While the strains of a nearly perfect 1980's pop music soundtrack keep us happily tapping our toes, the combined, and considerable, star power of Rob Lowe and Demi Moore drags us mercilessly through the mire of extreme human emotionalism in this story of two 20 somethings living the high life in the Chicago singles bar culture. Our two protagonists, Dan and Debbie, are determined to extend adolescence for as long as possible with the diligent use of contraception and a mutual disdain for marriage and commitment. Unfortunately, they make the common modern day mistake of settling for the transient half-life known as "moving in together" in order to gain easier access to sex. This course of action provides Debbie and Dan with the opportunity to play in several scenes depicting their collective confusion about what exactly their relationship is. Are they really a couple? Or are they just friends with bedroom benefits? Are they both still single? Do they love each other? Or do they even have a relationship at all? These scenes are performed quite well and allow us to revel in endless closeups of Miss Moore's beautiful, tear stained face as her trademark gravelly voice pulls at our heartstrings, while Mr. Lowe, cast in the role of Every Dumb Guy Who Ever Lived, holds in his feelings, looking stoic and somewhat constipated. Adding to the bright entertainment are James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins as the best friends of Dan and Debbie, respectively. Their function is to bring endless sarcasm and conflict into the lives of our cohabitating sex partners , and they prove to be quite gifted in that regard.
The film, directed by Edward Zwick, is based on David Mamet's play Sexual Perversity In Chicago. Presumably, there is still as much perversity to be found in Chicago, sexual and otherwise, as there was in 1986 when this delightful little movie was released. Your options are as follows:
1. Drive to Chicago and seek out some of that perversity for yourself.
2. Spend 1 hour and 53 minutes watching Dan and Debbie being perverse so that you don't have to.
3. Save yourself a lot of trouble and just listen to the soundtrack on your CD player.
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