Last American Virgin” begins with many laugh out loud moments but it will leave you in tears by the time it is finished. That’s what makes this ’80s teen flick so unique. It would be nice if we had another teen coming of age film that accomplished what “The Last American Virgin” did.
