Gidget

Originally published on social media on May 30th, 2022

Have you ever watched a film that made you crave a specific food? There is a scene in this film where Gidget and one of the surfer guys go get hamburgers, and those couple minutes of film made me instantly crave a hamburger. Naturally, I decided to walk over to the best burger joint in town @eagansdrive. Eagans has such a delightful 50s vibe that makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. The combination of this film and the burger made me feel like my summer vacation has truly begun. When you go to watch this movie, I highly recommend enjoying it with a burger!

What a happy summertime film Gidget is! In so many ways, it embodies all of the ideals we think of when we think of 50’s summers! James Darren’s version of the theme song is really catchy and reminds me of music people play at diners. Also, rewatching this film today, I found myself particularly jealous of Gidget’s wardrobe! Seriously, where did she get all of her cute and modest swimsuits?

This film is very much a coming of age film, and I think Sandra Dee was the perfect actress for the role of Gidget. She embodied both the girlish and womanly sides of Gidget and did a get job of showing how awkward being a high school girl is. Grandma thought Sandra Dee was adorable, and I think so too…although I will say, her speaking voice can be irritating at times. Still though, Sandra Dee was unique and I enjoy her films a lot!

James Darren was also the perfect fit for his role as Moondoggie! He’s very handsome and also embodies the coming of age ideals as well with his boyish charm and his trying to figure out what kind of man he wants to be.

Some of the values of this film and designated gender roles are different than today. However, I think all of that can be overlooked because the film’s main messages: being true to yourself is going to make you the happiest, and trying to conform to an ideal is never worth it. When you’re true to yourself, you never know who you’ll meet or what interests you’ll develop along the way. At the end of the day, no matter how awkward or embarrassing life can get, never give up on the things you love.