Foxes (film)

Foxes
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Adrian Lyne
Produced by	Gerald Ayres David Puttnam
Written by	Gerald Ayres
Starring	Jodie Foster Scott Baio Sally Kellerman Randy Quaid Cherie Currie
Music by	Giorgio Moroder
Cinematography	Leon Bijou Michael Seresin
Editing by	James Coblentz
Studio	Polygram Pictures Casablanca Records & Filmworks
Distributed by	United Artists (1980, original) MGM (2003, DVD)
Release date(s)	February 29, 1980 (1980-02-29)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$7.4 million

Foxes is a 1980 American drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Gerald Ayres. The film stars Jodie Foster, Scott Baio, Sally Kellerman, Randy Quaid, and Cherie Currie. The original music score is composed by Giorgio Moroder, and features the song On The Radio, sung by Donna Summer.

The film was generally ignored at the box office when it was first released in February 1980. At the time of its release the film received a positive review from prominent film critic Roger Ebert, who stated, "The movie's a rare attempt to provide a portrait of the way teen-agers really do live today in some suburban cultures." It was also one of Jodie Foster's last major roles before she took a four-year hiatus from acting to attend Yale University. Foxes was Lyne's film debut as a director. He went on to direct hits such as Flashdance, 9½ Weeks and Fatal Attraction.

Plot

A group of four teenage girls in the San Fernando Valley during the late 1970s have the usual problems. Deirdre (Kandice Stroh) is a disco queen who is fascinated by her sexuality, likes boys and has many boyfriend troubles. Madge (Marilyn Kagan) is unhappily overweight and angry that she is a virgin. Her parents are overprotective, and she has an annoying younger sister. Annie (Cherie Currie) is a teenage runaway who drinks and pops pills, and runs away from her abusive father, a policeman. Jeanie (Jodie Foster) has to take care of them, is fighting with her divorced mother, and is yearning for a closer relationship with her distant father, a tour manager for the rock band Angel. It is implied that her mother had her when just a teenager herself.

The girls believe school is a waste of time, their boyfriends are immature, and that they are alienated from the adults in their lives. All four seem immersed in the decadence of the late 1970s. (The adults in the film seem to be caught up in the craziness of the disco era as well.) The only way for them to loosen up and forget the bad things happening in their lives is to party and have fun. Annie is the least responsible, while Jeanie is ready to grow up and wants to stop acting like a child. Jeanie is most worried about Annie and continually takes risks to try to keep Annie clean and safe. Annie's unstable behavior keeps everyone on edge, and finally leads to her death in a car wreck.

Annie's death brings changes for the rest of the girls. Madge marries Jay (Randy Quaid), an older man who deflowered her, Deirdre no longer acts boy-crazy, and Jeannie graduates from high school and is about to head off to college. After Madge and Jay's wedding, Jeannie visits Annie's grave and smokes a cigarette. With a smile, she muses that Annie wanted to be buried under a pear tree, "not in a box or anything", so that each year her friends could come by, have a pear and say, "Annie's tastin' good this year, huh?"

Cast

• Jodie Foster as Jeanie
• Cherie Currie as Annie
• Marilyn Kagan as Madge
• Kandice Stroh as Deirdre
• Scott Baio as Brad
• Sally Kellerman as Mary
• Randy Quaid as Jay
• Lois Smith as Mrs. Axman
• Laura Dern as Debbie
• Robert Romanus as Scott

DVD

Foxes was released in a Region 1 DVD by MGM August 5, 2003.

Soundtrack

See Foxes (soundtrack).

Reception

Nominations

• Young Artist Awards

Nominee: Best Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture - Jodie Foster

External links

• Foxes at the Internet Movie Database
• Foxes at the TCM Movie Database
• Foxes at AllRovi
• Foxes at Rotten Tomatoes