Alright, fellow tapeheads, let’s rewind to that glorious twilight of the 80s, specifically 1989. Picture this: you’re browsing the comedy section at your local video store, fluorescent lights humming overhead, the faint smell of popcorn and plastic in the air. Your eyes land on a familiar, beaming face – Tony Danza, straight outta Who’s the Boss?, looking panicked on a VHS cover promising teenage turmoil. That tape, my friends, was likely She’s Out of Control, a film that perfectly captures the slightly frantic, pastel-hued energy of late-decade anxieties.
### From Pigtails to Party Time
The premise hits like a perfectly feathered mullet: Doug Simpson (Tony Danza) is a successful radio station manager and devoted single dad to two daughters. His world orbits around 15-year-old Katie, who he still sees as his little girl – braces, glasses, pigtails, the whole nine yards. Doug’s comfortable in this bubble, blissfully unaware of the hormonal tidal wave about to hit his perfectly curated suburban life. Then comes the fateful day Katie returns from a summer trip… transformed. Gone is the awkward teen; in her place stands a stunning young woman (Ami Dolenz) attracting every boy within a five-mile radius. Doug’s reaction? Pure, unadulterated, sitcom-level panic.
This transformation isn't just plot; it is the movie. Ami Dolenz, daughter of The Monkees' Micky Dolenz (a fun bit of retro lineage!), absolutely nails the transition. One minute she's the picture of innocence, the next she's navigating the treacherous waters of late 80s dating with a confidence that terrifies her father. It's the kind of overnight glow-up that fueled countless teen movie fantasies, and the film leans into it hard.
### Danza Does Dad Duty (Times Ten)
Let's talk Tony Danza. Fresh off cementing his nice-guy TV persona, seeing him transition to the big screen as this increasingly frazzled dad felt like a natural, if slightly broader, extension. He throws himself into the role with gusto, mastering the exasperated sighs, the frantic pacing, and the hilarious attempts at espionage on his daughter's suitors. Is it subtle? Absolutely not. But Danza’s charm, honed over years of sitcom work, makes Doug relatable even when he's being completely unreasonable. You feel his protective instincts, even as you're laughing at his over-the-top reactions. It’s a performance built for the era – big, expressive, and tailor-made for laughs, not deep character study.
Providing the voice of (relative) reason is Catherine Hicks (perhaps best known later for 7th Heaven) as Janet, Doug's girlfriend. She tries to mediate, offering sensible advice that Doug usually ignores in favour of increasingly elaborate schemes to vet Katie's boyfriends. Their dynamic provides some necessary grounding amidst the chaos.
### The Look, The Sound, The Sheer '89-ness
Director Stan Dragoti, who previously gave us the fish-out-of-water laughs of Mr. Mom (1983), brings a similar light, bright, and breezy touch here. She's Out of Control isn't aiming for gritty realism; it's a heightened, almost cartoonish look at parental paranoia. The production design screams late 80s affluence – the sprawling California house (filming took place around Malibu and LA), the pristine high school hallways, the ubiquitous shopping mall sequences. Remember those montages set to upbeat synth-pop? This movie has them in spades. The soundtrack itself is a time capsule, featuring tracks that capture that specific end-of-decade pop sound.
The humour often stems from the sheer absurdity of Doug's reactions and the parade of stereotypical boyfriends Katie brings home – the punk rocker, the preppy, the intellectual snob. It plays on exaggerated fears, blowing them up for comedic effect. While some of the gags might feel dated now, there’s an undeniable energy to the proceedings. It wasn't exactly a critical darling upon release, nor did it break the bank (earning a modest $11.8 million domestically), but like so many films of its ilk, it found a comfortable afterlife on home video, becoming a familiar presence on rental shelves.
### A Time Capsule of Teen Comedy Tropes
Watching She's Out of Control today is like unearthing a time capsule filled with shoulder pads, big hair, and anxieties about teenage dating that feel both specific to the era and strangely timeless. The plot is admittedly thin – Doug panics, Katie dates, rinse, repeat – but its charm lies in its earnestness and its commitment to its simple premise. It doesn't try to be anything more than a lighthearted romp, a vehicle for Tony Danza's comedic timing and a snapshot of late 80s teen culture.
Does it hold up as a cinematic masterpiece? Probably not. But as a nostalgic slice of VHS-era comfort food? Absolutely. It captures that specific feeling of flipping through channels late at night and landing on something familiar, funny, and unabashedly of its time. It’s the kind of movie you’d watch with friends, maybe chuckling at the outfits and groaning affectionately at the dad jokes.
VHS Heaven Rating: 6/10
Justification: The film earns points for Tony Danza's committed comedic performance, Ami Dolenz's charming breakout role, and its status as a perfect late-80s time capsule. It’s predictable and the plot is repetitive, preventing a higher score, but its nostalgic charm and good-natured humour make it an enjoyable, easy watch for fans of the era.
Final Thought: She's Out of Control is pure, unfiltered late-80s froth – less a complex character study, more a brightly coloured panic attack set to a synth beat, preserved forever on magnetic tape. Sometimes, that's exactly what you need.