Actually the 80s were full of “plucky kids try to stop crooked developers from bulldozing the library/community center/old folks home to build a mall” plots.
The Dirt Bike Kid : When his mother sends Jack off with money to buy groceries, he comes home with a magic supercharged dirt bike instead. His mother is furious, but when Jack uses the magic bike to save the local hot dog stand from the clutches of corrupt big business, he becomes the town hero.
Batteries Not Included : Aliens help a feisty old New York couple in their battle against the ruthless land developer who’s out to evict them.
The more accurate genre description: “people unable to stop developers from bulldozing the library/community center/old folks home/etc inexplicably are rescued by some magic/aliens/Deus ExMachina/belief in the supernatural/etc”
It’s very Capitalist Realism with a dubiously resolved happy ending tacked on. The 80s are so weird.
The Dirt Bike Kid : When his mother sends Jack off with money to buy groceries, he comes home with a magic supercharged dirt bike instead. His mother is furious, but when Jack uses the magic bike to save the local hot dog stand from the clutches of corrupt big business, he becomes the town hero.
Batteries Not Included : Aliens help a feisty old New York couple in their battle against the ruthless land developer who’s out to evict them.
The more accurate genre description: “people unable to stop developers from bulldozing the library/community center/old folks home/etc inexplicably are rescued by some magic/aliens/Deus ExMachina/belief in the supernatural/etc”
It’s very Capitalist Realism with a dubiously resolved happy ending tacked on. The 80s are so weird.