Satisfaction (1988)

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Satisfaction is a teenage graduation music adventure come to life! Its about love and friendship. Music and trusting in your closest friends! After graduation and a fast escape from city life a rock and roll band of friends: Jennie Lee, Mooch, Nickie, Billy, and Daryle(Julia Roberts) visit the coast for the summer. They find an upscale bar and stay with its owner(liam Neeson) for the summer. They stay in his boat "shed" and make it a temporary home of their own! They are all confused about life and what they should be doing for the summer and why they are even there, but the music never stops and the girls sing, dance and party their summer away. The Girls fall in and out of love, The music rocks but the singing never dies it just moves on! The summer seems to have flown by and not everyone wants to leave! Separating stinks, but the girls head for home.

I was pretty sure, when I saw that Liam, Julia and Justine Bateman in a movie together, it was going to be somewhat decent. Well much to my chagrin. This movie was like a two way portal, ala some violent mirror in which I saw myself poking my eyes out with icepicks through the television screen to stop the pain.Justine was just awful at singing, the Benny Hill, fast forward scene at the beach just made me cringe from head to toe and every concert scene was just.....well, can you guess the remorseful, disgusting feelings I have towards this movie.I sat through this, I climbed this treacherous journey from the base camp to the pinnacle on a mountain from hell, so you don't have too. Take it from me, and where I came from. This movie will make you feel like a new asshole. It will give you a disease you never know existed. Please resist and refrain from watching this movie. I BEG YOU ALL.

If you've always suspected that combining elements from "Times Square" (1980), "Josie and the Pussycats" (2001), and "Summer of '42" (1971) would be an extremely bad idea, look no further than "Satisfaction" for confirmation. Although "Times Square" fans (the film from which "Satisfaction" steals the most) will frequently cringe during the viewing experience, the fusion of these three films is not a totally bad idea. It did give Trini Alvarado, eight years later, a chance to play the tough girl Nicky Marotta part, the character she played against in "Times Square". Although she plays her less like Robin Johnson did and more like Tara Reid's Cybil in "Girl" (1998). An underrated actress, Alvarado carries too much baggage (nice girl type-casting and too sweet a face) into this role to even begin to sell it. A much better idea that might have saved the film would have been for her and co-star Justin Bateman to switch parts. Bateman is capable of looking mean and is really too limited as an actress for a part with the degree of dimensionality of Jennie Lee. I've never quite grasped the popularity of Julia Roberts but for her mega-fans "Satisfaction" is a must see. The script doesn't give her much to work with but it is an opportunity to see her when she was this young. Of course there is some retrospective perverse amusement to be had at the idea of Roberts and Liam Neeson playing second banana's to the talent challenged Bateman, Britta Phillips' career rocketed forward from this film with 65 episodes as the voice of the title character in "Jem and the Holograms". Nice voice, excellent casting choice, and a cute performance; she and Chris Nash at least manage to give a fair amount of authenticity to the production. Director Joan Freeman of Streetwalkin' (1985) fame has never done another feature; after these casting decisions it is not hard to figure out why. Maybe she is just another innocent victim of an Aaron Spelling production, she clearly was not a budding Allan Moyle. Likewise Screenwriter Charles Purpura; although his script is no worse than a lot of stuff currently getting feature treatment and the outdated slang no doubt sounded less lame in 1988. Although full of terrible music (covers of classic rock tunes performed slightly worse than when arranged for your high school band's halftime show) the film did connect with its primary target audience, discontented teenage girls who were not so disillusioned that they could not still get off on an identification jag with a group of squeaky clean girl rockers. Those looking for a more real "growing up is painful " experience should stick with "Times Square" and the more recent "Pretty Persuasion". Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.Comment | Permalink

Some people will calls this film a chick flick, I prefer to say it is geared for a teenage women audience. With this in mind I fould it awful. Too sappy, predictable and reminds me of the low budget Bartell Drive inn movies. The all girl band headed out too the beach is toooo predictable. Their characters at best get across as cardbord. The tough girl etc. Even for an escapist movie, where the viewer turn his or her brain off, this film's script is too thin. I watched this with my wife late night, and could not care less for the conclusion. I left not really wanting to know about what happens too the band, or their love interest. For a film I found soaps have better wrighting. This film probably was done quick, on the cheap and it shows. Stay away unless your only other choice is Isthar at the video store. 3 Out of 10