BEACHES (1988)

* * 1/2

D: Garry Marshall (Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey, John Heard, Mayim Bialik)

PG, C-123m, USA

Tagline: The Friendship You'll Always Remember... In The Film You'll Never Forget

A thirty-year friendship begins at the beach, when rich kid Hillary Whitney meets child performer Cecilia Carol "CC" Bloom (by the excellent Mayim Bialick, who later became well-known for her role as the title character of the 1980s Blossom, and currently played the hilariously off-putting Amy Farrah Fowler in the comedy hit The Big Bang Theory). The girls live in different states, but faithfully write to each other well into their early twenties.

When they grow up and meet again, CC (Midler) is living in a dumpy apartment, delivering singing telegrams in a bunny suit between auditions. Hillary Whitney Essex (Hershey), now an uptight WASPy lawyer, has given up her pampered life to find her own path. Over the next decade, they bond, eat ice cream, have facials, and get to know each other even better, which may not have been the best idea. As life progresses, the girls grow and change. Hillary tries to be open-minded, but can't quite shake her snobbish upbringing. CC is to the point of obnoxiousness -- though her mother Leona (Lainie Kazan, who hilariously plays the interfering Jewish mother stereotype to the hilt) is far more abrasive. One scene stands out in my mind. Years later, Leona dials down the shrieking harpy routine in a scene where she tells her daughter her true feelings about her. It's painful to watch, and my heart broke a little.

Despite her rather oversized ego, CC is insecure about her looks, and constantly asks for reassurance about her talent. Her need for validation is exhausting for her family and friends, but understandable. There's a vulnerability under the tough showgirl exterior. It doesn't help when the more conventionally attractive Hillary is standing right next to her when she tries to flirt with a handsome stage director (blandly played by John Heard). They compete for the same man, but as soon as they talk it over, other problems arise, mostly stemming from class differences and jealousy of the other's qualities. CC is jealous of Hillary's beauty and intelligence, and even when she succeeds and earns her own fortune, she still has more money than class. Hillary is jealous of CC's talent and brash confidence, as it makes her extremely conscious of her own timidity of life. Through no fault of her own, she becomes a pretentious snob, thanks to her marriage to a humourless attorney who expects her to give up her practice to become a corporate wife. An argument in a Bloomingdale's department store takes an ugly turn, testing a friendship that was fragile to begin with.

To be honest, I have a problem believing in their friendship. They met once. They never grew up together -- so naturally reuniting in person as adults would be quite a shock. No shared school or camp experiences, which can bridge even the most different of backgrounds. Not even prison. They have nothing in common. Neither is particularly likable. The men in their lives are about as exciting as dry toast, so it is hard to care about their romances. Much of the viewer's enjoyment depends their tolerance of the CC Bloom character. Midler also co-produced the movie, and seemed to get the best lines and more screen time. She's a talented singer, but a little of her goes a long way. Both are terrific actresses, but I prefer them in other movies. They are both better than the material.

Beaches has a devoted fan base, but it's not for people who hate romantic comedies or "chick flicks". I don't generally enjoy this kind of film, but I'm glad I finally saw it. Lovers of Terms of Endearment (1983) and similar weepies will enjoy it. Personally, I thought it was too long and needed to edited - a half-hour trim would have helped a lot. There is a point in the third act when it would have been wise to end and roll credits, but it goes on for several more scenes. Director Garry Marshall likes to milk what are supposed to be emotional, heart-wrenching scenes, when it would be more effective to simply end as it began -- at the beach.