Beautiful Girls (1996) is a vastly underrated movie in my book. It’s one of my favorites that I watch from time to time. There are so many wonderful performances but Natalie Portman stole the show as the precocious Lolita.
She captivates and confuses Will (Tim Hutton) who’s gone back home to do some soul-searching before getting married.
The central theme of men’s obsession with beautiful women hits home as does the realistic portrayal of male friendships. The neighborhood reminded me so much of my youth in Newark, New Jersey but it could be anywhere really.
The storyline involving Matt Dillon’s character was also very interesting and ultimately touching. There’s a wonderful scene where Matt comes to grips with reality and realizes he’s not “King of the hill” back in school anymore and needs to finally grow up and avoid making commitments.
There are many other entertaining subplots, including the manic Paul (Michael Rappaport) who’s fixated on marrying a supermodel. He gives a hilarious speech on the glory of beautiful girls. He also has to deal with his commitment issues.
In a nutshell, I love this movie!
Here are some of the best scenes from this gem of a movie!
Here’s the trailer
The Rosie O’Donnell tirade against all men
Sweet Caroline scene as the guys serenade Uma Thurman at the bar
The theory of beautiful girls and super models
Late Night ice fishing
Here’s where Will meets the 13 year old with an old soul
Willie and Marty get to know each other better
Willie laments about the age problem
Willie and Marty talk through his window
The Winnie the Pooh scene
Willie says goodbye to the Birdman
Theme song by Pete Droge and the Sinners “Beautiful Girl”
Full movie (increase the speed to 1.25 speed because it plays too slow)
