MovieChat Forums > Where the Boys Are (1960) Discussion > Angie deserved better than Basil - and R...

Angie deserved better than Basil - and Ryder, for that matter.

posted 16 years ago by jane_bront
15 replies | jump to latest

Seriously. The script was written as if Angie was unattractive to guys and desperate enough to latch on to the ridiculous Basil - who was shown as not really wanting her either! What? I mean, I understand the stereotype. Merritt was the lead, the ultimate blonde dream angel suitable for the old-money WASP 'catch', Ryder. But did Angie have to have a completely unattractive and inattentive guy foisted on her because she was brunette, short, more solidly built, with wider facial features and a quirky attitude? She was very cute and fun with an unmatched beautiful voice - yet she's shown as being very obviously rejected more than once for the cookie cutter blonde. Yes, it's just a movie - and one I do actually like a lot. But honestly, they could have given Angie a guy more deserving of her time - at least by the end of the movie.

"This isn't exactly the first grave we've dug. You still think I'm a catch?" - Sam Winchester

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] anemone9 16 years ago

I just saw this movie for the first time and I was thinking the same thing! I thought she was beautiful and did not understand why the boys were not chasing after her.

[–] poopdawg15 16 years ago

you must have seen it on TCM, Bill Maher's selection, how about that for odd. I thought it was great though, it was crazy to see a movie that was aimed at the younger demographic from such a long time ago. How great was a young George Hamilton, jet black hair, same suntan.

Fun Words to Say: Balzac, Schwumpleton, Kwosion, Clavicle.

[–] PretoriaDZ 16 years ago

I agree with Jane bront. After all, Connie Francis herself managed to go steady with Bobby Darin, a heart throb of the time!

[–] MystMoonstruck 16 years ago

Obviously, none of you have ever been or known a girl who is one of the "best friend" types. My sister was a pretty brunette who looked exactly like what girls were supposed to look like in the Sixties, and guys fell all over themselves for her. I had waistlength coppery hair, more curves~and couldn't get one bit of attention! Honestly! We would go into stores, and I would need help, but they would start talking to my sister until she pointed me out to them.

So, it's not surprising that hockey-playing Angie with her tomboyish talk,, brusque ways and, frankly, loud-mouthed way of speaking didn't make her popular with boys. Actually, I would say that, if you looked at pictures of girls in the Fifties-Sixties, they all were attractive. We dressed neatly and very prettily, tried different hairstyles, and always went for a groomed appearance. By the way, the Beatniks were our goths, wearing black, reading and writing brooding poetry, acting as if everything was major drama.

So, Angie, who is constantly overeager with guys, is understandably the girl who gets overlooked. It takes Basil to finally see her as his type of girl~after she pursues him till he does! *giggle*

Besides, who says the girls are with THE guys they might end up with?

~~MystMoonstruck~~

[–] misscsquared 16 years ago

I have not seen this movie in a long time, always one of my favorites, even though I can't imagine going to Fort Lauderdale for spring break to meet a potential husband (I was the age these girls were in this movie in the 80's) I agree that Angie was very attractive and there is no reason (except that they needed it for comic relief) that guys wouldn't find her attractive, however, i tend to go for the oddball types, and I found Basil to be quite attractive. I also loved Frank Gorshin in Bells are Ringing, and I'm always a sucker for a man who can play the stand up bass. What can I say. Love this movie.

[–] PlatinumScreen 12 years ago

however, i tend to go for the oddball types, and I found Basil to be quite attractive. I also loved Frank Gorshin in Bells are Ringing, and I'm always a sucker for a man who can play the stand up bass. What can I say. Love this movie.

i also found basil to be quite attractive in this movie. i'd put him down as the sexiest and most unique guy of all of them in my book.

[–] OlLineRebel 14 years ago

"I would say that, if you looked at pictures of girls in the Fifties-Sixties, they all were attractive. We dressed neatly and very prettily, tried different hairstyles, and always went for a groomed appearance. By the way, the Beatniks were our goths, wearing black, reading and writing brooding poetry, acting as if everything was major drama."

I am so happy to see someone state these kinds of sentiments! ('80s Chick here, BTW.)

As for your comments about attractive girls not rating attention - it's true. It does happen. Even with males it's not always all about looks. Sometimes they're too "cool" and they're looking for cool, too. Not all attractive girls are suave and not all ugly girls are nerds, etc.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] jane_bront 14 years ago

(Oops! I deleted my double post above this one.)

"Besides, who says the girls are with THE guys they might end up with?"

Well, this is a comforting thought as far as Angie is concerned. My thing is, there is someone for everyone. The person who is the "best friend type" to you or me is the attractive type to someone else. So to some people Merritt or Melanie is the best friend type.

I know Angie was a comic relief role. Basil was an extension of that. I do enjoy the Angie/Basil humor for what it is. But I still wish that one of those "other guys" made an appearance in the film, wanting to talk to this chatty vivacious girl and leaving the other ladies sitting in the sand for a change.

Well, I just watched WTBA again a couple days ago in honor of spring break (although I'm way past my spring break days) and I still love this film!

~"Chris,...am I weird?"
~"Yeah, but so what? Everybody's weird."

[–] MsELLERYqueen2 12 years ago

I thought that Angie looked great, and that Basil was kinda cute. I didn't care for Ryder at all. Personally, I would have snapped up T.V. and his "take sex, for instance" line in a second.

~~
Jim Hutton: talented gorgeous hot hunk; adorable as ElleryQueen; SEXIEST ACTOR EVER

[–] PretoriaDZ 10 years ago

In real life, none other than cutie Bobby Darin was seriously interested in her until her nutso father threatened him with a gun.

[–] cpmorr 8 years ago

The frequent allusions to her unattractiveness did annoy me. I can't imagine it didn't annoy Connie.

[–] MsELLERYqueen2 8 years ago

I know! Connie was so pretty in this film! Why should she have been treated as an ugly duckling?

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen = 

[–] mca1218 7 years ago

I didn't think Angie was written as unattractive (I'm partial to brunettes myself). Unfortunately, there was/is an ages-old Hollywood stereotype that puts hockey-playing females into a desperate tomboy type- which makes no sense whatsoever, but there you are. And she didn't seem to be ignored by anyone but George Hamilton the two times she checked him out at the beach, but he ultimately liked someone else. But she found her groove in taking her friend's advice about appealing to a musician by becoming another musician- i.e spontaneously singing "Turn On the Sunshine" as accompaniment to Basil's jazz band. Great little scene.