The flick's got enough life and energy to light the football field where tomboy Billie lives. I really like that first half that shows how the girl athlete defeats boy track competitors by calling on an internal rhythymic beat. Those close-ups of her intensely engaged face are oddly appealing. But then she is a girl; so what's she doing competing comfortably against boys. ( I suspect her revealing short-shorts remind that despite all, Billie is a female.)
The second half deals somewhat with her trying to conform to gender stereotypes, but also takes on Dad's (Backus) run for city mayor which is hampered by his two daughters's skirting of social mores of the time. After all, Billie has her gender problem, while older sister Jean (Seaforth) is hiding her marriage and pregnancy from upwardly ambitious Dad. So what will Dad do. After all, he needs the appearance of an unconflicted family.
Needless to say, heavy gender issues underlie the flick's generally light approach, issues more reflective of our own time than theirs, 1965. Thus, in that sense, the screenplay casts shadows ahead of its time, though here they're more toyed with than dealt with.
Anyway, Duke carries the film in generally charming fashion in what amounts to a really tricky role, while the cast as a whole manages to deal well with a sometimes murky script.
All in all, the flick's an oddity for its time, but remains a generally entertaining and thought provoking package. So catch up with it if you can, that is, if you don't mind a little salt in your dessert.
The second half deals somewhat with her trying to conform to gender stereotypes, but also takes on Dad's (Backus) run for city mayor which is hampered by his two daughters's skirting of social mores of the time. After all, Billie has her gender problem, while older sister Jean (Seaforth) is hiding her marriage and pregnancy from upwardly ambitious Dad. So what will Dad do. After all, he needs the appearance of an unconflicted family.
Needless to say, heavy gender issues underlie the flick's generally light approach, issues more reflective of our own time than theirs, 1965. Thus, in that sense, the screenplay casts shadows ahead of its time, though here they're more toyed with than dealt with.
Anyway, Duke carries the film in generally charming fashion in what amounts to a really tricky role, while the cast as a whole manages to deal well with a sometimes murky script.
All in all, the flick's an oddity for its time, but remains a generally entertaining and thought provoking package. So catch up with it if you can, that is, if you don't mind a little salt in your dessert.