A Brilliant Conflict

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Louise Miller (Robyn Lively) is not very popular at her high school. Then she learns that she is descended from the witches of Salem and has inherited their powers.First, what is up with that little brother (Joshua John Miller)? He is a terrifying mutant and it is hard to tell exactly what he is going for with those faces and voices. Oh my. And then there is the Rob Lowe joke, which is even funnier now (2015) than it was then (1989), given Lowe's departure from fame and triumphant return.Somehow, despite losing millions of dollars at the box office, this has gone on to be a cult classic (allegedly) and there is a musical adaptation. Who is in this cult? But the musical makes sense, as there are a number of song and dance numbers that could be easily adapted. The film is not completely horrible, just somehow a bit off.

I was expecting a bit more, from the reviews I read. My public library recently got this on DVD, a pretty good transfer for an old (1989) movie, with only one extra, the trailer for this movie.Robyn Lively is the lead actor in the role of Louise Miller, who we quickly find out is a sort of geek, having skipped a grade and now a senior. She secretly longs for Brad Powell (Dan Gauthier), star football player who is dating the school's most popular girl. A very familiar premise in teen movies.This one has a twist when Louise finds out from a little old fortune teller that she has latent powers and at her 16th birthday, just a couple of days away, her powers will be manifest. (Lively really was 16 during filming, although Gauthier was in his mid-20s.) Anyway, Louise gains the ability to work magic. In one episode she gets back at her mean English teacher with a voo-doo doll. In another she turns her bothersome brother into a small dog, but he changes back when she dunks him in the bathwater. But her best trick is to arrange it so that everyone likes her, and she becomes the most popular girl at school. Alas, she realizes that this only brings temporary gratification, and in the long run, it is better just to be yourself.Somewhat entertaining, but it could have been so much better. It is interesting that none of the young actors, 17 years later, are recognizable. A few had ongoing careers in TV supporting roles. It just illustrates how difficult it is to become a movie star.

"Louise, i brought your morning pa-pa', i took the liberty of ironing your home-work'!" Ahh... the immortal words of Louise's crazy looking little brother, what an amazing leap for the world of cinema. I am in awe each time i watch this dazzling film. Be it the A-mazing rap sequence or just the HI-larious teacher in the car wash/voodoo doll sequence i cannot get enough of teen witch...but i must say the only flaw in the film is the incredible standard that all of my boyfriends have been held to since the scene in the abandoned house where Brad stands in his tank top daring Louise to "catch" him. well what can i say. this is a no-brainer, peace out dudes.

Never has there been a movie with so many tu-tus. Or simpering. Simper, simper, simper. Is that all "Louise" the snub-nosed unpopular frump can do? "Oh, Braaaad," she simpers mousily. From a frumpy, mousey girl she is magically transformed into a big-haired, make-up spackled Brad-humper by her magical "amulet" which she fondles constantly. No part of this movie is anything like real life. No teenagers acted like this. When Randa was having a party the same night as Louise were we to believe that all the people who were going to Randa's party would've supposedly gone to Louise's party? Why did it matter...the popular people weren't friends with her...that's real life, but not in this movie. Any why did the Millers live in a huge house but made her wear flour sacks and dowdy sweater vests to school? Was it their religion or something, to have to wear ugly sacks as a teen? The music and fashions of the 80's were only this bad in Teen Witch. How can any of you people think that this movie was touching or moving, or that any of the actors, namely Robyn Lively, had any talent at all? How can people think she was "charismatic" or had "quick wit"? She was a forgettable, creepy, pig-nosed talentless twit who kept speaking with this forced sibilant accent and being a real drip. Why did her parents make her dress so frumpily? Why did she suddenly have a closet full of tu-tus and redder hair which was suddenly curly and in a constant side pony-tail? And also the frosted lipstick and heavy blush....we are to believe that THIS is what makes a girl popular? The "I want to be the most popular girl" song is terrible. Some of the words are,"Gonna see some major changes comin' over me, gonna change my hair and makeup, soon you're gonna see." This movie is telling all shallow mousey teenagers what they want to hear...with some bigger hair, heavier make-up, and a closet full of tu-tu's you WILL be the most popular girl and everyone will applaud you when you walk into home-ec. Leave your drippy pal behind and go slobber on your Brad at an abandoned farmhouse, but not before a sleazy game of strip hide-and-seek. The answers to happiness are just a can of aqua-net away. Mousey girls: This should be YOUR GOAL as a teenager. Shallowness counts! Be shallow and remember Zelda Rubenstein loves you.