Overlooked David Leland 1987 comedy-drama of the "petulant precocious irresponsible girl discovers that her sexuality is empowering but ends up getting into a lot of trouble" genre. The tone is an echo of 1960s UK sex comedies like THE KNACK, GEORGY GIRL and ALFIE, but better.Beautiful and immodest Emily Lloyd is remarkable as headstrong 16-year-old Linda, awkwardly coming of age in post WW 2 England. Her hormonally fueled rebellions and seedy assignations in the tool-shed with older men have her reserved widower father and younger sister in a perpetual state of embarrassment.
Carefully crafted and deftly scripted, the film moves effortlessly from side-slitting comedy to pathos. Looking at this debut performance it's hard to fathom how Emily Lloyd failed to be a big star. (It didn't help that her big US break was the lame 1989 Peter Falk vehicle COOKIE.)
