The 1980s were a weirdly obsessed decade for gender-swapping. You had Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, Barbra Streisand in Yentl, and even that movie Soul Man that... well, let’s just say it aged like milk in the sun. But then there’s Just One of the Guys.
Released in 1985, it’s often shoved into the "raunchy teen comedy" bin alongside Porky's or Revenge of the Nerds. That’s a mistake. Honestly, if you actually sit down and watch it now, you’ll realize it’s doing something much weirder and more interesting than just looking for a cheap laugh. It’s basically Twelfth Night with more hairspray and a very confused William Zabka.
What Actually Happens in Just One of the Guys
The plot is classic screwball. Terry Griffith (played by Joyce Hyser) is a high schooler who thinks she's a world-class journalist. When she loses out on a summer internship, she’s convinced it’s because she’s too pretty. Her teacher basically tells her she’d be better off modeling.
Naturally, the most logical 1980s response is to cut your hair, strap on a chest binder, and enroll in the rival high school as a guy named Terry.
She wants to prove that her writing is good enough to win on its own merits. But instead of just writing, she falls into this bizarre social ecosystem. She befriends Rick (Clayton Rohner), a guy who is obsessed with James Brown and has zero confidence. She tries to "bro" him up, teaching him how to talk to girls and stand up to Greg Tolan, the school bully.
If Greg Tolan looks familiar, it’s because William Zabka had just finished playing Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid. He basically swapped the gi for a denim jacket and kept the same "I’m going to ruin your life" energy.
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It’s Not Just About the Sock
One of the biggest misconceptions about Just One of the Guys is that it’s just a series of "how to pee like a man" jokes. Sure, Terry’s brother Buddy (Billy Jacoby) gives her a crash course in being a dude that involves a lot of tube socks and aggressive posturing. Buddy is easily the funniest part of the movie. He’s a sex-obsessed teen who somehow manages to be the most supportive brother in cinema history.
But the movie actually digs into the isolation of being a teenage guy.
Terry realizes that being a "guy" isn't just about privilege. It’s about a constant, low-level threat of violence. It’s about not being allowed to show vulnerability. When she’s "one of the guys," she sees the locker room talk for what it is—mostly a performance of bravado used to cover up massive insecurity.
The Weird, Sophisticated Gender Politics
What’s wild is how the movie handles sexuality. Rick starts falling for "Terry" while she’s still in disguise. He’s confused. He’s uncomfortable. But here’s the kicker: he doesn’t freak out.
In a lot of 80s movies, a guy suspecting his friend might be gay would lead to a punchline or a fight. In Just One of the Guys, Rick just sort of accepts it. He thinks his best friend might be into him, and while it makes him awkward, he stays loyal. For a movie from 1985, that’s incredibly nuanced.
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Then you have Sherilyn Fenn—before she became a legend in Twin Peaks—playing Sandy, the girl who is aggressively pursuing "Male Terry." The movie acknowledges that androgyny is attractive. It doesn't treat the attraction as a mistake or something to be ashamed of.
That Prom Scene (You Know the One)
We have to talk about the ending. The big reveal happens at the prom. Terry finally tells Rick the truth, but he doesn't believe her. He thinks it’s just a "pity lie" because she’s actually a gay guy.
So, she proves it.
The scene where she exposes herself to Rick in the middle of a crowded kitchen is burned into the memory of every Gen X-er who caught this on HBO. It’s the moment the "teen comedy" mask slips off and things get surprisingly heavy. It’s not played for a laugh; it’s played as a desperate act of identity reclamation.
Why It Holds Up (And Why It Doesn't)
Is it perfect? God, no.
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The premise itself relies on the idea that "pretty girls can't be smart," which is a dated trope. Plus, the fact that no one notices Terry is clearly a woman in a wig for the first ten minutes requires a massive suspension of disbelief.
But Lisa Gottlieb, the director, brought a feminine gaze to a genre that was almost exclusively male-dominated. Most teen comedies of that era were about "scoring." This one is about perception. It’s about how the world sees you versus who you actually are.
Hidden Details You Might Have Missed
The movie is packed with "nerd" Easter eggs.
- The School Name: Sturgess Wilder High is a direct shout-out to directors Preston Sturges and Billy Wilder.
- The Bully’s Name: Greg Tolan is named after Gregg Toland, the cinematographer of Citizen Kane.
- The Cameos: Joyce Hyser was dating Bruce Springsteen during filming. If you look at the posters on Terry's bedroom wall, you'll see a lot of The Boss.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning a rewatch or seeing it for the first time, keep these points in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Background Characters: The movie features a "Reptile" guy and a pair of geeks who speak in their own alien language. It’s a great snapshot of the pre-internet subcultures that don't really exist in the same way today.
- Compare it to She’s the Man: Watch this back-to-back with the Amanda Bynes version. It’s fascinating to see how the "girl-as-boy" trope shifted from a social commentary on journalism to a slapstick sports comedy.
- Check Out the Soundtrack: It’s a time capsule of 80s New Wave and rock. Tracks like "Trouble" by Lindsey Buckingham set the mood perfectly.
Just One of the Guys isn't just a relic of a bygone era. It's a surprisingly sharp look at the performance of gender. It asks if we are the person we show to the world, or the person we are when the mask comes off.
Next time you’re scrolling through a "Top 80s Movies" list, don't skip this one. It’s got way more on its mind than just a tube sock.
To dive deeper into 80s cult cinema, your next step should be researching the career of director Lisa Gottlieb, who fought to keep the film’s "feminine perspective" against a studio that wanted a more traditional sex comedy. Exploring the production history of other gender-bending films from the mid-80s, like Tomboy (1985) or He's My Girl (1987), will also provide a clearer picture of how Hollywood was grappling with these themes at the time.