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Show 4M The Salt Lake Tribune Friday. February Vivid portrait of growing up 7, 1986 Smooth Talk treats adolescence seriously Laura Dern, the young actress who made such an impression as the blind girl in last years Mask," plays Conwho can't wait to be nie, a 21. Her family treats her like the child that she is, but Connie sees herself much differently. Shes sexually curious, as boys and girls of that age are wont to be. She's mesmerized by the songs of romance that come over the radio. Its summer, school's out, and Connie doesn't have much to do. So she indulges the fantasies gleaned from the rock n roll songs. She prims herself to goddess-lik- e perfection and then heads for the nearest mall for a day of flirting. Its all pretty harmless, until one night she and a friend decide to cross the highway and go to the hamburger drive-in- , the local hangout where boy asks girl to go for a drive. Its at the drive-i- n that Connie has her first date. She likes what happens, the caressing, the nice words. At the same time, however, she attracts the attention of someone else, someone older. Arnold Friend is a smooth talker, and he will affect Connie's life in a By Terry Orme Tribune Staff Writer Coming of age Is a popular theme in movies these days. Often that time when an adolescent becomes an adult is portrayed on the movie screen with attempted humor, as comedy full of sexual hijinks. Smooth Talk, a new film based on Joyce Carol Oates short story, Film review Where Are Your Going, Where Have You been?" takes a much different, who cant wait to be Laura Deni plays Connie, a 21, in Smooth Talk, film based on Joyce Carol Oates story. and more realistic, tack. This new film, which took top honors at the recent United States Film Festival in Park City, looks at that time between childhood and adulthood for what it is: A combination of excitement and fear. While Hollywood seems convinced that everyones first sexual experience is nothing but a barrel of laughs, Smooth Talk is a vivid portrait of the frightening consequences of growing up too fast. Funny Funny cent insecurities the next. Derns is a keen and perceptive performance. Fine performances also are given by Mary Kay Place as Connies concerned mother, and by Levon Helm as her rather unconcerned father. If there is a misstep in this film it is director Chopra's decision to cast Elizabeth Berridge (Constanze in Amadeus) as Connies older sister, June. Berridge, who is a good six inches shorter than Dern, is never convincing as an older sister. That she is older, and not younger, is important to the plot. But with Berridge in the role, you are kept guessing about the relationship between the sisters well into the film. That quibble aside, Smooth Talk Director Joyce Chopra, in her dra- is a serious film about a subject matic feature film debut, has said which filmmakers too often dont that what attracted her to casting take seriously. Through the perforDern as Connie was the actress abili- mances of Williams and Dern, it is ty to look very young and awkward also a film which sticks with you. one moment, and to epitomize womConnie and Arnold are vivid characters, and what happens between them anly beauty the next. That is certainly true, and whats more, Dern pos- on a hot Sunday afternoon is mysterisesses womanly confidence one ous, disturbing and impossible to moment, then is overcome by adoles forget. way she never realized was possible. The fantasies of a young teen-age- r stop becoming a game. In Arnold Friend, Treat Williams creates a character who is charming and repulsive at the same time. Arnold is almost boyish as he tells Connie that he wants to be her lover and her best friend. Yet the fact that he is so blatant about his intentions the fact that he knows so much ab.nt Connie while she knows nothing about, him, sends a chill down your spine. In spite of appearances, theres something very wrong with Arnold, and Williams illuminates the imbalance with a very effect've and haunting performance. FUNNY. . . . Joel Siegel "FUNNY. " ROBERT REDFORD MERYL STREEP Richard Schickel, Time "V,. Wildly Funny. 99 Roger Ebert r- a ' A ' ;Af 1 V? Devastatingly Funny. Sneak Previews OUT OF AFRO MIRAGE Production A Jeffery Lyons, M .KLAUS MARIA BRANDAUER PnUm IUDITH THURMAN, -K- (( Hilarious. 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