80s Fantasy Comedy Streaming For Free Challenges Gender Norms And Your Intelligence
Have you ever seen an ‘80s teen romantic comedy fantasy film that’s as problematic as it is progressive? Well, if you haven’t, then you need to check out 1986’s Willy Milly. If you’ve never heard of this title, then you may want to look into its alternate titles, I Was a Teenage Boy and Something Special, but also know that you can currently stream Willy Milly for free on The Roku Channel at the time of this writing.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so we may as well just get right into it.
A “Grass Is Always Greener” Scenario
Willy Milly centers on Milly Niceman (Pamela Adlon), a 14-year-old girl tomboy who’s obsessed with astronomy. Knowing that her father, Fred (John Glover), always wanted a son and not a daughter, Milly is frustrated with her place in life because she thinks being a boy is way easier than being a girl.
Everything changes for Milly when her best friend Stephanie’s (Mary Tanner Bailey) eccentric younger brother, Malcolm (portrayed by a very young Seth Green in one of his earliest roles), sells her a magical spell that will grant her a wish in the form of her deepest, darkest desires coming true if she follows his specific instructions during the upcoming solar eclipse. As it turns out, Milly’s deepest, darkest desire is to become a boy, which manifests physically in the form of male genitalia under her nightgown the next day when she wakes up.
Much to the dissatisfaction of her mother, Doris (Patty Duke), Milly decides to change her name to Willy and live as a boy, which at first upsets her father. That is, until he realizes that he finally has the son he always wanted. Realizing that it would be impossible to explain that Willy used to be a girl named Milly, Fred arranges to have his son transferred to a new school so he could have a fresh start after his transformation.
Unfortunately for Willy, he learns that being a boy has its own difficulties as he tries to navigate through teenage life with his new identity. Matters continue to get complicated in Willy Milly when Willy befriends a wheelchair-bound boy named Alfie (Eric Gurry), who feels conflicted by his attraction to Willy, who just a week prior used to be a girl.
Surprisingly Progressive, But An Unfortunate Product Of Its Time
Considering that Willy Milly saw a 1986 release, I have to say that it’s actually quite ahead of its time, socially speaking. When Milly transforms into Willy, Fred does everything he can to make sure his son feels comfortable in his new body. Though Fred leans a little too hard into the gender norms he’s familiar with as a man approaching middle age in the 1980s, like teaching Willy how to box and swear so he can be an alpha male, he quickly learns to appreciate Willy for who he is and wants to be, never refers to him as “she” after his transition, and makes several misguided but well-intentioned attempts to make sure his former daughter feels seen as his son after deciding to live life as a boy.
However, while Fred is supportive of his son’s transition in Willy Milly, he still sees the world through the lens of what would today be considered an egregious example of toxic masculinity. You have to give Fred credit for doing his best given the circumstances, but Willy Milly fails to hold up under scrutiny today by the time it reaches its third act when Alfie professes his love to Willy and feels an immense amount of shame for his feelings.
What’s more, you may find the typical teen sex comedy beats within this context to be a bit on the creepy side. After all, Alfie and his fellow nerd friends have a secret junkyard makeout spot where they hide from bullies and try to hook up with girls despite the fact that they have absolutely zero game on the romantic front. I found myself cringing whenever Willy went on his swearing tirades in an attempt to come off as sexually experienced because the locker room talk can easily be misconstrued as incredibly forced and borderline misogynistic at times.
One Of The Films Of All Time
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Willy Milly is one of those films that you have to appreciate for being so ambitious, but absolutely deserves criticism for not fully committing to the bit. On one hand, it tackles some of the gender issues that we face today in a way that can make those struggling with their own sexual identity feel seen and heard. But for every bit of progressive discourse (intentional or not) found in Willy Milly, it ultimately fails to stick the landing because of how hard it leans into the stereotypical gender norms that were so prevalent in past decades.
If you’re willing to go on an adventure that’s equal parts wholesome and raunchy, you can stream Willy Milly for free on The Roku Channel as of this writing. And if you want to take an even deeper dive into the film, you can check out the GenreVision podcast for more insight and observations.
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