Gregory’s Girl 1980

John Gordon Sinclair plays Gregory Underwood, a young man who suits up for his school football team, a squad that isn’t delivering many wins. With the season stalling, the coach calls a trial to bring in fresh players, hoping to lift the team’s fortunes. Dee Hepburn arrives as Dorothy and, despite the coach’s initial doubts, she proves herself to be a natural on the pitch. She earns a spot on the team as centre forward, and Gregory, in turn, steps into the goalkeeper role that his friend Andy held, a change that stirs the dynamics of their small circle. Robert Buchanan is the actor behind Andy, the friend whose position Gregory eventually fills.

Gregory is drawn to Dorothy and finds himself captivated by her on-field talent and her presence off the field as well. He shares his interest with his best friend Steve, a steady voice among a group of young players, but Steve isn’t able to offer a clear solution to Gregory’s hopes. On the other hand, Gregory’s precocious younger sister Madeleine Allison Forster offers a bold piece of advice that nudges him toward asking Dorothy out.

Acting on Madeleine’s suggestion, Gregory awkwardly asks Dorothy out on a date. Dorothy agrees, but her friend Carol Caroline Guthrie arrives at the planned meeting and informs Gregory that Dorothy won’t be able to make it. Instead of sulking, Gregory goes along with Carol to the chip shop for a bite. When they arrive, Carol hands him off to another friend, Margo Carol Macartney, and Dorothy departs. Gregory is left somewhat puzzled, yet he continues the evening with the new company.

On the walk, they encounter Susan Clare Grogan, another one of Dorothy’s friends, while Margo exits the scene. Susan explains that the arrangement was part of a social dynamic among Dorothy and her friends—“It’s just the way girls work. They help each other.” The moment reveals a chorus of social maneuvering that shapes Gregory’s experience of dating that night.

The date turns into a meaningful exchange as Gregory and Susan talk in the park, and by the end of the evening he feels genuinely pleased with how it went. They share a kiss at his doorstep and arrange a second date, signaling a shift in Gregory’s romantic life. Madeleine, who has been watching from the window, quizzes him about the encounter and calls him a liar when he claims he didn’t kiss Susan.

As the friends observe, Andy and Charlie are noticeably more awkward with girls and become envious of Gregory’s apparent success. They even toy with a far-flung plan to hitch-hike to Caracas, rumored to be a place where women outnumber men, but their attempt to chase that fantasy ultimately fails. The mix of football, friendship, and the changing tides of teenage romance creates a story that stays grounded in the everyday realities of school life and the social games that come with adolescence.

It’s just the way girls work. They help each other

The film weaves together the hopes and missteps of Gregory and his peers, offering a window into how a single season can transform friendships, crushes, and ambitions on and off the football field.