A remake of Davidson's 1978 Israeli film Lemon Popsicle,[4][5] it follows a Los Angeles high school student who, while attempting to lose his virginity, falls in love with one of his female classmates as she begins dating his rebellious best friend.
Though the film's plot and characters remained largely the same, the setting was updated from 1950s Israel to then-present day suburban Los Angeles of the 1980s.
Released in the summer of 1982, The Last American Virgin received mixed reviews from critics, with some noting its nuanced portrayal of teenagers, and others deriding it for its crude sexual humor.
Afterward, Gary meets up with Rick and David in the same shop, and the three boys pick up three girls with the false promise of offering them cocaine.
The next day at school, all three boys realize they have contracted pubic lice, and after trying unsuccessfully to drown them in a public swimming pool, they have to bring their problem to a middle-aged pharmacist.
[9] Davidson intentionally sought inexperienced teenage actors to appear in the film,[10] and held casting calls in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
[8] Lawrence Monoson, who had originally auditioned for a minor part, was selected by Davidson to star as Gary, beating out 200 other actors contending for the role.
[8] The film marked the debuts of several actors, including Joe Rubbo, Steve Antin, Kimmy Robertson, and Winifred Freedman.
"[13] Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times disliked the film, finding moments of it "distasteful and offensive", summarizing it overall as "conventionally and crudely told.
"[14] The Atlanta Constitution's Eleanor Rigel similarly felt the film was "needlessly tasteless" and "completely wastes a potentially interesting theme as well as some acceptable performances by its cast of newcomers.
Club commented: "Really, the film's frankness makes it more honest than its dreamy-eyed descendants; even the shallow treatment of girls captures the point of view of a luckless teenage boy.
"[17] In an essay written a quarter-century after its release, critic Andy Selsberg noted that, unlike the other teen sex comedies of the 1980s, The Last American Virgin was the only one truthful enough to have a "main character... left longing for his dream girl", whereas all the others were "acheless".
But subsequent viewings of the movie expose just how calculated and methodical its escalation is over the course of its running time, watching these kids playing at being adults, then having to deal with the real consequences of their actions, and finally, being confronted by the emotional realities of a world that can and will betray their best intentions and deepest desires.
While "Just Once", which featured prominently over the final scene, was not included on the soundtrack album, Ingram was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammy Awards.
On all DVD and Blu-ray releases, at request of the band themselves, "Love Action" has been omitted and replaced with a repeated use of "Whip It" by Devo in one scene.