Hey_Sweden Review of My Tutor

My Tutor (1983)

If more tutors looked like Caren Kaye, there'd be more interest in learning French.

[7/10 · 23 February 2013]

Lovers of the 1980s sex comedy genre should have a pretty good time with "My Tutor". It's quite likable and amusing throughout. It's not exactly in the same mold as something like "Porky's", and doesn't really deliver any belly laughs, but that's not the point, as it treats its central relationship with a surprising amount of sensitivity. Handsome Matt Lattanzi stars as Bobby Chrystal, a teen who has flunked his French course. Since his dad (Kevin McCarthy) is stubbornly determined to make his son go to Yale and study international law, the course must be passed. So the dad hires a live-in tutor, Terry Green (the lovely Ms. Kaye) to instruct the boy for the summer. What the virginal Bobby doesn't expect is to fall in love with the young lady. While "My Tutor" isn't as raunchy as some viewers may hope, it does have its entertaining farcical moments here and there, many of them courtesy of co-star Crispin Glover, as Jack, one of Bobby's two buds who accompany him on the quest to experience sex. It's quite a hoot to see Glover strapped to a big wheel by a whip wielding dominatrix; also early on in the picture Bobby is paired with an extremely well endowed prostitute (Kitten Natividad, whose main assets can be seen in all their glory.) But providing a solid anchor for the movie is the portrayal of the evolving relationship between tutor and student, and it's beautifully played by Kaye and Lattanzi. Adding to the appeal of "My Tutor" is its obvious made-in-the-80s feel, complete with upbeat theme song. The actors are all good, with Arlene Golonka playing Bobby's mom, Jewel Shepard ("The Return of the Living Dead") as the sexy phone booth girl, and future director Katt Shea as one of the mud wrestlers. One subplot with Terry's stuck up former boyfriend (Bruce Bauer) trying to worm his way back into her life does have a mildly entertaining payoff, but one has to wonder why another story thread - that of finding out that the Chrystals' hired help have been putting on an act - was created, as it never really goes anywhere. By the end, we can't help but feel good for Bobby when he finally decides to stand up to his dad and vow to go ahead and study astronomy at UCLA, which is what he really wants to do. The characters are engaging, and with some of the female cast members showing off their bodies, one can't really ask for much more than that. Overall, "My Tutor" is pretty good for its genre. Seven out of 10.