“Porky’s,” written and directed by Bob Clark and released in 1981, is a raunchy comedy set in 1954. It follows a group of high schoolers in Florida as they navigate adolescence, relationships, and their quest for sexual experiences. The film stars Dan Monahan as Edward “Pee Wee” Morris. Mark Herrier as Billy McCarthy, Wyatt Knight as Tommy Turner, and Kim Cattrall as Miss Lynn “Lassie” Honeywell.
The film centers around the boys’ misadventures and their ongoing feud with Porky’s, a notorious local strip club run by a sleazy owner named Porky. The boys attempt to sneak into Porky’s, but they end up humiliated and thrown out, sparking a series of pranks and revenge schemes.
Amidst their escapades, the boys also grapple with typical teenage issues, including relationships, peer pressure, and conflicts with authority figures. Pee Wee, in particular, faces ridicule due to his small stature and becomes determined to prove himself.
As the story progresses, the boys continue their comedic and often outrageous attempts to outwit Porky and get revenge for their embarrassment, leading to a climactic showdown between the teens and the strip club owner. The film is most noted for its full-frontal nude shower scene that takes place in the girls’ changing room and the hilarious consequencening results. This scene was considered by many to be a teenage boy’s right of passage in the early 80’s and has achieved somewhat of a cult status on its own.
“Porky’s” is known for its crude humor, coming-of-age themes, and depiction of adolescent camaraderie and teenage antics. The film was a commercial success and became a cultural phenomenon, spawning sequels and influencing the teen sex comedy genre of the 1980s, although none reached the cultural status that the first film gained.
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