The Last American Virgin Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1982

The Last American Virgin was a surprisingly successful teenage-sex comedy released in the early eighties depicting the lives of three friends on the prowl for women. As to be expected with such films, there are plenty of expected (and often crude) laughs to be had, but it's the elements you least expect that make it most memorable…

Comedies based on the shallow lives of oversexed teenagers flowed aplenty throughout the 80's, and perhaps this is to be expected since the hormonal state of teenagers presents plenty of opportunity for hilarity. The Last American Virgin successfully taps into this potential, providing plenty of genuine and obnoxious laughs.

You'll find teenagers gambling on who has the longest "package" in the locker room, bimbos snorting Sweet and Low in place of cocaine, drunken serenades, shocking cases of mistaken identity, fumbled attempts at managing a bra, attempts to cure a case of crabs by drowning them inside a swimming pool and much more. Needless to say there is plenty of sex, nudity, drugs and alcohol in this movie, but rarely have these topics been handled in such an amusing manner.

Although the movie starts off with an outrageous bang and provides plenty of cheap laughs, soon we begin to detect something else lying just under the surface. Unlike most comedies of this nature, The Last American Virgin possesses a potent realism and intelligence that catches us off guard. What begins as a seemingly shallow comedy slowly transforms into a bittersweet drama about the pain of unrequited love.

Gary (Lawrence Monoson), Rick (Steve Antin) and David (Joe Rubbo) are close friends that are obsessed with "scoring." Gary and the overweight David are both virgins, but whereas David wants to lose his virginity in any way possible, Gary is a nice guy who wants his first time to be special. Rick, on the other hand, is a selfish stud that has no problem with the ladies.

Karen (Diane Franklin), a beautiful girl that is new in town, instantly captures Gary's heart, but his affections are not returned. As is the fate of many nice guys, he hopes to eventually win her love, all the while watching as she becomes smitten with his good friend, Rick, who is only out to take her virginity.

While this isn't an uncommon plot for teen comedies, the sincere manner in which it is handled is painfully realistic. Whereas most movies show the nice guy winning the girl in the end, The Last American Virgin bravely shows the harsh truth of unreturned love.

Rick ends up having his way with Karen, but once he discovers she is pregnant he drops her like a hot potato. Despite losing her to his friend, Gary cannot get over his love for Karen and defends her honor, thereby testing his friendship with Rick. He pawns off his valuables to help her pay for an abortion, and helps her heal physically and emotionally during their winter vacation.

Although he failed to win her love before Rick claimed her ultimate gift, will Gary's compassion and selflessness prevail in the end? The answer may surprise and shock you.

The acting exhibited by the lead characters was solid and believable, and it is that believability that was vital to lending the dramatic overtones to The Last American Virgin. Lawrence Monoson presented a strong representation of a nice, unconfident, smitten male, while Diane Franklin's performance as his teenage crush was convincing. Steve Antin's performance as the stud was fairly one-dimensional, but that's what is to be expected from the role and unfortunately too many people are truly that shallow in this world. Joe Rubbo's character was mostly inserted for comic relief, and he lent likeability to the overweight goof.

Equally impressive as the movie itself was its soundtrack, which featured premiere 80's bands such as The Cars, Devo, The Human League and REO Speedwagon. The track selection was nearly flawless due to how well each song complimented the film's happenings and atmosphere. At times it even seems like the songs were created solely for this movie.

The Last American Virgin is a rare and intelligent hybrid; equal parts hilarity and tearjerker. The off-the-wall comedy blended with powerful teenage angst takes the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster and can strike a chord within the many viewers who may have experienced unrequited love themselves in the past.

Movie rating: 9 stars

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