Gregory's Girl

This is the second feature directed and written by Bill Forsyth. His third was “Local Hero.” First was “That Sinking Feeling,” and most recent was “Comfort and Joy.” I missed the first and the last, but I've wanted to see this one for years, and finally did. It had great word of mouth, and I figured the guy who did “Local Hero” had to have something on the ball. I'm glad I saw this one, a gentle comedy about a high school boy's infatuation with a girl on his soccer team. It is like a younger version of “Local Hero;” the characters are the children who grow up to be the adults in the later movie, and the dialogue that was so offbeat and funny has its roots here too. The inimitable Forsyth humor is abundantly in evidence, with little sideshows going on that are only peripherally related but add to the texture anyway. I don't mean to be too analytical; the picture is really sweet, good natured, and often funny, and presents a charming view of adolescence. Plus they all speak with that great Scottish accent. (Story takes place in Scotland, natch). I was charmed by the whole enterprise, including a nice pop-jazz scone.

And the film ends wonderfully, dodging the cliches of its genre while making some lovely points about growing up, and adding a new dimension to the main characters. It really faked me out, left me kind of wistful, but happy. A lot of people thought this was better than “Local Hero,” that the latter was a little too polished for its own good. I disagree. While I really liked this picture a lot, I think “Local Hero” said more to me, had more going for it. Certainly it had more of the absurd and was a "bigger" picture. But I think Forsyth's technique became more refined-which is better---without losing any of what made it so special in the first place--which would have been bad. But let's not quibble; both are special. “Gregory's Girl” is a treat, a film about youngsters made with warmth, sensitivity, humor, and a keen understanding of what makes youngsters unique to begin with.