A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

15 year old Phillip Filmore and his friend are curious about sex. His father is away for 3 weeks with "business". Lester Lewis (Howard Hesseman) is the disgruntled family chauffeur. He brings in French housekeeper Nicole Mallow (Sylvia Kristel) to seduce Philly. Then the boy is trapped in a blackmail scheme after she fakes her death. Ed Begley Jr. has a small role as tennis pro Jack Travis.This is every teen boy's fantasy and definitely pedophilely. Young Eric Brown is with naked Kristel in many scenes. It's indefensible but hormone-filled boys cannot get enough of this movie. The story is actually compelling and the acting is surprisingly competent. The kid is good and there are real actors in this thing. It's soft-core porn for teen boys. This and Porky's are the best of its genre at the time.

Great topic about a boy coming of age lead by an older mature woman. The movie gathered much publicity not only in the US, and Europe, but also in Asia when it came out.The movie was made in the transitional time when the raw sexual expression of the '70s was starting to change to cuter expression of the '80s. It carries some of the sexual topics that were prevalent in the '70s, but the expression is much more juvenile and charming.Silvia Kristel was spot on for the role. She was by then well known for her role in the movie "Emanuelle". The movie was like the "JAWS" of that segment of the movie industry. Just like Richard Dreyfus became a big star, Krystel rightfully became a star.The movie doesn't have much story to it, but it's mostly about the comical scene of youngster getting seduced by an older woman. Even so, the movie keeps things entertaining, and it's a good movie even after all these years.I kind of liked the subplot that went between Phillip and Sherman too. A good movie that captures the culture of the early '80s.

Okay, after about 27 years of only seeing the first 30 minutes of this movie on HBO (due to my fears of my parents finding out that their then-teenage son was watching something R-rated), I finally saw the whole thing today on a used VHS tape that still had a clear picture. In summation, I mostly found this movie mostly humorously touching concerning the sex scenes between Sylvia Kristel and Eric Brown (who was 16-playing-15 when he filmed this), pretty hilarious whenever the ridiculous blackmail plot goes into gear during the second half (though I thought it was a mistake to intentionally film the "burial" of Nicole in such a not-so-serious manner), and just nostalgic whenever many of the Top 40 hits of the late '70s play on the soundtrack. Not a great film but Private Lessons was mostly entertaining. P.S. The movie's writer, Dan Greenburg who has a cameo as a motel clerk, is from my birthtown of Chicago, Ill.

It is obviously illegal. Pedophiles pray on stuff like this. How did they get away with making such a movie? This movie is all summed up in one word, SICK. Where do people get off making, and watching these kinds of films. As I was watching the movie I didn't actually think they would allow this kid that is say maybe 12 if that actually sleep with this woman. Sorry if this is a spoiler to you but I would have rater not seen this. Where has the sanity of these people gone? Maybe the makers of this movie are pedophiles? Our society today is filled with all types of sexual predators that pray upon children, yet film makers make these types of movies that do nothing but provoke this type of behavior. I noticed that on a previous comment someone asked if there was a version where it showed them naked. This is a kid here, and someone is asking something like this? What is wrong with this picture?