"Get on your shagging shoes."
Seemingly both an homage to Where the Boys Are (1960) and an homage to South Carolina (and indeed two of the three screenwriters are from there), Shag has four high school seniors sneaking off to Myrtle Beach in search of boys and fun times. It's 1963 and they're looking for one last fling before they graduate and go their separate ways - in a couple of cases, to college, and in another, to become the wife of a boring but rich scion.
The film has an infectious spirit to it, and boasts an interesting cast, including Bridget Fonda, Phoebe Cates, Page Hannah (Daryl's sister), and Tyrone Power, Jr. (son of the late actor). While I liked all of them here, especially Cates with her southern delivery, it's Annabeth Gish ("Pudge," ugh) and Scott Coffey ("Chip") who steal the show with their sweet romance. Unfortunately, part of the reason they stand out so much is because so many of the other characters are rather repellant.
There is all sorts of problematic content to be found here, so obviously don't watch it if you're expecting a film with today's sensibilities (or to be harsh, even a modicum of respect for women). The fact that a beautiful, perfectly normal (if not thin) actor (Gish) is repeatedly referred to as having a weight problem was one of the most glaring things. In another disturbing scene, Hannah's character is essentially assaulted by a guy in a bar in front of everyone for an extended period, with the "joke" being that he just won't quit and she must fend him off on her own. The hunky guy who aggressively pursues Cates's character is meant to be a protagonist, but he's kind of an a$$hole, among other things opining "marriage is just a legal form of prostitution," and yet, he still gets her in more ways than one in the end.
And then you also have the pervasive use of the Confederate flag, including a scene where Bridget Fonda practically assaults it, pulling it back and forth between her legs, while rehearsing a risqué dance number to the tune of "Dixie." She's the "horny one," a direct analogy to Yvette Mimieux's character in Where the Boys Are, even named similarly (Melaina vs. Melanie), who finds herself battling a couple of local girls for the attention of the boys. In a talent competition, one of them prances around in a Confederate bikini, while she recites a speech from Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Aside from this odious celebration of "heritage," it just seemed kind of lazy, I mean, we get it already, it's in the South.
So with all of that and the uninteresting scenes of kids partying hard, it became hard to root too much for these characters aside from Pudge and Chip. Oh, and the black maid (Pearl Jones), who despite being a stereotypical, token role, humorously quips "Y'all is the horniest bunch of white folks I ever seen!" after finding yet another teenager locked in a kiss behind closed doors. Despite the film's issues, it did hold my interest, mainly because of its cast, and somehow I never began actively disliking it. That's hardly a recommendation though.
Seemingly both an homage to Where the Boys Are (1960) and an homage to South Carolina (and indeed two of the three screenwriters are from there), Shag has four high school seniors sneaking off to Myrtle Beach in search of boys and fun times. It's 1963 and they're looking for one last fling before they graduate and go their separate ways - in a couple of cases, to college, and in another, to become the wife of a boring but rich scion.
The film has an infectious spirit to it, and boasts an interesting cast, including Bridget Fonda, Phoebe Cates, Page Hannah (Daryl's sister), and Tyrone Power, Jr. (son of the late actor). While I liked all of them here, especially Cates with her southern delivery, it's Annabeth Gish ("Pudge," ugh) and Scott Coffey ("Chip") who steal the show with their sweet romance. Unfortunately, part of the reason they stand out so much is because so many of the other characters are rather repellant.
There is all sorts of problematic content to be found here, so obviously don't watch it if you're expecting a film with today's sensibilities (or to be harsh, even a modicum of respect for women). The fact that a beautiful, perfectly normal (if not thin) actor (Gish) is repeatedly referred to as having a weight problem was one of the most glaring things. In another disturbing scene, Hannah's character is essentially assaulted by a guy in a bar in front of everyone for an extended period, with the "joke" being that he just won't quit and she must fend him off on her own. The hunky guy who aggressively pursues Cates's character is meant to be a protagonist, but he's kind of an a$$hole, among other things opining "marriage is just a legal form of prostitution," and yet, he still gets her in more ways than one in the end.
And then you also have the pervasive use of the Confederate flag, including a scene where Bridget Fonda practically assaults it, pulling it back and forth between her legs, while rehearsing a risqué dance number to the tune of "Dixie." She's the "horny one," a direct analogy to Yvette Mimieux's character in Where the Boys Are, even named similarly (Melaina vs. Melanie), who finds herself battling a couple of local girls for the attention of the boys. In a talent competition, one of them prances around in a Confederate bikini, while she recites a speech from Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Aside from this odious celebration of "heritage," it just seemed kind of lazy, I mean, we get it already, it's in the South.
So with all of that and the uninteresting scenes of kids partying hard, it became hard to root too much for these characters aside from Pudge and Chip. Oh, and the black maid (Pearl Jones), who despite being a stereotypical, token role, humorously quips "Y'all is the horniest bunch of white folks I ever seen!" after finding yet another teenager locked in a kiss behind closed doors. Despite the film's issues, it did hold my interest, mainly because of its cast, and somehow I never began actively disliking it. That's hardly a recommendation though.