We’re going to get this out of the way and, like, totally quickly – I love Valley Girl. Unironically. I think it’s hilarious and weirdly romantic and that Nicolas Cage has never, ever looked better (and sexier). And also? The music is phenomenal (Cage’s Randy is really into the underground punk scene). And all that embarrassing praise and all those bizarre personal revelations aside, what made Valley Girl work is that it chronicled a specific lifestyle during the actual period in which it existed – that is, the “for sure, totally, tripendicular” slice of life California life during the 80s. A remake? Well, I worry that a remake is just going to poke fun at the time period, not look back on it with any sort of endearing nostalgia.
MGM has been working to get a remake going for awhile now, and apparently Paramount is getting in on the action. According to Deadline Agoura Hills, the studios have now reportedly even picked a director for the film, which will be a musical version that will see its leads singing “New Wave tunes from bands like The Go Go’s and The Cars.” Clay Weiner will start his feature directing career with the film, apparently triumphing over “a number of well-established helmers who wanted the job.”
Weiner might be new on the features beat, but he was apparently “determined” to get the gig, which gives me hope that he’s got just as much weirdo nostalgia for the film as I do. Deadline reports that Weiner “spent the two-week holiday break putting together a three-minute demo reel, paid for out of his own pocket, that featured choreographed dance routines set to a mash-up of the 1980s tunes that will be sung in the film. He demonstrated the spirit, design, costuming and camera work that reflected his vision for the film. It told the studio execs everything they needed to know. This week, they gave Weiner the job and it was the reel that won it for Weiner.” So maybe he’s even more into this film than I am.
A commercials director, Weiner helmed the Super Bowl spot for Time Warner Cable (the one with Ricky Gervais and Mary Louise Parker), and he’s already got a TV movie under his belt with Fred: The Movie (perhaps we’ll overlook that credit).
The film’s script comes from Amy Talkington (with credits that include TV movies like Avalon High and Brave New Girl) with, amazingly, a rewrite by Rachel Getting Married’s Jenny Lumet. Perhaps my freeze on this film has thawed a bit. Of course, to truly win my heart, they need to cast a Randy who can compare to Cage.
Seriously, if you’re not sold on my raging crush on Cage in the original film, I’ve embedded a video below of his best scenes from the film. You’re like totally welcome.
