Little Darlings

Directed by Ron Maxwell, Little Darlings follows Tatum O’Neal’s Ferris and Kristy McNichol’s Angel as they meet at summer camp and subsequently compete to see who can lose their virginity first. Filmmaker Maxwell, armed with Kimi Peck and Dalene Young’s screenplay, delivers an exceedingly (and often excessively) languid drama that does, generally speaking, benefit from the superb efforts of its various performers, as both O’Neal but especially McNichol turn in compelling, charismatic work that goes a long way towards cultivating (and perpetuating) a relatively watchable atmosphere (and it doesn’t hurt, certainly, that the eclectic periphery cast boasts familiar faces like Matt Dillon, Cynthia Nixon, and Armand Assante). The affable vibe admittedly does take a hit from a midsection that grows more and more sluggish as it (slowly) unfolds, as the decision to focus solely on the protagonists’ virginity-losing exploits isn’t quite as engrossing or captivating as Maxwell has evidently intended (ie it is, for the most part, disappointingly repetitive and tedious). And although the padded-out bent of its midsection threatens to alienate the viewer completely, Little Darlings ultimately recovers for a satisfying third act that’s elevated by an unexpectedly touching scene between O’Neal and McNichol’s respective characters – which does, in the end, cement the picture’s place as a decent-enough (yet rather forgettable) coming-of-age effort.

**1/2 out of ****