Yet another teenager discovers how difficult growing up can be in this comedy-drama. It's 1973, and 15-year-old Natalie (Majandra Delfino), shy and bookish, is caught in the emotional crossfire at home when her hippie-ish mom, Ruby (
Linda Hamilton), discovers that dad, Hugh (
Eugene Levy), a psychology professor at a local college, has been having an affair with one of his students. Natalie is having problems of her own, of the "boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses" variety, which is not helped very much by her friend Kay (Megan Good), who is pretty enough to have already caught the attention of several good-looking boys. However, much to Natalie's surprise, one of Kay's new flames starts giving her the eye, and appears to like what he sees. The Secret Life Of Girls was the directorial debut for screenwriter Holly Goldberg Sloan, whose previous credits include the remakes of
Angels In The Outfield and
Mighty Joe Young. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide