Content warning: This episode includes mention of sexual assault.

Joyce Chopra’s haunting narrative debut follows Connie, a 15-year-old on summer vacation who slowly and unintentionally lands in the orbit of a man who calls himself Arnold Friend (“a friend”). Amid the throes of family drama, discovering her own burgeoning sexuality, and under the increasingly intense gaze of the men around her, Connie receives her first exposure to the social roles to which patriarchal systems relegate women in a thrilling, terrifying, surreal encounter with Friend.

Links:

- Siskel & Ebert review (1986): Salvador, Smooth Talk, Crossroads & Turtle Diary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C8FBIFf170

- NYFF58 Talk: Smooth Talk with Laura Dern, Joyce Chopra, and Joyce Carol Oates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOrTW2dLYCo

Buy tickets to “NIC CAGE, NATIONAL TREASURE” (June - Aug 2022 at the Trylon): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/national-treasure/

THE RARE PERFECTION OF LUCRECIA MARTEL (Aug 26-28 at the Trylon): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/the-rare-perfection-of-lucrecia-martel/

CRACKING OPEN THE DISNEY VAULT (Sept at the Trylon): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/cracking-open-the-disney-vault/

Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trylovepodcast and email us at [email protected] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at https://www.trylon.org/.

Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters.

Timestamps

0:00 - Episode 187: SMOOTH TALK (1985)

5:06 - The episode actually starts

9:16 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary

11:01 - How SMOOTH TALK sets up its striking final act

21:50 - Connie’s relationship with her family

28:05 - ​​Gender roles and Reagan era symbols

34:43 - Aaron’s workout corner

36:34 - The A. Friend scene

1:00:55 - Where Connie is at the very end of the movie