Little Darlings is a 1980 Coming of Age film directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, starring Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol as two girls at summer camp who make a bet on who will lose her virginity first. Matt Dillon and Armand Assante costar as the girls' respective targets.
Tropes associated with the film include:
- The '80s: Although it would have been filmed earlier than its 1980 release, so it has shades of The '70s. But the feathered hair and running shorts are features of the 80's.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: In a variation of the way this usually plays out, Angel seems to choose Randy because he's street-wise like her. After all, Matt Dillon WAS this trope in The '80s.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: Averted. Ferris discovers the hard way that, at least in the physical context of a 30-year-old man having sex with a 15-year-old, sex can be damaging and its consequences ugly.
- Coming of Age: The movie is about both girls learning about the intersection of love and sex.
- Did They or Didn't They?: Both girls leave a lot of questions unanswered, which is part of their learning experience.
- Establishing Character Moment: Angel delivering the below Groin Attack.
- Female Gaze: Angel checking out Randy's ass. Along with some Fanservice when Randy strips down to his briefs.
- Girl Posse: The rest of the girls in the camp divide into two "teams", each rooting for and egging on either Ferris or Angel, including a Blonde, Brunette, Redhead combination (Sunshine, Carrots, Cinder).
- Groin Attack: Angel randomly kicks a teenage boy in the balls in the opening scene.
- Hypocrite: Angel's mom. "I don't want you smoking."
- Sarcastic Title: Lampshaded by one of the taglines in the poster: "Don't let the title fool you."
- Sex as Rite-of-Passage: Angel and Ferris are two teenagers who make a bet as to which of them will be the first to lose her virginity at a summer camp.
- Share the Male Pain: Averted; two teenage boys watching the opening scene's Groin Attack just laugh at the victim.
- Smoking Is Cool: Angel cements her "cool teenager" image via smoking.
- Summer Campy: It is a film about two teenage girls making a bet as to which of them will be the first to lose her virginity at a summer camp, what did you expect?
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Angel is cynical and streetwise, while Ferris is naive and romantic.
