I Saw a 10 Today, Oh Boy

I'd never seen it before, not even when it came out in 1979 (I was twelve at the time, and likely wouldn't have gotten in to see it anyway).

I was pleasantly surprised that the movie contained more than the typical RomCom does today. It concentrated more on the script and making sure the camera shots highlighted what was needed.

Overcome by a fear of growing old, the perpetually intoxicated George is in pursuit of a sad-eyed vision of perfection, a virginal "Other." His crisis is amplified by being constantly spiritually "castrated" during the film, first by his girlfriend Sam, who is also sort of virginal, in a ball-busting sort of way. She is too much for him intellectually, and it helps to spur his quest.

There is a decided contrast between Sam and Jenny. Sam performs music and keeps a classy demeanor, and refers to "making love;" Jenny likes classical music but likes to "fuck" to it. Even Sam's name is sexually ambiguous.

The movie did ring of a morality play: it suggests that the correct thing for George to do is to be with the "good woman" who will be with him, despite that woman being outraged at his gallivanting with naked girls at a party. It suggests that despite Jenny's freedom, she isn't the "kind of girl one should stay with."

It SEEMS pro-woman; Sam is intelligent, Jenny is liberated... but it still reinforces a patriarchal outlook. Sam's anger is supposed to be short-lived, she's supposed to tolerate George's indiscretion and wait for him to come around.