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Shag

Play trailer Poster for Shag PG 1989 1h 40m Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
65% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Before adulthood takes hold, four teenage girls spirit away to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a final vacation together. And all of them have their issues: Carson (Phoebe Cates) is marrying a boy who might not be right for her, Melaina (Bridget Fonda) obsesses over her Hollywood dreams, Pudge (Annabeth Gish) has self-esteem problems and Luanne (Page Hannah) has a hard time letting loose. But as the trip continues, the four grow closer together and help each other start to figure things out.

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety 08/06/2007
As a dance flick, Shag suffers from an unexciting dance-style and so-so choreography but compensates with a fine young cast and likable story. Go to Full Review Peter Travers Rolling Stone 05/12/2001
There's a real kick to it. Go to Full Review Hal Hinson Washington Post 01/01/2000
The picture is heartfelt and naive in ways that seem totally secondhand. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 01/02/2021
2.5/4
There's ultimately not a whole lot within Shag worth getting excited about or engrossed in... Go to Full Review Kathi Maio Sojourner 09/09/2019
It is sweet and entertaining, but it gives us a tunnel view of its time period... Racism is ignored. So are all other prejudices. Go to Full Review Richard Freedman Newhouse News Service 01/05/2018
[Shag] is frothy, featherweight summer fun. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Melissa H. @KittyNeedsLuv2 Dec 11 I love the characters and the dance! See more Steve D 09/07/2023 Good cast bad script. See more Sherrilee B 03/07/2023 One of my all time favourites, cannot tell you how many times I've watched it, the era, the clothes, the music and the love between these four girls is brilliant, the shag dancing I fell in love with but unfortunately we don't do it here in Australia although I bought myself a tutorial dvd so I've slowly taught myself to some extent lol It was such a fun movie that really doesn't get enough credit that it is due See more dave s 05/10/2021 In Shag, four teenage girls head to Myrtle Beach for a final fling before they embrace adulthood. Will the single girls all find true love before the weekend is over? Will the engaged girl dump her wealthy beau in favor of the tough guy she just met? Will one of the girls win the dance competition? Will the guy who has never danced before have a shot at the dance title? Will you be able to answer these questions before the movie even gets going? Probably. Shag is hobbled by predictable situations, horrible dialogue, improbable scenarios, and a couple of scenes designed to be funny but, in reality, are just really uncomfortable, including the scene of Bridget Fonda seductively dancing with the Confederate flag, which is beyond cringe-worthy. On the bright side, the soundtrack is catchy and the four leads seem to be having fun, which should count for something. Or not. See more ashley h @ashleyhobgood87 02/01/2021 Shag is a decent film. It is about four teenage girls who spirit away to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a final vacation together. Phoebe Cates and Bridget Fonda good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Zelda Barron did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the humor and romance. See more s r @ScottR 11/15/2020 Saw it years ago. It was not for me. See more Read all reviews
Shag

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Cast & Crew

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Zelda Barron

Director

Phoebe Cates

Carson

Scott Coffey

Chip

Bridget Fonda

Melaina

Annabeth Gish

Pudge

Page Hannah

Luanne

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Shag

Shag (1988) Shag (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Before adulthood takes hold, four teenage girls spirit away to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a final vacation together. And all of them have their issues: Carson (Phoebe Cates) is marrying a boy who might not be right for her, Melaina (Bridget Fonda) obsesses over her Hollywood dreams, Pudge (Annabeth Gish) has self-esteem problems and Luanne (Page Hannah) has a hard time letting loose. But as the trip continues, the four grow closer together and help each other start to figure things out.
Director
Zelda Barron
Producer
Julia Chasman, Stephen Woolley
Screenwriter
Robin Swicord, Lanier Laney, Terry Sweeney
Distributor
Hemdale Film Distribution
Production Co
Palace Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 21, 1989, Original
Release Date (DVD)
May 22, 2001
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.1M
Runtime
1h 40m
Sound Mix
Surround