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Released by: Scorpion Releasing
Released on: August 6, 2013.
Director: Herb Freed
Cast: Betsy Russell, Jerry Dinome, Kristi Somers, Eric Douglas
Year: 1985
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The Movie:
Directed by Herb Freed in 1985 for one time drive-in king Crown International, Tomboy follows the exploits of one Tomasina “Tommy†Boyd (Betsy Russell), the daughter of an astronaut (!) who was never interested in Barbie dolls or playing house but way more into bikes and baseball. As she grew up, she developed an interest in auto mechanics and she isn't hanging around with her best friend Seville (Kristi Somers) she's working a grease monkey job at a shop run by Chester (Richard Erdman).
When a rich snobby dude named Ernie Leeds Jr. (Eric Douglas) brings in one of his cars for a fix up, Tommy does the job and does it well which results in her meeting a famous race car driver named Randy Starr (Gerard Christopher). He's going to be taking one of Ernie's cars for a ride in an upcoming Daytona race and he's quite obviously digging what Tommy is putting out there. Soon enough, Seville has convinced Tommy to bring the chase to Randy and they show up at his practice space. As Tommy and Randy fall for one another, Ernie's business partner, Earl (Philip Sterling), sees in her the spark of racing greatness. Before you know it, he's trying to talk her into racing a car of her own… against Randy.
What's a girl to do?
Obviously inspired by the box office success of Flashdance a few years earlier, this isn't a particularly engrossing story but it's breezy and entertaining enough that it makes for a fun watch. The main reason this one works as well as it does is the casting of Betsy Russell in the lead. Not only is she fun to look at and frequently clad in a tight white top, but she's got some genuine charisma. She comes across as down to earth and likeable and because of that the conflict that she finds herself in when her personal life gets into a head-on with her professional live carries more dramatic weight than it would have otherwise.
The relationship that develops between Tommy and Randy is also a little more interesting than in your typical comedy. Tommy's obviously not one to let society tell her what a woman should or should not do, while Randy is a bit more old-fashioned, even a bit of a chauvinist when you get right down to it. As he falls for her he has to come to terms with her lifestyle choices and then can sometimes lend itself to some amusing situations. Gerard Christopher (yep, TV's Superman!) handles his part well and he and Russell do show some chemistry together here. Kristi Somers more or less provides some basic comic relief and much of the movie's tasty nudity, so if her performance isn't all that remarkable her presence is still more than welcome here. Necessary, even, given the expectations that audiences no doubt had in mind when checking this out theatrically. While it's very much a product of its time in its look, its costumes and its score, that doesn't take away from the movie's 'fun factor.'
Video/Audio/Extras:
Scorpion presents Tomboy on DVD in a slick looking 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that is crisp, clean and colorful without showing any obvious noise reduction or edge enhancement. Eagle eyed viewers might spot some minor print damage in the form of the odd speck here and there but otherwise the picture quality is great.
The English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono audio mix is also good. Levels are nicely balanced and dialogue stays clean and clear. The movie's wonderfully dated score sounds quite good too and there are no issues with any hiss, distortion or clipping. No alternate language options or subtitles are provided.
The main extra on the disc is an all new interview with leading lady Betsy Russell conducted by Scorpion's hostess with the mostest, Katarina Leigh Waters. Here the actress speaks quite openly and honestly about her career in the movies, offering up some great biographical information and sharing a few fun stories about this picture and a few others that she was involved with. Outside of that, we get an optional intro/outro from Katarina that offers up some trivia about the film and its cast and crew, we get a trailer for the feature, trailers for a few other Scorpion Releasing Properties, menus and chapter selection.
The Final Word:
It's not heavy, it's not deep and it's not particularly meaningful but Tomboy is a fun mid-eighties mix of comedy and drama. Betsy Russell is easy to like here and Kristi Sommers gets naked a few times, so there's that too. Scorpion's DVD isn't staked with extras but he interview with Russell is a nice addition and the presentation quality is excellent.
