Foxfire (1996)

Movie: Foxfire

Year: 1996

Rating: R for Teen Nudity, Drug Use, Strong Language and Some Violent Situations.

Runtime: 1 Hr, 42 Mins.

Director: Annette-Haywood Carter

Budget: N/A
Box Office: $269,300

Studio: Chestnut Hills Productions, Red Mullet Productions, and Rysher Entertainment

Distributor: The Samuel Goldwyn Company (original theatrical release), Sony Pictures (home media) Paramount Pictures (1999-present)

Today we will look at the 1996 Indie teen drama "Foxfire" from Rysher Entertainment and The Samuel Goldwyn Company. The film is loosely based upon the controversial novel "Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang" by Joyce Carol Oates. Borrowing elements from Oates' novel, the film also takes a more original and modern day approach. The film also marks the acting debuts of Hedy Burress and former model Jenny Shimizu. Where exactly did "Foxfire"s roots come from as far as a film? It's a long story which we will delve into.

On February 1, 1993 Chestnut Hills Productions announced an interest to adapt "Foxfire" by Joyce Carol Oates, Which was soon to be published, with Mike Figgs in mind as the director. The idea was described as a story retold every generation by guys, but never by girls. The novel itself is set in the 1950s and is about a group of teenage girls who form a gang to boost their self-esteem, The producers felt the film would have more of an audience if they had changed the setting from the 1950s to present day,

By September 1994, Rysher Entertainment had greenlit the project, with Mike Figgs moving into the executive producer role. Leading the company to search for a new director, eventually veteran script writer Annette Haywood-Carter was assigned to the project. Carter's works included 1993's "The Foot Shooting Party" and a television episode of "Sea Quest". Carter was took a chance with the film, because she felt it was very relevant to what was happening with kids in the '90s.

Assigned to play the roles of Maddy Wirtz, Rita Faldes, Goldie Goldman and Violet Kahn were Hedy Burress ("Boston Common"), Jenny Lewis ("Brooklyn Bridge"), Jenny Shimizu (former Calvin Klein model) and Sarah Rosenberg ("Under Suspicion"). The role of Legs Sadovsky - a female equivalent of James Dean would go to Angelina Jolie ("Hackers"). On March 15, 1995 production began.

The filmmakers chose to change the setting of the story from 1950s New York to modern day Portland, Oregon. Either in the city itself or on the nearby Suavie Island. Production would wrap after 44 days, the film described as a cool, provocative, coming of age story was a smash hit at the box office. Now lets move onto the discussion of the film itself.

The movie is told from the perspective of Maddy Wirtz (Burress), it is her senior year in high school and she is an aspiring photographer. In control of her life, and dating Ethan Bixby (Peter Facinelli) Maddy lives every day like it is nothing special. During the opening credits Maddy is seen taking photos of Ethan and random people, including football jocks who taunt her by grabbing their crotches and others (completely caught off guard).

Later on that day we see her in her biology class taught by Mr, Buttinger (John Diehl). It is dissection day and as he hands his students frogs, Rita Faldes (Lewis) finds herself unable to dissect the frog. Buttinger sees this and humiliates and harasses her. Pushing her to dissect the frog, but Rita finds herself unable to do so.

Buttinger pushes Rita into dissecting the frog.

Just then something unexpected happens a tall and mysterious stranger arrives at the high school. She walks through the halls and to avoid the hall monitor slips into Buttinger's class. Rita still being harassed and threatened with detention gives into Buttinger's pressure. The girl encounters Maddy and asks what is the deal with Buttinger. Maddy then says he is always harassing female students, to which the stranger walks up to Rita and stops her Angry with the insubordination Buttinger gives her detention as well, she then states she is not a student and jumps out the window.

Legs Sadvosky, portrayed by Angelina Jolie

We cut to the bathroom where Maddy, the girl, and Rita are. Rita tells the girl of how Buttinger molests her and a cheerleader named Cindy accuses her of lying. A stall door opens, it is Violet Kahn (Rosenberg) who then confirms that it is true because she is being molested as well. The cheerleader then slut shames Violet, then insults everyone for letting him get away with it. The girl then furiously calls her out on her hypocrisy and says that they're all to blame , because even though he hasn't harassed all of them he will if given the chance. Maddy curious about her motives asks her what they should do. She reiterates that they can make sure it never happens again if they stick together. Maddy, Rita, and Violet then agree and decide to teach Buttinger a lesson.

As detention begins, Buttinger begin his sexual advances towards Rita. Stroking her breasts, just then Violet enters the room and lies saying "I forgot my notebook." He then lets her look for it, then Maddy and the other girl enter the room. Curious as to what is going on, Buttinger reminds them that Rita is in detention. The girl then tells him to keep his hands off Rita, Violet and anyone else he has molested. A heated argument gets physical and just as he grabs Rita Maddy and Violet then lunge after him. He is able to shake Maddy off but slams Violet against his blackboard. Then kicks away the other girl, Maddy furious with him knees him in the groin. Rita then slams his head down on his desk and threatens to castrate him if he ever touches her again.

Goldie Goldman (Shimizu) walks in on the aftermath then insults Buttinger. The others leave the classroom while the girl walks up to him and tells him that the next time he wants to molest some young girl he should remember this. She puts her foot on his chest, then knocks him down. She then grabs a wallet that someone dropped and exits the classroom. The girls then run out of the building and worry they'll be in trouble. Maddy then says they should just go home and just let the consequences play out.

That night Maddy is working on photo-manipulation when all of a sudden the girl she met earlier arrives at her window. Maddy lets her in, then gives her a dry shirt to change into. She then learns that she is a drifter and is just passing through. Maddy then offers her a place to stay for the night, and then lets her sleep in her bed.

Legs taunts Maddy as she holds her portfolio up top the bridge.

The next morning Maddy finds her on the bridge, and she reveals her name is Legs. Stating she vaults without poles, she grabs Maddy's art portfolio and begins to climb the bridge. Maddy who has acrophobia is worried Legs will drop her art portfolio, she taunts her and gets distracted when a truck passes by causing her to drop it. It lands on a ledge underneath the bridge. Maddy then says it is not worth it, Legs manages to rescue it for her. Maddy and Legs then begin a friendship, and she informs her of an abandoned house she can stay in. Maddy is late for school and must leave, Legs tells her not to take any heat.

Maddy along with the others is called into the office, and the principal learns of their physical altercation with Buttinger. Their statement that he was being sexually abusive falls on deaf ears. He suspends them for disorderly conduct, Maddy is upset because she needs to go to the art room. However, he forbids her from doing so and when reminded of what happened he thinks nothing of it. He then extends the suspension to two weeks after Violet's outburst of "He should be fired!" Upset, that they have been suspended the girls then worry about going home. Maddy then says she knows where they can go, and they all go to the abandoned house Legs is in.

After learning that Maddy was unable to get her portfolio, Legs then suggests they go get it. They sneak into the school through a vent and break into the art room. Finding it and gathering all the photos, Goldie however finds a unflattering photo of herself. Upset with it she moves off to a corner and lights a joint, but before extinguishing her match she throws it into a pile of oily rags. This causes the sprinklers and fire alarm to go off, the girls then freak out and try to escape the school. Unfortunately, the police have already arrived so the girls find themselves having to evade them and sneak out. Maddy and Legs are not so lucky and hide in a janitor's closet.

When the girls return to the house, Legs decides to mark the occasion. Using a tattoo set she gives herself a tattoo of a fire emblem. As the others watch Maddy then asks to have it done to her. As the girls start sharing their bottle of wine and Goldie's joint they are all given the tattoo by Legs. The next day Maddy meets up with Ethan who is surprised to see she has a tattoo, he then decides that they should give their relationship a break for a while. Rita herself lies to her family by covering up the tattoo and saying it is a cut, then lies to her mother about getting a ride to school. At Goldie's house her father begins to berate her for the tattoo then complains that her room is like a drug den.

As her parents leave Goldie is then visited by Legs who then learns Goldie steals money from her father to buy her joints. She then teases her with her father's pistol, but Goldie calls her bluff saying that it is on safety. Legs takes the safety off then forces her to put the money back then tells her if she has one more mood swing she will tickle her to death. She and Goldie then leave her house and go to the abandon one they are staying at. As Maddy and Rita are setting up the house Violet arrives with a letter. The letter is from a Freshman girl who has come out about how Buttinger molested her as well. The girls then realize that they have made a difference among their fellow peers.

That night while the girls are having fun dancing and bonding they are interrupted by a group of jocks. Their leader Dana Taylor (Dash Mihok) tells them that if Mr. Buttinger is fired they'll be sorry, because he is their football coach. Dana then proceeds to intimidate Violet but she taunts him and makes fun of him. Maddy then says that Buttinger deserves whatever he gets. Violet then introduces Rita to one of the guys named Bobby, and they learn that he is a hopeless romantic. The next day Violet gives Rita some advice on sexuality, much to Goldie's dismay.

That night the girls bond going to a skateboard park, while Rita tags a ramp Maddy is seen taking pictures of skateboarders.The girls then climb the same bridge Maddy and Legs were on, learn Yoga and take photos. They are cheered on by the girls at their school and hated by the jocks. Their bonding ends when Dr. Goldman shows up and tells Goldie to come home. He slaps her upside the head, infuriating Legs.

Back at the house, Maddy and Legs are sitting up on the roof. Maddy notices her tattoo on her shoulder and asks her who Audrey is. She replies saying that Audrey was her mother and she died in a car crash, then she tells Maddy she wants to move on. Maddy then ponders the idea of going with her, and then confesses her feelings for Legs.

Legs threatens Dana by putting a knife to his throat.

The next day Maddy is approached by Cindy who leads her out of the house and cons her into walking her home. Dana and his friends drive up and Maddy learns it was a set up. Dana says he is going to rape Maddy and that Cindy is going to watch. Legs who has picked up Goldie arrives and forces Dana to let Maddy go.

The girls then hijack his car, Goldie unable to drive starts freaking out. Legs makes her switch places and they pick up Violet and Rita. The girls go joyriding and after rolling through a stop sign end up running into cops on patrol. Legs refuses to pull over and when she turns t avoid the cop car the SUV goes off a hill and rolls over until it hits a tree. The girls find themselves in court and Legs herself is put into a youth correctional facility. Maddy fails to convince the judge that Dana and Cindy committed perjury, but she silences her.

The girls then begin to drift apart, Goldie has a mental breakdown and joins a drug house and begins to use heroin to dull her pain. Cindy then confesses to the judge that she lied under oath. Maddy and Violet learn where Goldie is. Maddy retrieves her and the girls are shocked to see the state she is in. Legs is eventually released, and makes her way back to the house. Her homecoming celebration is short-lived when she learns about Goldie's condition.

Legs and the girls then go to Goldie's house and try to explain the situation to her father, but he refuses to believe them. They ask for rehab money, but he refuses as tensions rise between Dr. Goldman and Legs he threatens to call the police. She grabs his pistol and takes him hostage, forcing Maddy and the others to kidnap him and take him back to the house. There they tie him up and Legs starts to take out her frustration about her own father on Dr, Goldman. Rita who is holding the pistol is caught off guard by Goldie who notices her father. She accidentally shoots him in the chest, but it goes clean through. The girls now aware of how violent the situation is decide to take Dr. Goldman to the hospital.

Maddy decides to stay with Legs, but discovers she has ran off. She pursues after and learns that Legs is planning to skip town, most likely to avoid arrest. Maddy tries to persuade her to stay in Portland, but Legs is hopeful Maddy will join her. As Maddy and Legs contemplate the decision Maddy chooses to stay in Portland. Legs overwhelmed with her decision understands but reiterates with "You're in my heart, Maddy."

Maddy watches as Legs boards a truck and leaves Portland, in a voice over she reveals that Dr. Goldman told the police he shot himself. Stupid enough they believed it, Goldie and he mended their strained relationship. Maddy graduated school, attended an art school and college. Traveled half the world stopping at various bus stops, airports and museums, She claims she never saw Legs ever again, then says while the others have drifted they embrace when they meet and reminisce about the past. The movie ends with Maddy climbing the bridge without hesitation and finally curing her acrophobia.

Now let's talk about the movie's high points:

1. It examines feminism at a realistic point of view as well as the rape culture
2. The actresses have very good chemistry on screen
3. The plot gets the point across very well, without being preachy or too obvious.
4. The movie is not a faithful adaptation, but it makes up for that by taking a more creative approach.

The only issues I have with the movie:

1. The soundtrack sometimes overlaps with the story.
2. While it is not confirmed the script has openly displayed lesbian undertones when it comes to the character of Legs Sadovsky.
3. The portrayal of men in this movie is one-sided, not all men are like this.
4. The movie ignores the relationship with Maddy and Ethan, and we never know whether or not they rekindled.

Rating:

Characters: 8.5/10
Story: 7.5/10
Setting: 6.5/10
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Recommendation: Recommended