JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS. Directed and written by Allen Burns; produced by Edwart Teets and Allen Burns for Orion. Starring Mary Tyler Moore, Christine Lahti, Sam Waterson and Ted Danson. Rated PG-13 (language, a little nudity).
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Just Between Friends is a fairly enjoyable movie which nonetheless has a lot of trouble deciding what it really wants to be. Featuring first-rate performances by Moore and Lahti, it's partly a refreshingly adult, realistic look at two women's friendship. But the plot is shamelessly melodramatic—so contrived, in fact, that it's not even much good as a tearjerker.
And as if these two conflicting tones aren't enough, there are some isolated, genuinely funny scenes and lines as well. It seems the moviemakers couldn't decide whether to play it straight or as a farce, and so opted for a little of both.
What nearly saves Just Between Friends—and it's quite a heroic effort—is the acting. The women are simply wonderful. Moore is more mature and less bubbly, but just as likeable as she was on her old T.V. show. (Contrasted with her role as the villain of the piece in Ordinary People, for example.) Here, Holly is more than just a recognizable "type"—the dependent housewife who doesn't appreciate her own worth. She's a character with the feel of reality to her.
Lahti gives another excellent performance here, too. (I loved her in Swing Shift.) Sandy, who is a T.V. reporter, is ambitious, but unsure, independent but vulnerable. And Lahti makes her believeable and appealing.
The interaction between the two women, their sharing of strengths, is a wonderful thing to behold. All the more so for its being such a rarity in the movies. We've seen hundreds (thousands?) of male buddies in the Butch and Sundance mold. But not too many Hollys and Sandys.
So why didn't director/writer Burns give these wonderful characters and superb actresses a story they could sink their teeth into? Instead of so much soapsuds? Beats me, but he didn't.
The menfolk aren't as outstanding as Moore and Lahti. But they do a good job with their less well-developed roles. If you've only seen Waterson in The Killing Fields, you're in for quite a shock here. His Harry is funny, sensitive and perhaps a little too puppy-doggish. But Waterson proves his versatility and does as well as can be expected, given the contortions the plot forces on him. Ditto for Danson.
In spite of the frustration of seeing a wasted opportunity for a warm, realistic movie about real, complex grownups ... And in spite of feeling uncomfortable laughing at one-liners uttered in the midst of such melodrama ... I enjoyed Just Between Friends while I was watching it. And even after some sober reflection, the performances still seem almost good enough to recommend the movie. At least to soap opera fans.
But it's shame that Holly's and Sandv's relationship couldn't have been played against a more worthy backdrop. Even as it is, though, my subconscious, at least, found something meaningful amid the suds of Just Between Friends. The night I saw it, I dreamed about my best friend from high school, whom I haven't heard from in years. I think I may just give her a call.
April 23, 1986