By the time the 1980s came around I was just getting out of high school, and oddly enough “That 70’s Show” somehow just doesn’t remind me of those years. However, there were a ton of teen movies made during that time that actually did a pretty good job of reflecting the life of high school students, both average and above average. I had a few favorites, and lately they have been kind of falling out from in between the cracks of the studio vaults in the form of DVD releases. Most of them are for the most part bare bones releases, but nevertheless I’m glad to see them resurface. This month, thanks to Sony / Columbia Tristar , I get to revisit “No Small Affair” which stars Jon Cryer and a pre-silicone and plastic enhanced Demi Moore. Cryer, who made a bit of a career of playing the ‘nerdy cast-off guy’ in a slew of 80’s flicks stars as 16-year old Charles Cummings, a wannabe photographer who one days catches a glimpse of wannabe rock singer Laura Victor (Moore) and falls head over heels in love. Knowing full well that the she is well out of his league, Charles decides to wage a one-man PR attack and give Victor the career she longs for.

I’ve always been a fan of Jon Cryer, and thought he was a much underrated actor. Granted, he wasn’t ever in the Oscar league, but I found him likable and occasionally identified with the characters he portrayed. I’m glad to see him finally getting some attention in the hit series, “Two and a Half Men.” Moore, on the other hand, is Moore. ‘More’ of a pretty face than talented actress, Moore carries her character well but is at her best when viewed from afar through the camera lens. In spite of her shortcomings, it’s easy to see why Charles would fall in lover with her. After all how many ‘older’ women did we all have crushes on in our high school days? I can’t even begin to count mine.

Actually, there seems to be a bit of Déjà vu with the younger man seeking the older woman plot, with the older woman being Demi Moore. Ashton Kutcher anyone?

“No Small Affair” was one of the better than average teen flicks of the 80’s, is quite funny thanks to Cryer’s perfrormance and does feature a bunch of really good songs. So good in fact, that I still have a cassette of the soundtrack that I bought a long time ago when the movie first came out. (And if you have to ask what a cassette is, you’re way too young to appreciate this movie…)

Directed by: Jerry Schatzburg
Starring: Jon Cryer, Demi Moore, George Wendt, Peter Frechette, Elizabeth Daily, Jeffrey Tambor, Tim Robbins, Jennifer Tilly
Extras: None
Specifications: Widescreen
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 6/29/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website

We'll give No Small Affair a C+.