Very Good Girls (2013) Online

Yes, I have. We all have.

Two regurgitated caricatures of the stereotypical American teenage girl, Lily and Gerry are sooooooo different yet so alike. Both fall in love with the same part shady stalker, part brooding troubled artiste~ who wants to travel the world but his list of places to visit is, like, "Rome... (d-uh)Paris..." Daddy issues are, of course, played up wonderfully, because what is any worthy female teenage protagonist if not the product of her father's neglect? What possibly can one expect when the preppy rich teenage daughter of a straight-laced household made up of detached parents and siblings goes to her dad's office to ask him to get through with this patient already they're getting late for dinn- *gasp* and henceforth a series of incredibly stupid decisions are made by two girls we initially assume to be a lot smarter, wittier, braver and mature than they turn out to be. Every trick in the book for a deep and wholesome young-woman-coming-of-age film is not simply used, but abused in the most blatant schticky manner possible; I promise you, there is more than one cameo made by Sylvia Plath.

This film is a true example of lazy filmmaking in an industry where ~gratuitous-yet-modest~ sex scenes and summertime virginity pacts are more important than honest *portrayals* let alone discussions about teenage turmoil and female sexuality. Not even that awkwardly long shot of Dakota Fanning kinda-sorta running-jogging could redeem this movie.

Don't watch it. You've already seen it. And you've seen better.

Very Good Girls has somehow managed to get a truly noteworthy and remarkable cast in spite of being a most mediocre, humdrum and unremarkable film itself.

The movie is about two best girl friends during their last summer together in New York before they go off to two different colleges in the fall. As the title implies, they've been "Very Good Girls" in high school and are not overly experienced in some aspects of life making them conclude that they should lose their virginity before heading off to school. Their friendship is tested over the summer by various things -- work, family, uncertainty, tragedy -- but most of all by their mutual attraction to a handsome street artist they meet and befriend.

Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam) and Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) play besties Lily and Gerry with Boyd Holbrook (Milk) playing their object of affection who ends up favoring one of the girls to the other. Fanning and Olsen are two of the best young working actresses in Hollywood today and I do not question their talent at all; but Olsen's five year age differential is highly apparent here making the casting in this film ever-so-slightly distracting. Richard Dreyfus (Jaws), Ellen Barkin (Sea of Love), Clark Gregg (The Avengers) and Demi Moore (Ghost) play parents of the two girls while Peter Sarsgaard (An Education) co-stars as Lily's boss and Kiernan Shipka (Sally in 'Mad Men') as her younger sister.

The first-time director, Naomi Foner, just happens to be the mother of the Gyllenhaal siblings (Jake and Maggie) which most likely helps explain why this talented cast (Sarsgaard is Foner's son-in-law) signed onto such a pedestrian, over-done script.

The story is nothing special -- and has been told many times -- but the acting in Very Good Girls is "Very Good" and solid. Everyone involved here is singularly better than the film as a whole.

Just watched it today, and It was a nice film that involved great acting. It could've been a lot better, but I just watched it because of Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen. They are a young and talented. I've seen many films that do the "let's lose our virginity" topic. Those others films were kinda comedic in a way but this one is kind of realistic and you feel as if a person would actually do something for their own benefit. That's the real world, trust is very hard to find and the purpose of this movie is to show young teens that losing your virginity just to get over with it might not turn out the way you want it to. It's better to have patience and wait for the right person instead of grabbing anyone nearby . Clark gregg was in the movie playing a doctor and father of Dakota F. character. She see's something she shouldn't have and she also has a broken relationship with her parents. Overall this movie is good but had potential to be great so give it a go. :)

"We got to get over this hump."

Very Good Girls was on my radar ever since I heard it was debuting in last year's Sundance Film Festival. The reason I was attracted towards this despite not knowing anything about the plot was the cast. It starred Elizabeth Olsen who I've been a fan of ever since Martha Marcy May Marlene and Dakota Fanning who I think hasn't matched that same potential she had as a child actress. The supporting cast included Demi Moore, Peter Sarsgaard, Clark Gregg, and Richard Dreyfuss so I was really looking forward to what they could do. This was also the feature film debut from director Naomi Foner who had written a couple of screenplays in the past, but is best known for being the mother of the talented actors, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

You would never guess this screenplay was written by a woman considering these young teenage girls have no personality and their entire lives seem to revolve around this guy they met at a beach. He is the only thing they talk about and both girls end up falling for him, which is pretty much the basic theme of this film as their friendship is tested by their personal feelings towards him. Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen play these young girls who want to lose their virginity before going to college. The guy they both fall for is played by Boyd Holbrook and I really wasn't a huge fan of his performance. I couldn't see why these girls would fall for him as he lacked personality and wasn't really charming either. Both Fanning and Olsen come from very different families. Olsen's parents are played by Richard Dreyfuss and Demi Moore who are very talkative and liberal, while Fanning's parents are played by Clark Gregg and Ellen Barkin and they are much more reserved. The parents don't get much screen time so they weren't really developed very well and all the information we gather from them is through the conversations the two girls have about how they view them (which is almost entirely negative). So that was a big let down for me because I was interested in what these actors could bring to the drama. There is nothing really that engages the audience since none of the characters have any personality whatsoever and not even the love triangle seems too appealing due to the lack of romantic chemistry. The film is only 90 minutes long but it seemed to drag forever and the score didn't help out either. I was hugely disappointed by Very Good Girls and I understand now why it took so long to reach a wider audience after the Festival.

Unfortunately the talented cast is wasted in this film and not even my appreciation for Elizabeth Olsen engaged me. I didn't even like her character very much here and much less the rest of the cast. Olsen has to find better roles because her latest films haven't exploded her potential very well. I was amazed to see how little Demi Moore and Richard Dreyfuss were used in this film; there could have been a better movie somewhere if they were given more importance. The lack of personality from any character just makes this film even more boring and tedious. There have been so many good coming of age films over the past year that this film simply fails to reach the bar that was set so high by Kings of Summer, The Way Way Back, and The Spectacular Now. This could have been an opportunity for two strong female leads but they simply didn't have much to work with.

First-time directors don't typically draw a cast with this much potential and talent. For Very Good Girls, Naomi Foner has managed to snag two of the hottest young actresses in the business right now - Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen - and surrounded them with the likes of Richard Dreyfuss, Demi Moore, Ellen Barkin and Clark Gregg. The more cynical among us would put this casting coup down to Foner's Hollywood connections: she's penned a few screenplays in her time, but is best known as the mother of thespian siblings Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal. It's a shame that the final product doesn't dispel these suspicions. The film's awkward love/lust triangle never really convinces, and Very Good Girls spends most of its running time meandering aimlessly through the lives of characters who remain stubbornly opaque and unlikeable.

Lilly (Fanning) and Gerry (Olsen) are best friends who've grown up together, taking refuge in each other's houses when life gets too complicated in their own homes. It's their final summer together, and both girls make a pact to lose their virginity before Lilly goes off to college. Enter David (Boyd Holbrook), an artist who enchants both girls with his good looks and charm. As Gerry develops an outsized crush on David, Lilly plunges into a relationship with him - one that she awkwardly keeps a secret from her best friend. When tragedy strikes, Lilly is overcome by guilt, and the life-long friendship that binds the two girls together is sorely tested.

The trouble with Very Good Girls is that it's built around a tired old trope - two girls fight and fall out over the love of one guy - but fails to find anything refreshing to say about it. Foner's screenplay, for all that it's written by a woman, gives little to no real insight into either girl. Lilly, in particular, feels like a hollow shell drifting through the paces of her narrative, never really connecting with either David or her sketchy, amorous boss Fitzsimmons (Peter Sarsgaard - Foner's son-in-law). It doesn't help that David, as played by the stoically colourless Holbrook, is a walking cliché - in a scene meant to pass for deeply romantic, he actually makes Lilly read him poetry by Sylvia Plath in his dingy artist's loft.

Far more interesting are the home lives Foner has constructed around the two girls. Lilly struggles to come to terms with her father Edward (Gregg) cheating on her uptight mother Norma (Barkin), and migrates to Gerry's considerably more cheery, argumentative home, presided over by the loving but loud Danny (Dreyfuss) and Kate (Moore). There's so much more here to be explored: the way the two families intersect, and how these connections feed into the girls' friendship, lives and personalities. Unfortunately, Foner shoves it all into the background, focusing instead on the unfortunate love/lust triangle that's sprung up around Lilly, Gerry and David.

Foner's cast is, at least, worth the watch, although they don't quite manage to completely salvage the film or their characters. Fanning plays Lilly as tremulously lost, and Olsen lends her own charms to an otherwise paper-thin character who feels more like a plot device than a person. Barkin comes off best out of the entire adult cast, unearthing a little of the sorrow that haunts a woman whose husband has been conducting an affair in their own home.

It should come as no surprise to anyone who watches Very Good Girls that the movie was written twenty years ago. In many ways, the film feels hopelessly outdated. Foner makes minor edits to the script to update it to the present, which largely involve Lilly never charging her mobile phone so that she can only be contacted on a landline. But, in the larger scheme of things, the film seems out of touch with the girls of its title, miring them in adolescent angst over the same boy while failing to make them stand on their own as characters.

Emotionally complex. A great, realistic portrayal of the challenges of a troubled family life and of love and friendship. People make mistakes, and mistakes have to be forgiven, is what this movie seems to say. This movie will have you laughing, crying, suspicious, angry and happy until the very end. It didn't really seem to me that the girls actually made a pact. That would be my main complaint about the plot. They did talk about losing their virginity, but didn't really make any plans. Other than that, a really good movie.

Between Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen, it is hard to argue that there isn't some sort of draw to this movie. After all, they are playing two best friends in New York having their last summer together before college. Which in itself is a nice coming of age story. But then with the added mix of them trying to lose their virginity, it does make you wonder if this film is going to end up insightful or relatable, or if perhaps that angle will solely be used to get boys interested in the film.

Characters & Story

In the suburbs of New York City you'll find two best friends: the adventurous Gerry (Elizabeth Olsen), and her more timid friend Lily (Dakota Fanning). They have been friends for quite a while and have a strong bond, but with college around the corner, and Lily leaving for Yale, they try to make this summer one to remember. How you may ask? Well, with it being the summer they both lose their virginity.

Enter David (Boyd Holbrook). A boy who Gerry is head over heels for on first sight but, unfortunately for her, his focus is on Lily. Leading to the question: can one boy, a complete stranger, possibly ruin a multi- year friendship just because he is hot, mysterious, and willing to be in the company of both of them?

Praise

In the summer time a lot of coming of age films are released, and perhaps what makes this one a tad different is that the focus is on two girls trying to grow up and become their sense of what mature is. This is opposed to the usually coming of age films about boys, much less awkward boys, who find some girl, who is usually out of their league, and he finds a way to win her over with his charm. With this film though, the girls are given not just the focus, but aspirations for once. Gerry wants to be a musician, and while I didn't catch what Lily wanted to do at Yale, at the very least we learned she wanted to do more than lose her virginity over the summer.

And when it comes to the story as a whole, I felt that it made for something entertaining to watch. Both Fanning and Olsen make appealing leads, and you can understand their lust for Holbrook who makes a good "I'm troubled and mysterious" love interest. Plus, I must say I did like the side stories dealing with both Lily and Gerry's families. They were good enough to provide us with insight to understand why Lily and Gerry were the way they are without the parent's drama starting to compete with the main story.

Criticism

I will say though, I hate the fact there was a love triangle in the film. Also, I wasn't a fan of director/ writer Naomi Foner romanticizing David's stalking into a cute love story. I mean, think of how off putting it would be if some guy tries to get your attention by pasting photos of you walking away from him around a neighborhood, and then not even asking for your phone number, but instead your address. Then, to make matters stranger, you can see Lily/ Fanning is uncomfortable with this dude and yet gives him a chance. Something which, to me anyway, may send the wrong message since usually a girl's intuition when it comes to a guy making her uncomfortable is right.

Overall: TV Viewing

If you don't over analyze the film, you'll likely love it. It has the general feel of most coming of age films, with a nice twist with having female leads. However, I do feel slightly that even with the gender switch when it comes to who is the lead, it has the same problem most coming of age films have. The girl, or rather girls, are a bit too dependent on the guy when it comes to them evolving. Which, in all honesty, I don't think neither Gerry nor Lily do in the film, evolve that is. If anything, they both fawn over David, as he seemingly plays with both, leading to the girls fighting and then making up. Which I realize is a major spoiler, but at the same time it is a story done so much that even considering that a spoiler would mean you haven't seen a coming of age film, much less a romance film, ever.

Very Good Girls is the worst kind of film in the regard that its poster and trailer allude to the idea that it will be covering loftier subjects in the realm of teen angst, but it isn't until one finally sees the film that they realize that every preconceived notion they had about the film turned out to be a product of wishful, optimistic thinking. Very Good Girls is a tiresome retread of clichés and sterile filmmaking, one without wit or insight into the life of a teenager, and constructing characters out of thin, threadbare personality traits without ever giving them opportunities to expand into something greater.

It doesn't stop there; it also places two strong talents at the core of its mediocrity. One of whom is Elizabeth Olsen, who has been on a roll with such fantastic films that she really doesn't have time for a film like this. Alongside Olsen is Dakota Fanning, a considerably successful child actor who has had a rather rough time finding adult roles now that she has moved on from her childhood career. The two play best friends Lily and Gerry, both of whom home for one last summer in their homestate of New York. Upset that they are practically the only two people who still hold their virginity, they make a pact to lose it before leaving for college. After a day at the beach, they fall in love with the first guy they say, a misunderstood, crabby soul by the name of David (Boyd Holbrook) who, despite his surly attitude when they first meet, turns out to be a quietly romantic guy, who enjoys poetry. The two begin the long, tireless task of trying to maintain a relationship with this guy behind each others back, while occasionally returning home to fight or disagree with their parents, where the film misses another bold opportunity at characterization.

To begin with, we already know so desperately little about Lily or Gerry other than they're attractive, life-long collegians who are virgins and detest the fact they are virgins. Other than that, they are as vacant as characters can be, and given this film was written and directed by a female begs the question why Naomi Foner didn't take the route of humanizing her characters. In a sea of films that seem to get adolescents wrong, particularly the females, Foner had a chance to develop female characters rich with feelings and ideas, but instead opts for them to have nothing more on their mind than some personally-lacking blonde guy who they fall head over heals in lust with for reasons never truly outlined. If a male had written and directed this film, we'd be deploring every grating opportunity to simplify these characters into outlets striving for basic human gratification and nothing more.

As stated before, even Lily and Gerry's parents have no personality to speak of, with Lily's parents having a more hardened, regressive attitude and Gerry's being more loose and liberal. Conversations between the girls and their parents last for no longer than two minutes and bear nothing in the way of identification but rather patient-testing oversimplification. Nobody in this film has an identity, and as a film about the sexual awakening of two lifelong best friends, I don't think it's wrong to expect a film that would be something in the way of deep and contemplative.

Very Good Girls is, in some ways, a poor man's version of the brilliant Norwegian film Turn Me On, Dammit!, which concerned a fifteen-year-old girl experiencing a rampant sexual awakening, full of dirty fantasies and prolific masturbation. The film showed the darker side of adolescent sexuality in a blatant manner, never sugarcoating or shortchanging and always looking to humanize and provide a lens of empathy and understanding. Very Good Girls, in comparison and on its own, is an abysmal display of emptiness in one of its most contemptible forms.

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen, and Boyd Holbrook. Directed by: Naomi Foner.

I was expecting much more from this than I got when I finished watching it.

Being a long time fan of Dakota Fanning, as I suspect her performances are far above the average from girls her age and especially from her era, I was very excited to see her in a more 'mature' type of movie.

Well, I can't really say I was disappointed with the acting from the cast. I guess even that guy who played the street artist was o.k. but I was not satisfied with the development of the film. The movie was slow and then when it was almost finishing they threw it all at once and maybe it was a ~surprising~ ending once I wasn't expecting it but I was not pleased as I thought it rather silly, to be quite honest.

They were dealing with an adult theme at first which requires an adult reaction from all of the circumstances dealt in the movie and then at the very ending of it they just decided to wrap it all up with a rather silly reaction from the characters so us 'the public/audience' would be happy and content. Just typically clichè Hollywood ending while I would have preferred a million times a more realistic type of closing I guess.

And I just say so because this looks to me as an Indie film in which we generally get a more human response to human emotions played on screen (as well as in foreign films).

Of course, I know the old saying 'you can't always get what you want' but I think it's unfair to the public if they promote the movie a certain way and the final result is completely different from that. I mean that even in what concerns the trailer, the poster, every single advertising thing they do. It just has to be fair to their final public otherwise you can't even trust the filmmakers anymore because they are obviously just thinking about an easy way to cash in at your expenses.

I can't really give you more details because I'd have to tell you how it ends but watch it if you really feel like, it's NOT a complete waste of time because as I've said the characters are well portrayed by the whole cast and I can positively say now that I'll keep looking for more Dakota Fanning and Liz Olsen works in the future, they are far above the average and always deserving a much larger recognition for their roles in almost everything they do. 6/10

"I just wanted to make you feel better. You liked him so much." Lilly (Fanning) and Gerri (Olsen) have been best friends for years and have just graduated high school. Both are on their way to college and neither want to go there as virgins. They decide to make a pact with each other that they will both lose it before they leave. Things are going along fine until they meet and start to like the same boy. This is a plot that has been done to death. Usually though the movie is a comedy and this is a drama. The one thing this does have going for it that the others don't is great actors. The acting alone is enough to keep this from becoming too cheesy or cookie-cutter like. The movie is very predictable and again is something you have seen a hundred times but Fanning and Olsen together are a great team. There are moments that make you cry and make you angry but overall this is a movie that will give you a good feeling. Overall a movie that who's plot has been done to death but the acting makes it feel fresh. A very good coming of age movie that teen girls should watch to show what is really important in life. I give this a high B+.

In one word: pretentious!

I don't know why every screen writer thinks that only screwed up people deserve to be the focus of a story or that they are the only ones troubled by the challenges and hardships of life; it's banal, predictable and trite.

I also do not understand why depth of character in movies is inextricably linked to quiet, antisocial, weird or quirky characters that exist in the outskirts of society, preferably with an artistic streak.

There was a lot of still frame so that the focus was on the characters and a discrete music carpet which I'm guessing was to convey the characters' emotional turmoil or something...but the thing is that the characters' weren't strong enough for all this.

Fanning's character was very unlikable. Her relationship with David wasn't very convincing, nor was her friendship with Olsen's character.

No matter how good Fanning is she can't carry an entire movie by herself (and she wasn't very good in this one) and while Elizabeth Olsen's acting was amazing she wasn't given enough screen time.

Fanning's portrayal of Lilly was so stiff. She was like an emotionless doll for the most time, and when she reacted I couldn't understand or relate. Why was Lilly so angry and distant with her mother? I didn't see her do anything wrong. Why didn't she even try to support or understand her? Why was Lilly so close with her father? How come she forgave him his transgression just like that? It felt like Lilly had lost her grip with reality, especially when she was mad because her father was trying to resolve his marital problems with his wife instead of doing as his daughter asked.

She was lying and misleading her best friend and she was petty and vengeful with David. There is nothing great about this character and Fanning's portrayal of her was like she was dead inside. Seriously, it was scary.

Olsen was amazing though!! She did an ingratiate job with Gerri!! Loved her to bits and I hope she was more in the movie. Olsen is scary good with character driven parts.

Another problem with this movie was the dialog. It was scarce and weak. In a movie where there is no action, no complicated plot or twists but it's all about a person's journey it feels like there should have been stronger dialog.

Very Good Girls is a coming of age story that touches on friendship, family, love and discovering when it's okay to indulge in yourself. Nothing new there, amIright? The mood is set fairly early on, kicking off the 'best friends forever' feel.

Elizabeth Olsen and Dakota Fanning have great chemistry, and there is nothing stopping you from believing that they truly are best friends, which really plays into the story when you witness a 'betrayal' of some kind. Although you fall in love with the sweetness of the romance that blossoms you cannot help but 'tisk, tisk' at the surreptitious actions of this 'friend.'

The movie keeps your attention all throughout it although you're not sure what you want to come of the story. The build up to the ending is perfectly paced and the performances are spectacular. Dakota Fanning delivers yet again and Elizabeth Olsen is letting it known that she is an actress to reckon with. 7.4/10

I thought this movie was great, it's a good chick flick with sad moments and happy moments in it. This movie was full a great performances mainly by Dakota Fanning. I was surprised about the bad ratings people said about this movie, the movie is average but that doesn't mean it's bad its a good movie to watch with one of your girl-friends that like chick flicks or something that is nice to watch on your own.

I highly recommend watching this movie of coming of age girls in New York city who want to lose there virginity over the summer before going into college, I find this movie very interesting that can put tears in your eyes and a smile on your face!

This movie is something, alright. It takes the most worn-out, done-to-death, predictable, stale, unimaginative elements from the many other tedious indie dramas that I've suffered through, reheats them, and tries to serve them as fresh. No dice, kiddo. Only this isn't just a case of mouldy leftovers. No, this is pure, unadulterated, 100% ****. Guaranteed to grow your garden, or your money back. You'd have to go a long way to find something as soulless, brainless, meritless and charmless as this. And by the end, I couldn't care less.

The first thing you should know is, in a SHOCKING twist, the 'very nice' girls in the title are actually pretty badly behaved. In fact, the first thing we see them do is have a skinny dip. On a crowded beach. Gee, I hope those body doubles got paid well. On their bikes during the journey home, one of them collides into a hunky ice cream man. A neon sign flashes: LOVE INTEREST above his head. He is very rude to one of them. Within a few days, they'll be having sex. Despite what the director would like us to believe, with the addition of syrupy softly-sung ballads in the background whenever the duo get within a few feet of each other, there's more chemistry in gym class than there is between these two non-entities.

I almost instantly plugged that her new beau was a STRUGGLING ARTIST, who only sold his diary treats to finance his TRUE CALLING. Ya know what? I was RIGHT ON THE NOSE!! You, see... He takes pictures of people, photocopies them into huge portraits, then sticks them on walls, the backs of buses, etc. This of course, is complete rubbish... without any artistic vision, or otherwise... But you have to remember this film is based in a parallel universe, where all bounds of normal human reaction and values are completely at odds with reality. So, needless to say, his new girl finds it 'CUTE', and he's a 'GENIUS'. Say no more.

Speaking of her, at one point she starts strumming a guitar. And I was on the edge of my seat... Waiting for those three magic words... "OPEN MIKE NIGHT". ZING!! I did it again!! Perhaps I should pick up a crystal ball, and start calling myself Madame Zorro. She also has confidence issues, and I suppose you would... Performing in front of ten people. But don't worry... her new flame gives her the strength she needs to brave the throngs. Her voice is very ordinary... But like I said, these events transpire in an alternate dimension, so we're listening to the new Madonna. SIGN HER UP!!

Richard Dreyfuss and Demi Moore drop by for an easy pay cheque... There's some kind of love rivalry going on between the two bimbos for the heart of Mr Interesting... and a bit of fractious family feuding thrown in to pad out the length. But all of this twaddle can be summed up by simply saying 'Dead Air'. It's not worth the time it takes to watch. It wasn't worth the time to type this review. In fact, it's barely worth the time it takes to put the disc in the machine.

In other words: Do something better with your life. Like, anything. 2/10

Is it about the good girls? Looks like that way until the summer break before these two friends get going for the freshman year college. So they decide to lose their virginity, but they both fall for a same boy. Their's long standing friendship will be tested, the remaining film tells who lose the bet and how.

Good cast, but the story was from the Lily's perspective that played by Dakota Fanning. The boy and Elizabeth Oslen were kind of in the support roles. A simple love triangle story, but the actings were good. 'Little Birds', 'Ginger & Rosa', 'Violet & Daisy', 'Ghost World', 'Thirteen' name it. This kind of two thick friends theme is quite popular, but mostly average ones like this.

Well, it was not one of those movies of the year that I was expecting, so enjoyed what it provided in a limited scale. A few times I was annoyed too, for the turns in the narration, but the way it ended compromised my overall thought. This is a decent coming-of-age movie, which is not worth to suggest anyone openly, but you can give it a try if you get a shot.

6½/10

First off, if you read the description and expected this movie to not be cliche then that is your own fault. Obviously there have been movies made before with the same content as this one, but I think the actresses in this one made it their own unique movie. I've never been a fan of Dakota Fanning until this movie, actually. I think it was very cute and a good testament to how much a good friendship can withstand. I'd watch again.

We watched this at home on DVD from our public library.

It isn't a great movie but it has some interesting elements. The ages of the main actors were a bit disconcerting, Fanning was 18, Olsen was 23, and Holbrook was 31 during filming.

Dakota Fanning is Lilly, good daughter, eldest of three, preparing to graduate and go off to Yale. Her parents are Psychiatrists, with offices in their home, they seem well-off. Lilly has a job, she is a guide for boat tours of the New York Harbor areas.

Her best friend, almost like a sister, is Elizabeth Olsen as Gerri. At some point nearing the end of their senior year they discuss not wanting to graduate and go off to college still as virgins.

While at the beach in the summer they encounter Boyd Holbrook as David, an aspiring photographic artist, operating an ice cream stand. The two friends talk to him, everyone goes on their way.

As it turns out each girl makes contact again with David, but for most of the movie the other doesn't know about it. Lilly gets very involved, she and David sleep together often. Gerri lies about sleeping with David, it turns out he is faithful to Lilly but her doubts cause her to treat them badly.

The summer is ending, David decides to head to Paris to pursue his photography, Lilly and Gerri make up, life goes on. Just a slice of life story, teenage girls trying to figure out adult life and where it may lead them.

Not a bad movie but not particularly memorable.

Alright that might be exaggerating it a little (or a lot), but Dakota and Elisabeth have a very nice chemistry going on. Their problems and issues seem real (even though it's more or less one major issue and the plot does not seem to move along fluently at times), but we do get the usual clichés thrown in for good measure.

Again the cast kind of saves the day, because they give it all and make this feel like something that happened (it's not too far stretched and takes notes from recent YA novels and movies, without all the action of course). Drama can be tough and this is no different. Your liking of the main characters and their sometimes foul play or rather rash and stupid decisions will determine whether you enjoy this or not

Lilly (Dakota Fanning) and Gerri (Elizabeth Olsen) are two best friends on their last summer before college. They meet David (Boyd Holbrook) selling ice cream at the beach who takes Lilly's picture as they walk away. Lilly catches her father cheating with one of his patients. Gerri is infatuated with David. Lilly also likes David but she can't tell Gerri. Lilly works on a ferry tour under the lecherous eyes of her boss Fitzsimmons (Peter Sarsgaard).

I want to like this movie for the two leads. There is just something unoriginal and outdated about this movie. In fact, I thought this is a period piece at first. The writing is so uninspired. Naomi Foner is the writer and director. I don't really have any big problems with her directions. It looks fine especially for her debut. The writing doesn't have anything compelling to say. The story meanders. There is a tired feel about everything in this movie. This should be a better coming-of-age movie for two skilled actresses. The story throws a lot of stuff on the screen but nothing actually sticks.

Review: I wasn't that impressed with this dull chick flick about 2 friends who fancy the same man. The two teenagers are desperate to lose there virginity and whilst walking on the beach, they bump into the ice cream boy who they both find quite attractive. One of the girls tries her utmost to get the boys attention while the other girl uses the shy approach. I found the movie quite slow and boring in parts. The acting wasn't that great but I liked the chemistry between the two girls. The director tried to add family elements to try and make it more interesting but I struggled to stay awake. The boy, played by Boyd Holbrook, seemed a bit useless and he kept on popping into to scenes, out of the blue. You also didn't know anything about the boys history so he seemed like a bit of a shady character. Anyway, I didn't really enjoy this film that much but I'm sure that there are many ladies that will get emotional whilst watching it. Unimpressed! 

Round-Up: Dakota Fanning really had a promising start to her career with movies like Man On Fire, War Of The World's and I Am Sam, but her choice of projects has been her downfall. Movies like Effie Gray, Night Moves and The Motel Life, haven't been that great and it doesn't look like she has anything interesting in the pipeline. Maybe she peaked to early! Her best friend, played by Elizabeth Olsen, is in the new Avengers movie and she also starred in Captain America, Oldboy and Godzilla so she can't complain about her career so far. The problem is that I can't remember seeing her face in any of those movies so she couldn't have made a big impact. Personally I think that she is the best thing in this movie, even though Demi Moore, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Barkin and Clark Gregg have cameo roles but they weren't in the movie that much.

I recommend this movie to people who are into their emotional dramas about 2 best friends who fancy the same boy. 3/10

This movie made me long for my youth. It made me think about past loves and what it felt like to be in lust for the first time. Watching this film, I could feel the sand beneath my feet, the sun on my back, and the ocean waves pouring over my youthful tight body. I could see the male I longed for, my first lover, watching me from the shore.

When "David" takes "Lilly" into his arms, his hands pulling her face close, you know how she feels. You know how he feels. What splendid acting. My only gripe is that it would have been too much to show what David did and how he did it. There had to have been more foreplay, much more slow play, before the actual deflowering.

Sigh. Young love. I think those who gave this movie such grouchy reviews have forgot what it's like to be 18 and horny. They've forgot how heartbreaking it can be to lose someone you have desired so intensely. Too bad for them.

I was first attracted to this film by the actors that were in it but as I started to watch I could tell right away that the immediate plot was stale and frustrating. It all starts and ends with the two main characters played by the lovely Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen where the obvious theme of sexual explorative college bound friends is blatantly pushed upon us. At no point during this coming of age "let's lose our virginity" film did I feel remotely connected to any character. The directing is so horrible that I felt like I was watching plot that had no flow but simply events that happened along the way until they stopped happening and the film ends. Essentially I came to the realization that after watching 2 sexually frustrated girls go from liking the same guy to one of them having a relationship with him and keeping it a secret from the other to fighting their family issues by playing around with this poor innocent likable guy. In the end the only thing I got out of this badly directed film and plot is that bitches be crazy!

But honestly, hey, I only got about half way through the movie. That's probably because I feel I have a strong aversion to weesly untrustworthy characters, which it seems Lilly is.

Whoever wrote this movie is clearly one of those chicks that doesn't really understand what friendship is. You don't sneak around behind your friends' backs for booty.

Good acting, don't get me wrong, but stuff like this justifies youngins doin shady stuff because 'It's OK if you FEEL it.' Which it's not, that's the basic difference between us and animals.

Le. Sigh.

It's interesting to watch what happens to child stars, usually not much or they need to totally rebuild their carriers. Of course there are a whole lot of actors who think they have enough money already and don't have the will to build their carrier. Thankfully that wasn't Dakota Fanning despite the fact that I doubt she had any money problems when she turned 18. She started building a carrier in low budget films, mainly ones that teetering on the edge of being called art films. In a few films she even goes so far as really acting well like Now is Good and The Runaways. Even her role in Twilight was kind of one of the better ones. So it's kind of self evident that she would be in a film like Very Good Girls. It has a low budget and it's a romantic coming of age story. Plus she teamed up with someone worthy Elisabeth Olsen, who unlike her sisters is very talented. The film is credited to a new director, who has a few outstanding scripts but is new to directing. The story: Two New York City girls pact to lose their virginity during their first summer out of high school. When they both fall for the same street artist, the friends find their connection tested for the first time. David plasters his photo-based graffiti art all over the neighborhood while yearning to take off and see Paris for real instead of just looking at pictures. The two girls' families complicate a bunch of things too. The film is similar in a lot of was to the genius The Way Way Back. The biggest difference though is that the love story is about a boy. I like the types of films that are about the hardest time in becoming an adult. First loves, families, coming of age. Unfortunately they don't make enough of them, but at least what is made is high quality. Just like this one. I think more films like this should be made, ones that will make a 14 year old think a little and not making it that their greatest entertainment is films with fart jokes. The films basic concept isn't too complicated, but it doesn't need to be, the point is the message and the characters. The message is a good one, of course it's not a new concept because many many moons ago a film came out called Stand by Me and we heard this message there. The characters and the actors were good. All the characters were likable, but maybe they could have been more developed. The director did his job well. I doubt the film will be making a lot of money, but that usually doesn't decide a films quality. All in all Very Good Girls is a pretty good film, but there were a few missed opportunities. With a little more character development, a little more drama and making their idiot family more prominent it could have been a great film. 6/10 https://www.youtube.com/user/Videodromeblog

The story focuses on Lily, who is best friends with Jerry, is leaving for college after next summer. They both pledge to loose their virginity before that. At the beach one day, they meet a man, David. Jerry displays her interest while Lily stands calm, but David seems to like Lily more. Lily and David gets close up to the point that the have sex, without Jerry knowing. One day, Jerry's father died. Knowing that Jerry likes David, she asks him to go and see her. While there, Jerry asks David to make love to her. Jerry tells Lily that she and David had sex. Lily then starts avoiding David, even as he ask her to tell the truth to Jerry that she sent him to Jerry's place. One day Jerry leaves for Paris, and Lily goes to see him. Before going, David kisses her and Jerry sees that. Jerry confronts her and she tells the whole truth. Jerry gets upset because Lily plays God on her by 'throwing' David at her. On the day Lily goes to move to college, Jerry comes, and the two are friends again.

Maye it's a culture difference issue, but for me the basic premise is quite alarming for me, that the two girls pledge to loose their virginity just like that. The good thing about the movie is the story is quite intricate, though it's based on quite an alarming premise. The story develops well from a simple story about friendship and relationship, to one of ambivalent betrayal then to reconciliation. The pace built by the scenes and editing is quite good, one of a medium tempo, not so fast yet not so slow.

The acting is nice. Dakota Fanning did a good job in keeping her calm character like on almost all of her roles, while at the same time she is still able to have a go at heated dialogs. Elizabeth Olsen nails a great performance portraying a carefree girl. She did amazing at adding a soft New Yorker accent to sweeten the character she plays. Having Demi Moore, Peter Sarsgaard, and Clark Gregg also add a nice touch to the whole movie.

The costumes are nice, they can steal the attention with nicely picked color mixes. Ge soundtracks are especially nice, they help to build the swinging yet slowed down mood of almost the entire movie. Shooting in New York, this movie is able to portray the city as one not so crowded, a far cry from the actual thing, I guess.

My final say is that this movie earns a nice 6 out of 10 score, though a recommendation is not going to pass from me. Personally I think this movie suits more of a couch entertainment than a cinema movie.