The Last American Virgin: Why a Disposable 80s Movie Still Resonates 40 Years Later

Time to prove why The Last American Virgin is an 80s cult classic that was written off just another teen movie when it was first released in 1982.
The Last American Virgin by any standard initially comes off as your average 80’s teen movie about high schoolers trying to get laid. In fact the original poster showed the entire cast, all smiling 50’s-style, as they were ensconced in a pair of unzipping jeans. It’s not made clear whether the jeans belong to a guy or a girl, the point is that if you watch this movie jeans are going to be coming down. The poster also boasts songs from such bands as The Cars, Blondie, Devo, Journey, The Police, REO Speedwagon, Tommy Tutone, etc., so simply based on this soundtrack, The Last American Virgin could forever be enshrined in the halls of 80s, teen, moviedom.
However, once you watch the film it becomes apparent that The Last American Virgin is not your garden-variety teen film. Sure there’s nudity, there’s even sex, parties, site gags, and everything we want from “teen movies”, but a teen movie this is not. This film is the story of Gary (Lawrence Monoson), Rick (Steve Antin), and David (Joe Rubbo) all trying to score with the ladies. Gary is the more sensitive and thoughtful of the three characters. That doesn’t mean that Rick and David are without nuance. Rick is a clearly the ladies man while David is a your obligatory 80s, fun, “big” guy. At the same time, Rick is both a good and bad guy. David isn’t entirely fun loving, especially when he slaps another character in the face for hurting Gary’s feelings.