Picking Nits
Australian family; compressed year; Danny’s behavior; dance rules; lip-syncing; flying car; smoking; sports; bare feet; Frenchy dropping out; beach distance
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:59Read transcript
- The unexplained decision to stay in Los Angeles after an Australian summer visit is questioned; never meeting Sandy’s parents is another missed opportunity.
- A military posting is offered as a tentative explanation for the family’s travel and accent.
- Nine months seem compressed into days, without holidays or clear intervals in Danny and Sandy’s relationship.
- The absence of college discussion and sudden graduation are questioned; a shorter period ending near football season is proposed.
- Danny humiliating Sandy to impress his friends is considered foolish and inconsistent with a confident group leader.
- Danny letting Cha-Cha replace Sandy at the dance and Sandy then readily accepting his ring are criticized as implausible relationship turns.
- The dance contest ignores a visible partner substitution despite spectators and cameras.
- Danny’s competitive motivation for winning the dance is questioned.
- Some lip-syncing is criticized as conspicuously inaccurate.
- The car flying away at the end is questioned unless the death-and-dream theory is accepted.
- Travolta’s cigarette handling is called unconvincing; De Niro in Heat receives a joking 10/10 comparison, Travolta 1.5,and Cruise 1.
- The football and basketball staging is criticized for lacking sports knowledge, including a basketball game whose teams appear confused.
- Sandy removing her shoes to sit on river concrete is questioned, especially given the director’s foot infection.
- Frenchy dropping out for beauty school so close to graduation is considered unnecessary.
- The beach being treated as distant and exceptional is questioned given Venice filming, though an inland setting and Los Angeles habits are offered as defenses.