User Reviews

GOOD GIRLS DON'T is another indie comedy/thriller from director Rick Sloane, who as usual seems to be obsessed with the art of the striptease. One of his female leads is a stripper who spends half of her time in the club, the other is a simple secretary. The two are forced to go on the run when they're framed for a crime they didn't commit, so THELMA & LOUISE seems to be a big inspiration. It's as cheesy as ever, filled with dialogue so awful you have to hear it to believe it.

Brash and gutsy stripper Bettina (a marvelously tart and spirited performance by the gorgeous and vivacious Julia Parton) and mousy secretary Jeannie (sweetly played by the pretty Renee Estevez) are framed for a murder they didn't commit. They go on the lam in a red convertible with half a million dollars in cash money in a briefcase. Various folks on both sides of the law give hot pursuit. Writer/director Rick Sloane, a filmmaker whose wildly uneven cinematic oeuvre includes the notoriously dreadful "Gremlins" rip-off "Hobgoblins" and the crudely amusing "Vice Academy" flicks, here displays a startling light touch and sensitivity that's grossly lacking in his other movies: the sassy'n'sexy lead characters are smart, charming and appealing individuals who help each other out (Jeannie regains her self-esteem while Bettina gets her self-respect back), the pace is constantly snappy throughout, the tone remains breezy and likable from start to finish, and there are even a few unexpected poignant moments. Parton and Estevez display a wholly engaging loose and easy on-screen chemistry; they receive fine support from Christopher Knight (Peter Brady on "The Brady Bunch") as Jeannie's jerky detective ex-boyfriend Montana, Mary Woronov as formidable crime kingpin Wilamena LaRue, Dan Wildman as affable, sympathetic police officer Cody, and Tamara Clatterbuck as Bettina's loyal gal pal Effie. Popping up in cool cameos are "Vice Academy" series regulars Elizabeth Kaitan as a ditsy tabloid TV show announcer and Jayne Hamil as a mean prison warden. The bright cinematography by Robert Hayes gives the picture an impressively polished look while Alan DerMarderosian's neatly rocking score hits the groovy spot. Best of all, the luscious Parton not only performs a couple of sizzling striptease numbers, but also heartily belts out two excellent songs as well. A lovely little sleeper.