spoiler in this review . despite a few highly improbable scene and include the boy in pe measure their penis in a contest and the few obligatory teen try to get laid vignette and this movie capture the painful essence of high school in way that few teen film have ever do . it achieve this by not only show the trio of friend and gary and dave and rick and a smoking and drinking and ever on the prowl teen and but also dwell on the nature of friendship itself a these three friend have their loyalty test . this film be a snapshot of the time when childhood end . for the shy romantic gary and when he see the lovely karen for the first time he fall instantly in love . the awaken emotion in gary be writ large on the screen and and he prove his love for her by take her in when she be jilt by her lover . this love for karen signal the end of gary innocence and a the bond with his two best friend will be test and and broken and over the course of the story . the confident lady man and rick and be the person in high school we all secretly wish we be represent handsome and cool and and always have the impossibly beautiful girl in a swoon . rick turn out to be a cad and but you have to bear in mind that his character be only 17 year old . he panic and make a bad decision . from rick perspective and the story be also about find the one girl of his dream and a bad breakup and and then at the end reconciling . the look on rick face a gary walk in and see karen kiss rick and show that he at last understands that his best friend and he love the same woman . a in real life and you do not bow out because your friend have an unrequited love . this be the tragedy of the film . rick be no villain and and constantly through the film he remind gary and dave that theyre his best friend . the soulful quality of gary performance and however and be the heart of the story . lawrence monoson be a beautiful loser . he do everything right and his heart in the right place and and he consume by love for karen . yet and karen and in the end and be not move by gary devotion and kindness . karen represent all the people in the world who take in without give back and who exist in a vacuum of their own ego and never stop to realize the emotional damage and trauma they inflict on others . this film be brutal in it statement on love and friendship and but that what make it unique among teen film . it cease be a comedy and become a hopelessly romantic film and albeit one doom to a tragic conclusion . anyone who have ever find the girl of his dream and do not win her and will understand . the heartrending crush of high school be every bit as real a the emotional strain of adulthood and and this film will remind you of that in bold stroke . gary final reversal and a he drive away with the inscribed locket and be as poignant a moment a any in cinema . one feel and after watch this and that it really make of two movie . the first part be a silly teen sexploitation film and and once the story begin and it a strongly affecting drama . a terrific movie . it should also be note that the soundtrack be prescient in it selection of many rise star include the police and the car and devo and oingo boingo and the plimsouls and the waitress and gleam spire and and phil seymour .