Nearing her high school graduation, eighteen year-old virgin Andrea Marr (Dominique Swain) is an upper middle-class conformist who believes in old-fashioned values. Things start to change, however, when she lays eyes on Todd Sparrow (Sean Patrick Flannery), a grunge-poet icon on the local rock scene. Once a fan of Hanson, Andrea becomes further exposed to indie music through her pals Greg (David Moscow), Richard (Christopher Kennedy Masterson) and Cybill (Tara Reid), who're in a garage band. Although warned about Todd's fickleness by his sister, and despite the social barrier between them, Andrea becomes obsessed with him and plunges into her first affair. No wonder she's devastated when he decides to go on tour without her. Andrea's so distraught, in fact, that she considers forsaking college in order to become Todd's cheerleader on the road. GIRL gravitates from penetrating look at the groupie scene to sappy romance about a proper teenager with rebel tendencies. Though capably acted, this conventional puppy lust flick is far from the first rank of coming-of-age movies; rather than PRETTY IN PUNK, it's really just "Beverly Hills 90210" with grungier accessories. That said, if you're young enough to actually recognize any of the contemporary bands on the soundtrack, this date-flick will probably have inherent appeal for you. --Robert Pardi
