BEACHES. Directed by Garry Marshall; written by Mary Anges Donohue; produced by Bonnie Bruckheimer-Martell, Bette Midler and Margaret Jennings South for Touchstone. Starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. Rated PG-13.
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Okay girls, leave the guys at home for this one.
They wouldn't appreciate it anyway, and they'd probably just make sarcastic remarks and ruin the good tear-jerking parts. Beaches' Kleenex level is as high as Terms of Endearment—and you remember how they sniggered through that one. (Although it was overall a much better movie than this one.)
There are a couple of male characters in Beaches. But it belongs, exclusively and without doubt, to the unlikely friends C.C. (Midler) and Hillary (Hershey).
From two different coasts and even more divergent socio-economic classes, they meet by accident on the beach at Atlantic City when they're both 11. They don't see each other again until adulthood, but they keep in touch through letters.
Both actresses deliver fine performances, full of humor and depth of feeling. When Hillary is younger, Hershey is at her charming and attractive best. But for most of the movie she has to just lie around and look languid.
C.C. is the more likeable and fully-developed character. Her vitality and resilience energize the whole movie, as well as her friend. So it's fortunate that the story focuses most upon her.
A couple of young talents must be mentioned as well. Grace Johnston is Hillary's daughter, cute as a button and also very capable. The kid you won't believe, though, is Mayim Bialik as the 11-year-old C.C. Not only does she look just like Midler must have as a child, but she sings, dances, moves, talks and just plain acts like her too.
The two C.C.s make Beaches well worth seeing, ladies. But don't forget the Kleenex!
February 1, 1989