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Terry Griffith is a senior at high school senior who's got it all -- she's pretty, popular, has a college boyfriend, and is a shoo-in to win a contest for her dream job in the form of a summer internship at the local newspaper. When Terry's article is rejected, she's convinced it's sex discrimination. Determined to land the job, Terry turns to drag with the help of her younger brother Buddy and her best friend Denise, and attends a rival high school to submit her article as a guy. She soon befriends loner Rick, and the situation gets complicated when Terry realizes she may be falling for her new pal, all the while fending off a bully and a girl who's set on pursuing "Terry the boy." The idea isn't exactly new, but is executed well with a girl who's at least somewhat believable as a boy. The male version of Terry does bear a striking resemblance, as "his" greatest admirer Sandy points out, to "the Karate Kid." The real credit in this film goes to the supporting cast. Jacoby is perfect as Terry's sex-obsessed younger brother (his best line comes when going to answer the door: "What are the odds it's a homeless nymphomaniac?"), Hudson is charming as Terry's often overlooked best friend, and Rohner is fantastic as outcast-turned-heartthrob Rick. What's often awkward is Joyce Heyser's portrayal of Terry. When she's portraying her alter-ego this can be excused as in-character, but even the feminine Terry seems uncomfortable in her own skin. Her movements are jerky, her gestures reminiscent of a bobble-head, and she smirks far too often for someone who's having gender identity problems, dodging a bully, and fending off the advances of a girl who has no idea she lacks a Y chromosome. Overall, Just One of the Guys is humorous and fun. It has to be one of the funnier '80's comedys.
