Friendship, something we can all hopefully relate to. We all strive to have long-lasting bonds with at least a few people throughout our lifetime. A movie that takes a look at the ups and downs of a lifelong friendship is the 1988 Garry Marshall film Beaches.
I recently chatted with actress Eliza Dushku, who has had a fruitful career in the business. In her early teens, she was already procuring roles in relevant titles such as This Boy’s Life and True Lies. She then went on to co-star with Kirsten Dunst in one of her major break-out roles in the cheerleading movie Bring It On. What has followed is an impressive combination of quality television shows (such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse and Banshee) and interesting little movies like Nobel Son and Bottle Shock. When I asked her what her favourite film was, she pondered for a moment before exclaiming that Beaches would probably be it. She referenced the two powerhouse performances by Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, highlighting the former as being one of her favourites. She said that she absolutely loved Midler’s varied role, which featured her comedic and dramatic skills, as well as some lively song and dance.
Mary Agnes Donoghue adapts Iris Rainer Dart’s novel of the same name. From the very beginning, we know that the story is leading somewhere dark, as star singer and actor CC Bloom (Bette Midler) receives a note that she frantically reacts to, taking her away from her show. She tries to make it to her friend, Hillary Whitney (Barbara Hershey), who resides in San Francisco. Unable to fly out due to the pea soup thick fog, she rents a car to drive from Los Angeles to The Golden Gate City.
Garry Marshall then transports us back to the time where the lifelong friends first meet. It is this random nexus that changes their lives. Hillary (Marcie Leeds plays her at the age of 11), a proper girl from a rich and influential family, finds herself lost on the beach, under the boardwalk, in Atlantic City. Panicking, she stumbles upon a young diva-in-the-making, smoking in the darkness of the boardwalk’s shadows. Her name, Cecilia Carol – CC (her younger version played by The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik), a young girl who seems to have the soul of an old vaudeville star inside. The larger than life wily character easily advises the scared vacationer as to where the posh hotel is located.
Before returning, she heads to an audition with CC and her mother Leona (Lainie Kazan), where we get a birdseye view into their relationship as well as CC’s drive to make it big. After watching CC perform “The Glory of Love”, Hillary finally returns to the hotel along with her new friend, who does not feel comfortable in the high-end establishment. In the end, the two exchange addresses, where they will write each other frequently until they finally meet again approximately a decade later.
Rebellion brings Hillary to New York when she finally decides to break free from the strict bonds that living under a family with old money brings with it. Utterly surprising CC, the two hit it off once again and Hillary moves into the tiny, frigid apartment with her long time pen pal. Hillary begins to work a legal job with the American Civil Liberties Union, while CC luckily stumbles into a job with an acting company run by John Pierce (John Heard – Home Alone).
Hillary eventually has to move back to the west coast to care for her ailing father, where she marries family friend and lawyer Michael Essex (James Read). Meanwhile, CC has married John (who originally had a thing for Hillary) and her career has taken off after starring in a major Broadway musical. What follows are the ups and downs of any friendship. As the duo both have their own strengths and weaknesses, we naturally see jealousy rear its ugly head when things are at their worst between the two. Things falter for a while, yet a bond like the one they have cannot be broken. Other hardships occur, including issues with both of their marriages and struggles in sustaining their high powered careers, yet the two stay true to each other. Hillary eventually has a daughter that she names Victoria (Grace Johnston). Things take a turn for the worse when the woman discovers that she has a medical condition called cardiomyopathy.
CC, having rejuvenated her career, winning a Tony and producing a hit record, takes time off to spend the summer at Hillary’s beach house (reminiscent of their first meeting), where she tries to coax her best friend out of the depression she is in as well as to help raise Victoria.
Beaches is a rich tale of friendship through the ages. Midler and Hershey play off each other wonderfully as two very different personas. Midler concocts a character that is both caring and egotistical, as well as deliciously over the top. Hershey matches her, not with exuberance, but with reserved class and beauty. She is yin to Midler’s yang, making for a mirrored match. Mayim Bialik’s performance as the young CC must also be highlighted, as she perfectly encapsulates what we would imagine a young Bette Midler would look and act like. She is charming and off putting, much like her older self – as she is unbelievably driven even at the tender age of eleven. I also found it rather humourous that she called her mother by her first name.
It must also be mentioned that the film’s theme song, “Wind Beneath My Wings” became an immediate smash hit, winning a Grammy for both Song and Record of the Year in 1990. It was eventually classified platinum and was ranked at number 44 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Songs which was released in 2004.
Beaches is an enjoyable movie that celebrates friendship through the ages. Fuelled by a pair of engaging performances by Midler and Hershey, it is likely to be a crowd pleaser for anyone who likes musicals or dramedys. So, remember to see this movie that is chock full of heart, it will teach you all about the ‘the glory of love’ and friendship.