The Facts of Life Goes To Paris

[TV Guy]

I was watching the first two parts of this yesterday. First of all, how can The Facts of Life “go” anywhere. It’s not like “The Facts of Life” is a physical entity. At least “The Facts of Life Down Under” makes sense as a title. And isn’t “The Facts of Life” plural? So grammatically, the title is wrong, too (should be “The Facts of Life Go To Paris“).

Some other questions/thoughts:

• Who was paying for Edna’s French cuisine training? If it was Eastland, was this really a good use of tuition money? Especially since Edna quit Eastland a year later.
• Miss Southwick was a great foil, but would she have really let the four musketeers run off and not make any attempt to find them? I would have rather seen the girls on the run from Miss Southwick for the rest of the movie. And how did the girls get their passports back to get home? Was Mr. Parker going to punish them?
• Edna does not seem to be the slightest bit concerned that underage Jo is wandering around France with no adult supervision whatsoever.
• Strange that Tootie doesn’t seem to recognize her mother.
• Both Kim Fields and Mindy Cohn seem to be pausing a lot for a laugh track that doesn’t exist.

Despite all of this, I do have a soft spot for this charming little film. If only it were eligible for the Oscars.

[valentina warner]

You make a great point TV Guy!!!!

1. Maybe MRS G saved enough money to pay for the French cuisine training? (she had some savings i reckon).
2. It would have been very interesting to see stern MISS SOUTHWICK show some concern about the '4 musketeers' and look for them: imagine just what kind of punishment this French/English 'Governess' would have had in store for our girls (maybe the French Guillotine hee hee hee!).
3. MRS G should have punished the girls once they got back to America since she had power over them (not MR PARKER).
4. JO obviously got their passport back (remember how she is the one who faked IDs and got beer?).
5. MRS G was too overwhelmed with NASTY ANTOINE (who was doing everything in his power to fire her) trying not to fail in her exam, too pay too much attention to the girls.
6. That black woman was playing another character (even though later on she plays TOOTIE's mum): back in the 80 s they had a same character playing 2 roles, such as they did with LEO, in the season 4 episode 'Different drummer' who was a boy with special needs.
In the season 6 though, the same guy is playing BLAIR's boyfriend and entirely different character.
7. TOOTIE and NAT were giggling a lot with the writer they met.

And yes: THE FACTS OF LIFE GOES/GO TO PARIS was without a doubt the best FOL film! (by millions a lot better than REUNION 2001 or the AUSTRALIA one!)

[TVFactFan]

Had on Antenna TV and thought a movie was coming on after different strokes went off

[80s Dude]

Things were different then as far as lack of adult supervision. My French class ran the streets of Montreal without any adult supervision and we were 15-17 in 1981.

[TV Guy]

I grew up in the same era, and I can’t imagine any teacher allowing a student to wander off for days without seeing her. An afternoon is a different story.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

I grew up in the same era, and I can’t imagine any teacher allowing a student to wander off for days without seeing her. An afternoon is a different story.

We were in the streets at night.

[TV Guy]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

We were in the streets at night.

Were you gone for several days without adult supervision? That’s what I’m referring to.

[TVFactFan]

What was the story behind FOL going to Paris?

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

• Who was paying for Edna’s French cuisine training? If it was Eastland, was this really a good use of tuition money? Especially since Edna quit Eastland a year later.

I always thought it was a school trip, so the school should have paid. And they always talked about how much the tuition at Eastland was, especially in the episode where Jo lost her scholarship), so sending the school dietician, and event caterer, to France seems like something a private school might do. Hindsight is 20/20. They had no idea Edna would be leaving a year later.

• Miss Southwick was a great foil, but would she have really let the four musketeers run off and not make any attempt to find them? I would have rather seen the girls on the run from Miss Southwick for the rest of the movie. And how did the girls get their passports back to get home? Was Mr. Parker going to punish them?

Yeah, it would have been cool to see Miss Southwick throughout the film; it would have added a touch of Hollywood danger. But wouldn't that have also been a bit unrealistic? Presumably, she has duties outside of tracking down runaways.

• Edna does not seem to be the slightest bit concerned that underage Jo is wandering around France with no adult supervision whatsoever.

If Jo was 16 in Fall 1980, wouldn't she have been 18 in Fall 1982, when this aired?

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

Were you gone for several days without adult supervision? That’s what I’m referring to.

Well Jo was written to be like a man the first few seasons so Mrs. Garrett probably wasn't concern. Jo's response to a lot of things was violence. I'm sure Mrs. Garrett thought she'd be ok.

The main story I found ridiculous was Natalie and Tootie hanging with the alcoholic writer. Not only would Mrs. Garrett refuse, what grown ass man who drinks in the morning would want to spend time with young teenage girls and not be creepy? I don't care for Paris as much because it's very silly, but it's better than the reunion movie.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

You make a great point TV Guy!!!!

1. Maybe MRS G saved enough money to pay for the French cuisine training? (she had some savings i reckon).
2. It would have been very interesting to see stern MISS SOUTHWICK show some concern about the '4 musketeers' and look for them: imagine just what kind of punishment this French/English 'Governess' would have had in store for our girls (maybe the French Guillotine hee hee hee!).
3. MRS G should have punished the girls once they got back to America since she had power over them (not MR PARKER).
4. JO obviously got their passport back (remember how she is the one who faked IDs and got beer?).
5. MRS G was too overwhelmed with NASTY ANTOINE (who was doing everything in his power to fire her) trying not to fail in her exam, too pay too much attention to the girls.
6. That black woman was playing another character (even though later on she plays TOOTIE's mum): back in the 80 s they had a same character playing 2 roles, such as they did with LEO, in the season 4 episode 'Different drummer' who was a boy with special needs.
In the season 6 though, the same guy is playing BLAIR's boyfriend and entirely different character.
7. TOOTIE and NAT were giggling a lot with the writer they met.

And yes: THE FACTS OF LIFE GOES/GO TO PARIS was without a doubt the best FOL film! (by millions a lot better than REUNION 2001 or the AUSTRALIA one!)

That black woman was also Kim's mom. Oh how awkward it must have been to have your real mom play your character's mom when you are a teenager.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Christopher

The main story I found ridiculous was Natalie and Tootie hanging with the alcoholic writer. Not only would Mrs. Garrett refuse, what grown ass man who drinks in the morning would want to spend time with young teenage girls and not be creepy?

It's not "creepy" because there is no perception of sexuality involved. And he's also not the one chasing them down to spend time with them. They are the ones who stick to him like glue which he's kind of annoyed by, until he finds a turnaround in his priorities to get his life back on track and shows them some of the sights of Paris as a thank-you. I think it's sweet.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

We were in the streets at night.

I know exactly what you mean: back in the 80 s and if u were 12 years old it was perfectly safe to be out in the street at night lol!