Little Darlings

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Little Darlings

R

1980

1h 35m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

At camp for the summer, two teenage girls from very different backgrounds face off in an unexpected contest. Streetwise Angel (Kristy McNichol) comes from a poor neighborhood, while naïve Ferris (Tatum O'Neal) has never wanted for anything. Both girls are on the brink of womanhood and, due to some intense peer pressure, they agree to compete to see who can lose her virginity first. But their impressions of sex and love are challenged as they race toward adulthood.

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Michael Blowen

Boston Globe

Little Darlings is as coy as it is cute. And it's too cute for words.

Apr 28, 2018

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

One is left with the unpleasant impression that Little Darlings was animated by an idle longing to exploit its popular teen-age costars for cheap thrills.

Apr 23, 2018

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

...Little Darlings really wants to be two movies at once: A fairly serious film about teenagers and sex, but also a box-office winner.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 23, 2004

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Maida Tilchen

Gay Community News (Boston)

Left the theatre smiling and cheering... Judged by cinematic criteria, the picture is all plot and some summery scenery.

Aug 30, 2022

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an exceedingly (and often excessively) languid drama that does, generally speaking, benefit from the superb efforts of its various performers...

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 16, 2021

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Dorothy Woodend

The Tyee (British Columbia)

Female solidarity rules in the end, and as corny as that may sound, it's actually quite sweet.

Aug 22, 2017

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Tim R

One of the greatest and most overlooked coming of age films of all time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/25

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Beware M

This is a bitter-sweet and tender coming-of-age film, set in the typical summer camp genre, only from the girls perspectives. I love the range of emotions portrayed, by the young actresses, from goofy, and naïve to stricken and introspective. I found so much of it true to life, especially when seen through the lens of a teenage girl. Tatum O'Neal is good, but Kristy McNichol is AMAZING. This should be a must see for every teen girl (and boy).

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/22/24

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Audience Member

It's good for the age range. I was 12 years old when I first saw this in 1980. This was a movie I went to see about 3 or 4 times. My adult self didn't like it as well. That is OK. It was made for a certain age range and is ever enjoyable when watched by its target audience.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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hayley b

good cast and direction but the story is great, enjoyed it all the way through. a good movie for an oldie, this is a fantastic coming of age film

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

A good coming-of-age movie for girls from the 80's. Tatum O'Neal and Matt Dillon are great. It's no Meatballs though.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/06/20

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Audience Member

Kind of an edgier companion piece to Meatballs, Little Darlings frustratingly swings between trite goofiness and moments of genuine human insight. While Tatum O'Neal stormed out of the gate as an Oscar winner for Paper Moon six years earlier, it is Kristy McNichol's heartbreaking performance as a tough but tender teenager losing her virginity to Matt Dillon that really stands out. Her ability to convey a full emotional range at only age 17 easily overshadows the relatively workmanlike efforts of older co-stars like Armand Assante, and allows Little Darlings to rise above most of the myriad coming-of-age tales to which it will inevitably be compared. Plus it has a great soundtrack!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Ronald F. Maxwell

Director

Tatum O'Neal

Ferris

Kristy McNichol

Angel

Matt Dillon

Randy

Armand Assante

Gary

Margaret Blye

Ms. Bright

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Synopsis

At camp for the summer, two teenage girls from very different backgrounds face off in an unexpected contest. Streetwise Angel (Kristy McNichol) comes from a poor neighborhood, while naïve Ferris (Tatum O'Neal) has never wanted for anything. Both girls are on the brink of womanhood and, due to some intense peer pressure, they agree to compete to see who can lose her virginity first. But their impressions of sex and love are challenged as they race toward adulthood.

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell
Producer: Stephen Friedman
Screenwriter: Kimi Peck, Dalene Young
Production Co: Paramount
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 9, 2019
Runtime: 1h 35m

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