FrogPeople say that all you need is confidence--and apparently frogs are fond of saying it, too. Frog is a comedy about a high school student and amphibian enthusiast named Arlo Anderson (Scott Grimes), who buys an unusual frog from a pet store that turns out to be a transformed Italian prince named Giuseppe Buonadonna Tarantini (Paul Williams)--"Gus" for short. Arlo learns that Gus can speak English--though his Italian is reputed to be better--and he asks the young man to help him get a kiss from a woman so that he can return to human form. But for a "rubus" like Arlo, who can't get a date himself, this is easier said than done.
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Arlo generally keeps his head above water and doesn't resent his passion for snakes and lizards, despite being shunned by his childhood friend, Jim (Hal Sparks), mocked by Jim's girlfriend, Kathy (Elizabeth Berkley), and prompting a mixture of concern and weariness from his parents, Annie (Shelley Duvall) and Bill (Elliott Gould). He shows an excessive interest in reptiles--the walls of his room and the garage are lined with terrariums and filled with assorted pets, all of whom he has named. Yet Arlo is very learned about these creatures, and is eager to show off his copious knowledge, even if at inappropriate times--like when he has a double date with Suzy (Amy Lynne), the pretty would-be cheerleader. Jim is critical about Arlo's obsession with lizards, yet there is a grain of truth in his assessment that Arlo has let his studiousness to come at the cost of "warm-blooded" social interaction with kids his age. His dad is clearly phobic of Arlo's scaled pets, and struggles to understand what he sees in them--he prefers to relate stories about how he used to play football in his youth, and regrets buying Arlo a book on dinosaurs when he was younger. Arlo's mother is more tolerant of her son's enthusiasm, although she doesn't want iguanas roaming through her kitchen. Annie is a bit of a free spirit (read: flower child) at her core, and has her own eccentricities--like chewing on matchsticks to avoid crying while cutting onions or making wheat germ cobbler as a study snack for Arlo. Arlo's enthusiasm sometimes goes too far, like how he buys Gus from the pet shop en route to his date with the twenty dollars his father gave him, excited that his son was doing something normal for a change. As it turns out, saving Gus from captivity was the catalyst for Arlo getting a new perspective about love--even if it came from a frog.
There are multiple instances of characters accepting bargains in Frog, even if the terms are not always clear. Gus asks Arlo to find a girl to kiss him so that he can transform back into a human being, and Gus gives Arlo advice about romance to woo Suzy. Arlo stammers and turns asking for a date into a partnership for the upcoming science fair; he is surprised when the formerly standoffish Suzy is suddenly amiable and agrees. But Suzy reveals to Kathy that she is using Arlo for a guaranteed "A" in science because of his academic reputation, so that she can secure her spot on the cheerleading squad. After Arlo discovers that Gus can communicate with his fellow frogs, he changes the theme of his experiment, and uses Gus to learn their secret language. This might make Frog sound like it is filled with self-serving people, but it really portrays the advantages of working together to achieve mutually desired results. (Suzy has a change of heart after being humbled by Arlo's dedication.) Arlo and Suzy experiment stands out from an assortment of derivative presentations (like erupting volcanoes) at the fair, and describes in detail the meaning behind the rhythmic croaking of frogs--with Gus as "Subject A"--including everything from dinner time to looming predators. It is baffling--and somewhat surreal--that Arlo's teachers are not just dismissive but openly hostile toward his hypothesis. This is when Gus seizes the opportunity to sing his favorite song, "That's Amore", through the school's PA system, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the effectiveness of Arlo's experiment (in a scene that draws heavily from Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial). Frog is a remix of "The Frog Prince", with a healthy dose of "Cyrano de Bergerac". Gus requires the kiss to return to his erstwhile stature, but it is Arlo who needs to overcome his shyness toward girls like Suzy; Gus provides invaluable help--directly and indirectly--to that end. Suzy feels genuine sympathy for Arlo as she watches him being humiliated by his teachers--ostensibly for not verifying his findings prior to the science fair--and shame for using him for her own gain. Because Arlo is confident in his findings in the heat of their criticism, he conveys a level of maturity that is attractive to Suzy, sowing the seeds to win her heart--not out of pity, but from genuine respect and admiration.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming, light comedy about the merits of working together toward mutually beneficial goals, overcoming self-doubt, and how dedication to your passions builds confidence. Released in 1987 by PBS as a made-for-television movie, Frog is appropriate for all ages; despite some corny background music--like what is played at the science fair--the movie teaches important life lessons intended for younger audiences...although it never does explain what a "rubus" is, or why Arlo is supposed to be one.
There are multiple instances of characters accepting bargains in Frog, even if the terms are not always clear. Gus asks Arlo to find a girl to kiss him so that he can transform back into a human being, and Gus gives Arlo advice about romance to woo Suzy. Arlo stammers and turns asking for a date into a partnership for the upcoming science fair; he is surprised when the formerly standoffish Suzy is suddenly amiable and agrees. But Suzy reveals to Kathy that she is using Arlo for a guaranteed "A" in science because of his academic reputation, so that she can secure her spot on the cheerleading squad. After Arlo discovers that Gus can communicate with his fellow frogs, he changes the theme of his experiment, and uses Gus to learn their secret language. This might make Frog sound like it is filled with self-serving people, but it really portrays the advantages of working together to achieve mutually desired results. (Suzy has a change of heart after being humbled by Arlo's dedication.) Arlo and Suzy experiment stands out from an assortment of derivative presentations (like erupting volcanoes) at the fair, and describes in detail the meaning behind the rhythmic croaking of frogs--with Gus as "Subject A"--including everything from dinner time to looming predators. It is baffling--and somewhat surreal--that Arlo's teachers are not just dismissive but openly hostile toward his hypothesis. This is when Gus seizes the opportunity to sing his favorite song, "That's Amore", through the school's PA system, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the effectiveness of Arlo's experiment (in a scene that draws heavily from Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial). Frog is a remix of "The Frog Prince", with a healthy dose of "Cyrano de Bergerac". Gus requires the kiss to return to his erstwhile stature, but it is Arlo who needs to overcome his shyness toward girls like Suzy; Gus provides invaluable help--directly and indirectly--to that end. Suzy feels genuine sympathy for Arlo as she watches him being humiliated by his teachers--ostensibly for not verifying his findings prior to the science fair--and shame for using him for her own gain. Because Arlo is confident in his findings in the heat of their criticism, he conveys a level of maturity that is attractive to Suzy, sowing the seeds to win her heart--not out of pity, but from genuine respect and admiration.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming, light comedy about the merits of working together toward mutually beneficial goals, overcoming self-doubt, and how dedication to your passions builds confidence. Released in 1987 by PBS as a made-for-television movie, Frog is appropriate for all ages; despite some corny background music--like what is played at the science fair--the movie teaches important life lessons intended for younger audiences...although it never does explain what a "rubus" is, or why Arlo is supposed to be one.