The Allnighter (1987) Universal/Comedy-Drama RT: 97 minutes Rated PG-13 (sexual content, drug humor, some language) Director: Tamar Simon Hoffs Screenplay: Tamar Simon Hoffs and M.L. Kessler Music: Charles Bernstein Cinematography: Joseph D. Urbanczyk Release date: May 1, 1987 (US) Cast: Susanna Hoffs, Dedee Pfeiffer, Joan Cusack, John Terlesky, James Anthony Shanta, Michael Ontkean, Kaaren Lee, Pam Grier, Phil Brock, Bradford Bancroft, Meshach Taylor, Will Seltzer, Janelle Brady, Denise Dumont, Mary Petrie, Kelly Lynn Pushkin, Danyi Deats, Todd Field, Max Perlich. Box Office: $2.7M (US)
Rating: ***
I recall a conversation I once had with an area film critic/radio personality who asked me incredulously why I would rewatch a movie I hated. The question still echoes in my mind whenever I rewatch a stinker. There are a few ways that I could answer: (1) the movie brings back good memories, (2) I like making fun of bad movies, (3) time makes the heart grow fonder and (4) some of the stinkers from the past look pretty damn good today.
The comedy The Allnighter falls into the first, third and fourth categories for me. It came out in the summer of 1987, the best time of my life. I didn’t like it at all when I saw it at the cinema. I thought it was lame. It wanted badly to be American Graffiti for the 80s, but didn’t even come within a country mile of George Lucas’ timeless classic. Now it doesn’t seem so lame. It’s still not American Graffiti nor will it ever be, but it’s a damn sight better than most of what studios pass off as comedies these days. It certainly has a greater sense of innocence.
The plot of The Allnighter is a no-brainer. It centers on a group of young people having one last night of fun and personal reflection before they reach a crucial turning point in their lives. In this instance, it’s college graduation. It’s the usual collection of attractive but dim twenty-somethings whose collective IQ barely exceeds the triple-digits. Predictably, none of them know for sure what lies ahead even if they claim otherwise. Over the course of a single night, truths will be realized, lessons will be learned and misadventures will be had. It’ll be a night they’ll never forget.
The fictional Pacifica College looks like a fun place, one where most of the students seem to major in surfing and sunbathing. Class valedictorian Molly (Hoffs of The Bangles) can’t bring herself to write that final speech that’s supposed to send the graduating class out into the real world with some profound words of wisdom. She’s found her four years of college disappointing because she hasn’t had a meaningful relationship in all that time. She shares a beach house named “Shangri-La” with her two besties, Val (Pfeiffer, Vamp) and Gina (Cusack, Working Girl). Val is about to marry Brad (Brock, River’s Edge), a yuppie creep who spends more time talking business on the phone than paying attention to her. Gina is a film student who always has her camera at the ready to capture every moment for posterity.
Molly’s circle of friends also includes surfer dudes C.J. (Terlesky, Deathstalker II) and Killer (Shanta) who hang out at the girls’ place when they’re not out riding waves. C.J. has the hots for Molly, but can’t bring himself to tell her which means they often bicker. Killer is the philosopher of the group meaning that every line of dialogue that comes out of his mouth is supposed to be some profound statement. I’m wondering if the writers of Point Break looked to him for inspiration when coming up with Patrick Swayze’s dialogue.
The night at the center of The Allnighter is eventful to say the least. C.J.’s plans to reveal his feelings for Molly are thrown off by the arrival of Mickey (Ontkean, Slap Shot), a has-been rock star who used to live in the girls’ house when he was a student at Pacifica. He stops by to look at his old place and Molly is instantly smitten. She ditches “The Fiesta” (a big beach party celebrating college graduation) to visit him at his hotel. She ends up spending most of the night on the balcony when his ex (Lee, Remote Control) unexpectedly stops by. She also happens to be Molly’s advisor. It’s the same hotel where Val is spending the night with her fiancee. Through a series of misunderstandings, Val and Gina are arrested after being mistaken for hookers by hotel detectives. It’s up to Molly to raise bail and get them released before the ceremony. Then there’s that pesky speech. It’s not going to write itself.
Talk about Hollywood nepotism, star Susanna Hoffs is the daughter of director/co-writer Tamar Simon Hoffs (the short film The Haircut). The Allnighter is her first feature film. It’s also Susanna’s only major acting credit. It was supposed to launch her film career, but that didn’t happen. She’s cute and attractive, but acting isn’t her strong suit. He has more presence on the stage at a concert venue than on the big screen. She does little more than smile and pout while delivering dopey dialogue. Most of the time, she has this vacant expression on her face which gives one cause to wonder how Molly made class valedictorian. Just how high or low are the standards at Pacifica? Judging by the brief interviews Gina conducts with fellow students, perhaps Molly was the least mindless student in the class of ’87 making her valedictorian by default. Yes, that would explain it.
Susanna isn’t the only one in The Allnighter with famous relatives. Dedee Pfeiffer is Michelle’s baby sister; Joan Cusack is John’s big sister. Dedee might not have all the talent in the world, but she’s easy on the eyes and easier to take than Megan Fox. Cusack is a natural funny girl. She always brings something to the table. Shanta perfectly plays a big goofy philosopher. Ontkean is okay as the aging rocker with the healthy libido. Blaxploitation queen Pam Grier shows up briefly as the no-BS officer in charge where the girls are jailed.
Brock is a terrible actor. He delivers an especially embarrassing performance here. Brad is the type of person you’d expect to see throwing a full-on temper tantrum when he doesn’t get his way. I’m talking about throwing himself on the ground and kicking, screaming and banging his fists. Any girl who would agree to marry this pretentious, pompous ass much less go out on a single date with him must have some serious self-esteem issues.
The soundtrack has a few good tunes on it including the love ballad “Never Thought” (Dan Hill) and “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades” (Timbuk 3). Since The Allnighter isn’t a musical, Susanna doesn’t sing in it nor is there a single Bangles song on the soundtrack. We do get to see her dance a couple of times, once in her underwear (to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”). Man, that girl is sexy
The Allnighter is 100% dated. Those who came of age in the 80s ought to get a kick out of it. I don’t think today’s young people will enjoy it unless they’re students of sociology looking to study the habits and rituals of young people in the 1980s. It makes a strong case for the airheads of the 80s being smarter than 21st century ones. It’s an entertaining little romp, fluff really. It doesn’t have any deep meaning. It has nothing to say about the human condition. It’s as dumb and one-dimensional as the characters it depicts. It’s just content to be. I can’t fault it for any of these things.
