Beaches

Five minutes in to this female buddy movie, you know you're barreling down Tearjerker Highway, and the basic question becomes how interesting will the scenery be along the way. Thanks to the exceptional talent of Bette Midler, it's a reasonably pleasant trip. Midler plays C.C. Bloom, an aspiring singer/actress from the working class, who develops a lifelong on-again/off-again relationship with upper-class debutante Hillary Whitney (Barbara Hershey). Opening with a half-hour establishing sequence which has the two 11-year-olds pledging their undying friendship, the film flashes forward to follow the career of C.C. (which has more ups and downs than a hotel elevator), her marriage to (and subsequent separation from) playwright/director John Pierce (John Heard), and the final months that she and Hillary spend together, when the latter develops a terminal illness. Sappy? You bet. But Midler has some great lines, and, of course, some great songs--including the remake of "Under the Boardwalk" "Wind Beneath My Wings", and "Industry". Based on the bestselling novel by Iris Rainer Dart. Recommended for larger fiction collections. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review--April 26, 2005--Touchstone, 123 min., PG-13, $19.99--Making its second appearance on DVD, 1988's Beaches is now available in an anamorphic widescreen release, but the image quality (color shifts, grain, softness) is as shoddy as last year's barebones release. Extras include audio commentary by director Garry Marshall, the 12-minute featurette 'Mayim Bialik Remembers Beaches,' a funny blooper reel made to look like a theatrical trailer (7 min.), Barbara Hershey's screen test with Bette Midler (7 min.), the music video for 'Wind Beneath My Wings' by Midler (5 min.), a short 'AFI's 100 years…100 Songs' clip with Midler on 'Wind Beneath My Wings,' and trailers. Bottom line: given Beaches popularity, the substandard transfer here is a real disappointment, even if fans will be drawn to the extras. A strong optional purchase.]