Just caught this film again yesterday, without commercial breaks, and I was reminder of how all over the map it is. SPOILER ALERT: If you're willing to suffer through occasional inane "comedic" bits, there are a few treasures here and there. Scott Baio actually isn't bad as the wannabe businessman who suffers from hemophilia (he's not shooting heroin, as another commentator suggested), and Faye Grant as the "good girl with a reputation" (who saves herself from a near-rape; Baio is nowhere in the vicinity, as the same commentator writes) tries to rise above her material. The big surprise for me was the character Judy, who wants to be a Broadway performer. When she finally belts out her song, I thought, "wow, what a great voice!" Turns out it's cabaret diva Liz Callaway. And lots of familiar faces in the supporting cast: Vincent Spano, Jason Alexander, Robert Townsend. On the downside, Mickey Rooney's cameo is jarring--why him and not Ann Miller, Luci Arnez, or any of the other female stars then on Broadway (you can see their marquees in a number of scenes)? The quicktime scenes of the two sightseers are just misplaced here, also. And by today's standards (or even the standards of twenty years ago), the "save me from being gay" stereotype is hard to watch (although, ironically, the marquee for DEATHTRAP is often in the background). All in all, could be better, but could also be a whole lot worse.
Review of Senior Trip
