For anybody thinking that Scotland's only worthwhile contribution to televisual entertainment was "Trainspotting" and endless episodes of "Taggart" might like to consider this fondly-remembered teen rom-com from the early Eighties. Normally, I'm wary of anything that I find in the pages of the Sunday Mail but this (DVD freebie) was a pleasant surprise indeed. It's short and sweet, offering a more believable teen romance than the overwhelming majority of clean-cut American offerings. It has aged somewhat, naturally, and it does have a faint whiff of TVM about it but there is an undeniable charm beneath its gritty Highland exterior.<br /><br />John Gordon Sinclair plays gawky teen Gregory, a striker with as little luck with the girls as he has in front of goal. In fact, his coach (Jake D'Arcy) is so disappointed in Gregory's form that he moves him into goal and holds an open training session to find his replacement. To Gregory's delight and surprise, his replacement is the beautiful girl Dorothy (Dee Hepburn) and Gordon falls instantly in love. But his nerves and inexperience threaten any chance he may have with her. Can Gregory score on and off the field or will someone else become Gregory's girl? <br /><br />Very much a gentle comedy, "Gregory's Girl" is a refreshing change from the torrent of turgid teen comedies that constantly surge from the US. Instead of being confident, good-looking and rich, this movie is full of awkward, tongue-tied, spotty teens that are much more plausible. It's also full of funny moments in the background, such as the hopeless high-jumper or the penguin wandering the corridors of the school trying to find the right room. Sinclair is perfect as the teen on his journey of self-discovery but Hepburn hasn't much to do besides play "futbae" and look pretty. Claire Grogan, as Dorothy's classmate Susan, is arguably the best of the lot and together with Sinclair, were the only two main actors in this to go on to do anything else afterwards. If you're not used to Scottish accents then you may find some of the dialogue passing you by but in truth, you get used to it. But then again, my fiancée is Scottish so I probably have something of a head start! <br /><br />It does take a while to get going and the ending does feel slightly rushed but "Gregory's Girl" is a movie worth watching. Feeling every inch like the tortured, angst-ridden romance that it should be, it's just so good to see a film that actually recreates the terror and fear that is associated with one's first love as opposed to overly sanitised teen love stories like "10 Things I Hate About You" or "Clueless". It's also good to see a Scottish film that has nothing to do with drugs and "murdur" and is instead a light-hearted comedy. Having never seen "Gregory's Girl" before yesterday, I couldn't quite work out why it was held in such high regard but there is no denying that there is something special about this movie. Make sure you get the full DVD version and not the freebie from the paper - no subtitles!