Teen sex comedies are a dime a dozen. Seen one, seen them all more or less. Hollywood never tires of churning out these movies but it is very rare that one of them sets itself apart from the pack in any way. Such is the case with Mischief. This was one of the first of the genre and that, along with its 1950s setting, makes it at least a little bit different from what we see nowadays. A little sweeter than today's teenage sex romps. And certainly a lot less raunchy. It's just endearing enough that you can consider it to be at least a modest success. Nothing spectacular to be sure but it's OK.

Set in Ohio in 1956 Mischief tells the story of introverted, socially awkward Jonathan. He desperately wants to hook up with his classmate Marilyn. She's the town's resident teenage goddess. Every town has one. Well every movie town does at least. Of course Jonathan's got no shot with Marilyn. But then Gene comes along. He's the cool new kid in town and he takes Jonathan under his wing, teaching him the tricks of wooing the ladies. Jonathan sets about winning over Marilyn while Gene goes for Bunny. Bunny's the girlfriend of Kenny, the mean kid in town. So we've gathered all the teenage sex comedy clichés together. The nerd, the unattainable hot chick, the cool kid, the mean kid, the mean kid's girlfriend who stays with him even though she really knows better. And floating around the periphery of the movie throughout we have Rosalie, the nice but unattractive girl who could probably be hot if she tried. Toss all these characters together and watch them interact more or less as they do in every teen movie you've ever seen, with our nerdy hero finding that what you want and what you need may be two different things.

Mischief is charming enough. But it's never really funny enough to be considered a great movie. For a supposed comedy there certainly are plenty of sizable gaps between laughs. The performances are all pretty good, all the actors fit their clichéd roles well. Doug McKeon's suitably nerdy as Jonathan. Chris Nash is totally cool as Gene. And if in 1985 you were looking for an actress to play a teen goddess you couldn't do any better than the impossibly beautiful Kelly Preston. Perhaps the best thing the movie has going for it is its soundtrack, those classic 1950s rock and roll tunes fit the story perfectly. Unfortunately that story is so similar to so many other movies of this genre that it's hard for Mischief to stand out. It's a reasonably enjoyable movie though. As teen comedies go there have been better but there have certainly been a lot worse.

There is just about an entire genre of coming-of-age-in-the-'50's movies. Boomer self-absorption/nostalgia, I guess. This is a pretty good one. Kelly Preston was the only cast member I was at all familiar with, and she was lovely. (And naked!) Everyone did a pretty good job here, and all of the cliches were present. A general note for people making films about the '50's. Those beautifully restored vintage '50's cars look great, and I'm sure the filmmakers salivate over photographing them. But for a touch of realism, there should be some '40's vintage cars that look like they have some miles on them, and maybe even one or two beat-up '30's cars. Not everyone has a brand new car, particularly in a small town. Anyway, this film is worth a look. Grade: B

When the class goody goody (Doug McKeon) befriends a James Dean wannabee (Chris Nash), it's loose his virginity or else as he goes after the pretty Catherine Mary Stewart while Nash makes a play for Kelly Preston. There's lots of great 50's music moving this period comedy along yet some light sentiment as the motherless Nash envies what McKeon has while McKeon really wants to be like Nash. You know, the whole "Grass is always greener" syndrome, and for opposites to have a strong friendship, it ends up being a lot deeper than "Grease", not as exploitive as teen films made in the 50's, and certainly not as soapy as "A Summer Place". There's also not an overabundance of parent nagging, just enough to make some minor plot points and fair to the adults. The foursome seem like teenagers, not the overages actors of "Grease".

Lots of funny moments, particularly a scene in class with a nasely voiced teacher giving a lecture on the chain in command of government and calling on McKeon to summarize what she said, catching him in an awkward moment and getting a real shock as the other boys in class laugh. The mixture of comedy and drama works well together here, and the original 50's recordings sound absolutely great, like a brand new 45 RPM. This is one of those unsung 80's films where nostalgia really works. McKeon is a great leading hero, and even more endearing than he was in "On Golden Pond". There are lots of references to 50's celebrities and trends, and that will make the audience feel like they've gone back in time.