Party Girl is a 1995 American comedy-drama film starring Parker Posey, directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer, and the first feature film to premiere on the Internet.

Synopsis

Mary is a free-spirited young woman living in New York City who fills her days by going to nightclubs and house parties. When she is arrested for organizing an underground rave, she gets her godmother Judy to pay her bail. To repay the bail, Mary reluctantly agrees to work as a clerk at a branch of the New York Public Library that Judy manages. Despite her initial misgivings, Mary is inspired to learn how to use the Dewey Decimal System after smoking a joint and strikes up a romance with Mustafa, a Lebanese street vendor and aspiring teacher. Gradually, she becomes highly adept at her job but is later fired after having sex with Mustafa in the library. With no money to pay the accumulating rent, she and her roommate, club DJ Leo, face eviction from their apartment. In desperation, Mary sells her vintage couture to pay the bills. During one of her parties, Mary takes drugs to forget a fight with Mustafa. The next day, she decides to seriously commit to being a librarian and investigates getting a graduate degree in library science. She invites Judy over for a serious talk but then Mary is dismayed to discover a raucous surprise birthday party complete with a male stripper. Mary implores with a skeptical Judy that she has finally found her calling in life, then Leo and Mustafa each share how Mary used her library science skills to help them improve their careers. Impressed, Judy gives Mary her job back, then joins the party.

Cast

Production

The film had a budget of $150,000 and was shot in 19 days. Much of the cast and crew were already immersed in the queer downtown club scene long before the film was made. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Posey recalls that in the early 1990s she "would go out rollerblading at The Roxy on Sundays and to [the party] Love Machine, where I first saw RuPaul", and that, much like in Party Girl club scenes, Posey "would dance with the queens, and they would just annihilate me on the dance floor with their moves." According to director Daisy von Scherler Meyer, "the fashion was really invented for the film. [Michael Clancy] created an aesthetic for the character and for the movie and combined that with Parker Posey's own fashion obsession." Posey says that they relied on favors to assemble the outfits: "The wardrobe designer, Michael Clancy, and his assistant Vicky Farrell ... pulled a lot of things from their friends", such as designer Todd Oldham.

Internet broadcast

Party Girl had an Internet premiere ahead of its wide release, transmitted from the office of Glenn Fleishman and his Point of Presence Company on June 3, 1995. While the early video transmission was limited to black and white, it marked the first time a feature film with an American movie theater release was broadcast generally online. Appearing live in the PoPCo offices, Posey welcomed Internet viewers and then introduced the film. Fleishman recalled the event:

Music

With much of the action driven by clubs, party scenes, and a DJ character, most of the film's music is diegetic, with characters often engaging with music appropriate to the mid-1990s club scene.

Soundtrack album

Selected tracks were compiled for the Party Girl soundtrack released June 8, 1995 by Relativity Records.

Reception

The film opened June 9, 1995, and grossed $472,370 during its initial theatrical release, and has since become a cult classic. Posey says she often gets approached by librarians who are fans of the film: "Librarians and people who work in bookstores are like 'Oh my God, thank you so much. Party Girl made me want to become a librarian. Von Scherler Meyer believes Party Girl resonates with audiences because of the film's authentic depiction of underrepresented communities: "When people say 'Oh, the world [in Party Girl] is so diverse,' it's like 'No. That's the world. You don't represent the world in your stuff. Why is your world so segregated?' I think the world is messed up, and Party Girl is normal." On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 82% based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The film often is noted for its influence on fashion, particularly in the case of Mary's wardrobe.

Television spin-off

A television series based on the film was produced in 1996, starring Christine Taylor as Mary and Swoosie Kurtz as Judy. Although six episodes were filmed, only four were aired and the show was quickly cancelled.

Home video

The 2023 Blu-ray release includes audio commentary by radio personality Jake Fogelnest.