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Actors: Nancy Allen, Bobby Di Cicco, Marc McClure, Susan Kendall Newman, Theresa Saldana, Wendie Jo Sperber, Eddie Deezen
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about I Wanna Hold Your Hand |
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In this fun-loving film directed and co-written by Robert Zemeckis (“Back to the Future”, “The Polar Express”), six teenagers from the New Jersey suburbs go to outrageous lengths to see the Beatles first American television appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964.
Grace Corrigan (Theresa Saldana) convinces Larry Dubois (Marc Mc Clure) to steal his father's car for the trek into Manhattan the night before the big event. Also along for the ride are recently engaged Pam Mitchell (Nancy Allen), Paul McCartney-obsessed Rosie Petrofsky (Wendie Jo Sperber), and Beatle hater Janis Goldman (Susan Kendall Newman). On the way into the city, the group meets up with tough-talking Tony Smerko (Bobby Di Cicco), another non-fan of the Fab 4. Like Janis, Tony is sick and tired of Beatlemania and wants to put an immediate stop to the nonsense.
Arriving in Manhattan the next morning with no tickets for the show and hardly any money between them, Grace advises the group to split up and do whatever is necessary to ensure that they have seats in the audience later that evening. Fixated Rosie manages to sneak into the Plaza Hotel (where the Beatles are staying), dragging along a reluctant and guilt-ridden Pam. Once inside, security guards spot the girls and they must separate. Rosie soon meets up with hyperactive Richard “Ringo” Klaus (Eddie Deezen), an equally fanatical Beatles aficionado and hotel employee. With the help of a stolen room key, Richard lives at the hotel and has turned his disorderly room into a Beatles shrine, much to Rosie‘s amazement. While listening to the radio in Richard's room, Rosie hears a Beatles trivia question. She quickly calls in with the right answer and the D.J. tells her to come down to the station to claim her Ed Sullivan tickets. Rosie's deep admiration of “Ringo” quickly turns to fury as Richard manages to trap them in the elevator.
After strait-laced Janis meets up with wild Bobby in front of The Plaza, the unlikely duo pair up to spread their mutual Beatles hatred around Manhattan. They happen upon a Beatles-loving tyke whose exasperated father will gladly give him three Ed Sullivan tickets … only if he agrees to shave his Beatles-inspired hairdo off. Grace enlists Larry in a moneymaking scheme: cutting up bed sheets and passing them off as hotel linens that the Beatles slept on. When Grace sells her fake merchandise to a rough all-girl gang, there is a high price to pay, including all of the proceeds she recently received. Down but definitely not out, Grace shortly comes up with a new plan for quick cash.
Meanwhile, a panicky, still-trapped-in-the-hotel Pam quickly dashes underneath a food cart … wheeled into the Beatles suite! Pam's fear and guilt about her fiancé rapidly subsides as she realizes just where she is. Pam is in Beatles Heaven, eating leftover food, drinking from half-empty glasses, kissing instruments and shoving souvenirs into her coat pockets.
With the clock slowly approaching show time, it is a madcap race to see if the friends can make their Beatles dreams come true.
--Tara Dugan, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of I Wanna Hold Your Hand |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Comedy, primarily
Yes
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Road trip
Yes
Kind of comedy
- teens acting dopey
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- singer
How much humor v. drama
- Nearly all humor
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- a deadline
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 90%-100%
Setting
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- very happy
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
If this is a kid's movie...
- Ages 10-15
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Classic/oldies rock
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Tara Dugan
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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