The subject matter is handled in a very sensitive way and the characters are treated with a lot of respect. although the short-short jogging shorts worn by Rex with the to-the-knees sweat socks probably won't make a comeback. The film is definitely '70s but not in a super-dated cheesy way, in fact the outfits Denise Miller as Jessie wears could be current now! You know what they say, everything that goes around. Thirteen back then was in many ways a lot more grown up. As somebody else mentioned I think it's part of a midlife crisis as well! Being 39 and realizing how much has changed since those simpler '70s times when girls of 13 actually did take buses and go to malls together and had a lot more freedom away from the confines of modern suburbia makes me sad for my daughter who is nearly 13 herself. As somebody mentioned I'm haunted by it. Just ordered it from CD Universe about a month ago, and have given it about four whirls in the two weeks since. It completely matched my teenaged fantasies of sweet, gentle, interesting and let's face it hot 'older' guys. Saw this movie on re-run just once, when I was about 13, in 1980. I am sure there are guys who can relate but the trilogy of books and the movie just go hand and hand with us girls when we were teens! I just some how got it and understood exactly what Jessie was going through, and I saw it 10 years after it came out! There is no way to really explain this movie, other than, if you can hang with the kind of raw quality and can get passed the 70s look, okay and maybe the music, deep down it is a really great movie to watch on a Sunday afternoon. It is cute and cheesy and has a really good message. I am not sure what in gods name made me think I needed to have this movie in my collection, but after watching it again for the 15th million time, I REMEMBER. I remember watching this movie when I was 13, and now that I am older, for some reason I just HAD to have this movie on DVD.

The way in which Jessie acts is soo the 13 yr old being the 17 yr old. I something I really miss with todays 'teen' films. The acting is soo down the the core real. Even though it is sooo cheesy and pop culture like, there is something real about it. It has that kind of after school special meets feature film look to it. I think the biggest attraction for me, age. I think there are so many reasons why I love this movie.

Sooner or later bruce hart