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Earth Girls Are Easy

From Alfawiki
Earth Girls Are Easy
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded1988
FounderJulien Temple (director), Tony Garnett, Duncan Henderson, Terrence E. McNally (producers)
Headquarters
United States
ProductsFilm

Earth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 American science fiction musical film romantic comedy directed by Julien Temple and produced by Tony Garnett, Duncan Henderson, and Terrence E. McNally. The cast includes Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Julie Brown, Charles Rocket, and Michael McKean. The movie draws inspiration from the song "Earth Girls Are Easy," featured on Brown's 1984 EP Goddess in Progress.

Plot

Set in the San Fernando Valley, Valerie Gail is employed as a manicurist at the Curl Up & Dye salon. Feeling neglected by her fiancé, Dr. Ted Gallagher, she undergoes a transformation with the help of her friend Candy Pink. When Valerie attempts to entice Ted, he arrives accompanied by a nurse, leading her to end their engagement.

Simultaneously, three extraterrestrial visitors—Mac, Zeebo, and Wiploc—from the planet Jhazalla crash-land their spacecraft into Valerie’s swimming pool. After welcoming them into her residence, Valerie contacts her friend Woody to assist in repairing the damaged ship. The aliens quickly assimilate into American customs by watching television.

Ted tries reaching Valerie but finds her missing. Upon her return with the aliens, he informs the police, alleging she won an MTV contest. Ted insists the aliens must leave; when authorities arrive, Valerie accuses Ted of hostility, resulting in his arrest and cancellation of their wedding. Meanwhile, Valerie and Mac develop a romantic connection.

While Zeebo and Wiploc work on fixing the spaceship and inadvertently cause disturbances around town, both Mac and Woody are taken into custody. Valerie deliberately gets arrested to join them. Following a police chase that ends in a crash, Ted examines Zeebo and Wiploc in the emergency room, noting their two hearts and envisioning potential fame. Valerie and Mac disguise themselves as hospital staff to escape back home where they continue the ship’s repairs.

Valerie reconciles with Ted and plans to elope to Las Vegas; however, recognizing her true affection for Mac, she boards the spaceship with him as it departs, leaving Ted behind.

Production

Inspired by Julie Brown's 1984 EP Goddess in Progress, Warner Bros. initiated development of a musical comedy based on her song "Earth Girls Are Easy." The screenplay was crafted by Brown, Terrence McNally, and Charlie Coffey. Although production was initially slated for 1986, it was postponed after director Julien Temple’s previous film did not perform well commercially. The lead role was offered to actresses including Madonna and Molly Ringwald but was declined by both, resulting in Warner Bros. abandoning the project. Subsequently, French financial institution Crédit Lyonnais funded the film under Temple’s direction with a trimmed $10 million budget while De Laurentiis Entertainment Group agreed to handle distribution.

Principal photography commenced in late 1987 with Temple integrating pop culture elements and music references, featuring a cameo by media figure Angelyne. Temple’s detailed directing style caused delays, and early versions of the film encountered problems that led to over five months of post-production adjustments and reshoots. Several sequences along with the musical number "I Like 'em Big and Stupid" were cut and replaced by the newly added song "Cause I'm a Blonde." During this period, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group filed for bankruptcy.

Although preview screenings received favorable responses attracting interest from distributors such as Nelson Entertainment and MGM/UA, distribution rights were ultimately acquired by Vestron Pictures. The film debuted at the 1988 Toronto Festival of Festivals and was originally planned for release in February 1989 but was postponed until May due to legal issues.

Box office

The film's financial performance was underwhelming, recouping only slightly more than one-third of its $10 million budget. In the United Kingdom, it earned £172,880 at the box office.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 68% approval rating derived from 38 critic reviews, with an average score of 5.6 out of 10. The critical consensus characterizes it as "messy, silly, and not particularly bright," traits that the film embraces intentionally. Metacritic assigned it a score of 66 out of 100 based on evaluations from 16 critics, reflecting "generally favorable" feedback.

Roger Ebert referred to the film as "silly and predictable," yet still entertaining to watch. Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide described it as an "[i]nfectiously goofy musical" that delivers "some good laughs" along with "an endearing performance by Davis." George Anderson from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette complimented its joyful absurdity, remarking that although difficult to fully endorse, it remains alluring. On the other hand, Chris Hicks of the Deseret News criticized it as "less a movie than a stretched-out, padded [music] video."

Accolades

Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result
Fantasporto 1990 Best Film Julien Temple Template:Nom
Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Supporting Actress Angelyne Template:Nom
Independent Spirit Awards Best Cinematography Oliver Stapleton Template:Nom

Soundtrack

Released by Sire Records on May 9, 1989, the soundtrack was made available on vinyl, cassette, and CD formats. Many tracks on the album differ from their counterparts in the film; several songs featured in the movie were excluded from the album, and Geena Davis' rendition of "The Ground You Walk On" was substituted with a version performed by Jill Jones.

The single "Baby Gonna Shake" by Royalty was issued with various remix versions. Additionally, Hall & Oates' cover of "Love Train" was released as a single, accompanied by the film’s title track performed by The N.

Legacy

This film served as an inspiration for the music video accompanying the 2015 track "Pretty Girls" by American pop artist Britney Spears and Australian rapper Iggy Azalea.

Stage show

Beginning on September 16, 2001, multiple staged readings of a musical adaptation based on the film were presented. The adaptation was penned by Charlie Coffey and Michael Herrmann, featuring Brown reprising her role as Candy, with performances by Kristin Chenoweth as Valerie, Marc Kudisch as Ted, and Hunter Foster as Mac. These productions incorporated costumes and props but omitted sets; actors held scripts during performances to attract potential investors.

The musical did not include any original compositions but incorporated popular songs from the 1980s alongside numbers from the film. It largely adhered to the original plot while introducing new dialogue, omitting some characters, and making minor alterations. Recordings from the September 30, 2002 presentation are available online.

Although reception was favorable, efforts to secure funding for a full-scale production were hampered by timing shortly after the September 11 attacks, preventing further development.

Cast


Musical numbers

Act I
Act II
  • "True Colors" – sung by Mac
  • "Atomic" – Valerie's performance
  • "Roam" – Entire Cast ensemble
  • "Just Like Fred Astaire" – duet by Mac & Valerie
  • "'Cause I'm a Blonde" – Candy's solo
  • "Should Have Known Better" – performed by Ted
  • "Moonblind" – duet by Mac and Valerie
  • "Scary Kisses" – featuring Valerie, Mac & Cast


External links

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