Shag

Four teenage girlfriends—Carson, Melaina, Luanne, and Pudge—flee their parents for a few days to enjoy a big summer festival in Myrtle Beach. They set up at Luanne's family vacation home and look forward to dancing, a beauty pageant, and time with cute boys. The mood is carefree, but the weekend will test their friendships and dreams.

At a club, Melaina hooks up with a guy but is followed by two local girls who attack her, dousing her with shaving cream. The assault stems from jealousy over a beauty contest rumor she overheard earlier, setting a tense tone for the weekend. The incident foreshadows the social games the girls will face.

Buzz flirts with Carson, despite her engagement to Harley, pulling her toward a forbidden attraction. Back at the base, Pudge agrees to teach Chip the shag, and the two begin lessons as the others watch and chat.

Carson phones her fiancé Harley from Myrtle Beach, telling him she’s there but not admitting she’s gone out with another guy. The call reveals the weekend’s growing tension between loyalty and desire and foreshadows future heartbreak.

During the first shag lesson, Chip arrives before Pudge is ready, but she helps him quickly and they begin dancing. The shared moment sparks a tentative connection as they get to know each other.

Melaina starts rehearsing for the beauty pageant, but Luanne interrupts and convinces her to recite lines from Gone with the Wind instead. The swap reflects the girls’ tactical plotting to outshine rivals. The mood remains playful but edged with competition.

The pageant competition unfolds with Melaina, under Luanne’s direction for modesty, losing to Suette. The loss heightens the stakes and confirms how the girls’ plans are influencing the outcomes. Harley’s arrival during the contest further complicates Carson’s loyalties.

Later that night, Melaina performs a bold bikini dance that defies the previous modest expectations and shocks the crowd. The routine earns her the win and a surge of confidence as the weekend’s pageant drama continues. The victory also opens doors with a potential agent.

Melaina arranges to bring Jimmy Valentine to the house party by hinting at her senator father’s name. The invitation pulls in Jimmy’s agent and turns the gathering into a heady, chaotic scene.

Pudge and Melaina head to the pavilion to meet Jimmy’s agent, while Carson grows closer to Buzz and Luanne and Harley begin to acknowledge their own feelings. The shifting affections are visible as the group moves through the contest events.

The group moves back from the contest to confrontations about loyalty. Carson confesses she cannot marry Harley because she loves Buzz, and Luanne reveals their yacht tryst. Tension erupts as Harley's anger surfaces, but Luanne tries to ease the hurt.

Chip and Pudge win the shag contest and vow to keep in touch as Chip heads to Annapolis. Melaina impresses the agent and begins a potential career. Luanne ends up with Harley, and Carson realizes she can be happy without marriage.