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Parker Posey, Omar Townsend, Sasha von Scherler, Guillermo Díaz, Anthony De Sando ... see more see more... , Donna Mitchell , Nicole Bobbitt , Liev Schreiber

The debut feature from director Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Party Girl pretty much cemented Parker Posey's status as the indie-film "it girl" of the 1990s. Posey stars as Mary, a fun-loving and irrespon... read more read more...sible twentysomething New Yorker who prefers throwing bashes at her loft to pay the rent over getting a real job. But when one of her shindigs gets broken up by the cops, Mary lands in the slammer and is forced to enlist the help of her librarian godmother, Judy (Sasha von Scherler, the director's mother). In order to prove that she's not the layabout she seems to be, Mary begins working at the library with Judy. Party Girl was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival and was later turned into a short-lived Fox sitcom. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Flixster Users

71% liked it

5,876 ratings

Critics

77% liked it

31 critics

R, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Daisy von Scherler Mayer

Release Date: June 9, 1995

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DVD Release Date: December 10, 2002

Stats: 344 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (344)


  • June 7, 2011
    I didn't care for this movie, maybe because I'm not a party girl myself? Now that I think of it, this movie is the 90s version of Breakfast at Tiffany's. The story is boring for the most part, and entirely predictable. I did not like it.
  • June 8, 2010
    Quirky romantic comedy about a flighty, free spirited hedonist. Parker Posey is likable as spunky and sassy Mary, a Holly Golightly for the 90s. We follow her as she learns the intricacies of the Dewey Decimal system, flirts with a falafel vendor and dances the night away at th... read moree many house parties she throws. Manhattan's trendy loft and club scene is nicely captured in this Gen X comedy drama from the mid 90s, but stylistically has more in common with 80s films like Desperately Seeking Susan and Something Wild. Also of note is actress Sasha von Scherler, the director's real life mother, who grounds the film as the no-nonsense librarian godmother who hires her.
  • February 1, 2010
    A bit disapointing overall, but not HORRIBLE.
    I always have exceedingly high expectations for Ms. Posey and she seldom disappoints.
    Enjoyable, but not as good as it could have (should have?) been.
  • September 4, 2007
    Library and Raves finally meet in this awesome take on early 90's life. Parker is hilarious and this is a must see.
  • July 17, 2007
    This movie misses the mark by a mile. I love Parker Posey, but I could not get past the incredibly trite dialogue or the horribly clichéd efforts at portraying a Gen-X woman struggling to break out of her rut. The movie was actually a labor to get through and not a labor of love.... read more Just go to a rave and a library if you and skip this movie... It isn't worth your time
  • March 13, 2005
    [font=Century Gothic][color=magenta]"Party Girl" is about Mary(Parker Posey), a self-absorbed woman on the cusp of turning 24. She gets arrested on numerous charges for running a house party from her apartment.(Never quite resolved, by the way.) She calls her not-so-fairy godmo... read morether to bail her out. She puts Mary to work in the New York public library. "Party Girl" tries to be a wacky commentary on the downtown party scene but at best it only comes off as silly. Of the numerous storylines, the best one involves a Lebanese immigrant with dreams of being a teacher in his adopted homeland. Maybe this is because he is by far the most real of any of the movie's characters. Coming in second place, is Liev Schrieber in a nice turn as an English bouncer.[/color][/font]
  • January 31, 2010
    The story doesn't stand out very much but Parker Posey is nothing short of fantastic.
  • July 6, 2008
    Wacky comedy with plenty of humor. I love Parker Posey and her zany antics in this movie. Music is great also with an cool soundtrack.
  • May 2, 2008
    I relate to parts of this quite a bit.

    "He's not a dick. He's a patron!"
  • December 15, 2007
    Hilarious! Great!

Critic Reviews


Owen Gleiberman
May 27, 2008
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Mary is a spiritual descendant of Holly Golightly, and there's an echo, as well, of Edie Sedgwick, the late Andy Warhol superstar who moved the American-princess-on-a-bender mythology into the drug-ro... Full Review

Todd McCarthy
May 27, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Party Girl aspires to be cinematic champagne but comes out tasting more like sparkling cider. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
May 27, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

This exudes trendiness at regular intervals, and otherwise manages to be reasonably charming about Manhattan's melting pot culture, but my general response was still 'Wake me when it's over.' Full Review

Stephen Holden
May 20, 2003
Stephen Holden, New York Times

The screenplay, by Ms. Mayer and Harry Birckmayer, has its occasionally funny lines, but not nearly enough to certify the film as a hip urban comedy in tune with the cutting edge of downtown New York. Full Review

Liam Lacey
April 12, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

If bad behaviour and smugness were truly charming, Party Girl might be as much fun as it imagines it is. And Madonna might even have a decent movie career. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

What makes it delicious fun is Posey, a party girl for the ages.

Peter Rainer
February 13, 2001
Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times

Unlike most of the Hollywood Gen X movies, Party Girl actually looks as if it were made from the inside. Full Review

Edward Guthmann
January 1, 2000
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

If Party Girl weren't so contrived, and if Posey didn't exude such cold hauteur, all of that might have worked. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

The movie is poppy, clever and more than enjoyable, but Posey is something else altogether. She's a revelation. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Parker Posey will either grate on your nerves or charm the daylights out of you -- or both. Full Review

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Facts


    • Mary: I would like a nice, powerful, mind-altering substance. Preferably one that will make my unborn children grow gills.

Party Girl : Watch Free on TV


Party Girl Trivia


  • in the movie "Old School" the young girl he had sex with at his party was the daughter of who?  Answer »
  • Shes played a bride to be, an 'Angel', A gorgeous princess trapped in the body of an ogre and a party girl with a head-on-straight sister  Answer »
  • What profession did Mary (Parker Posey) have in the film Party Girl?  Answer »
  • Who played Toni Collette's 'party girl' sister in the movie "In Her Shoes"?  Answer »

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