There are some acting talents I’m fond of, and always look back on as favorites … and then there are those select talents I occasionally forget I’m a fan of until I watch them in something. Bette Midler is one of those curious examples in which I find myself forgetting I’m a fan of her talents, until I either watch or listen to something involving her work. I was initially introduced to the actress through a number of Disney productions, including “Oliver and Company”, “Fantasia 2000”, and the Halloween staple “Hocus Pocus” was certainly a childhood favorite. However, it was the 1988 Drama-Comedy “Beaches” that I feel really shaped my admiration for her range of theatrics, from her comedic chops, to her singing, to her heart felt dramatic flares, and it’s really a great showcase for her. The movie itself is one of those cases in which, it’s not a perfect movie all around, but it has enough positive things going for it that I feel it deserves to be looked back on, and even remembered for what it did right.
Based on the novel “Beaches” by Iris Rainer Dart, this is a tale of “Life and Times”, with a special friendship being the main focus. We open with two young girls named Cecilia Carol, or “C.C.” for short, and Hillary, who are both socially isolated, with one being raised as a stage performer, and the other a rich kid, being raised to be a human rights lawyer. The two girls first meet near the beach, under the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It’s a rare, special moment in both their lives to be socially open with someone, and they become close pen-pals in the process. Over the years, the two keep in touch writing letters, and reunite as adults, starting as close roommates. We then follow these two over the course of their lives, following all the ups and downs, trials and errors, and different directions, actions and consequences these two undergo and face. Sometimes they face struggles and success together, other times their far apart, but no-matter what life throws at them, whether it be good or bad, their friendship endures, and is the one constant in both their lives.
It’s a simple formula, one admittedly built on predictable conventions, but it all depends on the execution, and how it conveys its life and times formula. I certainly have my reservations with how many of the film’s tropes are executed, but I want to start with the positives, and what this film got right. Right off the bat, the opening sequence with the two little girls first meeting is great, and starts things off on a strong note. Both the child actresses have great chemistry, and the emotions in the moment feel genuine. Also, very well casted kids, as both look exactly like their grown-up counterparts. Honestly, as much as I like the films two grown leads (more on them in a moment), a part of me wishes the whole movie was just these two girls in a little slice of life story.
Once we transition into their adult lives, the experience of the film gets a little rocky, but once again, not without one consistent quality, which is our two leads. For all the films mixed aspects, Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey are the engines pulling this train, and they are what make this movie experience worthwhile. Bette Midler is a perfect fit for a showgirl, who is open for subtitling down with someone, and having a family life, but her love of the theater keeps pulling her away from any commitments. As stated in the opening, it’s a very theatrical performance, with a wide range of the actress’s talents on display. Not to be overlooked is actress Barbara Hershey as best friend Hillary. She had just portrayed Mary Magdalene in Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ”, and in this film she effectively complements, as well as balances the theatrics of Bette Midler’s screen appeal. Her portrayal of Hillary is a perfect polar opposite, in that she’s smart and beautiful, but also more reserved, and isn’t one for putting on an entertaining show. The two are naturally drawn to each-other as polar opposites, and are likewise jealous of each other.
Now we come to the film’s life and times approach, and this is where my biggest reservations come into play. Despite all the talent on display, and even a decent direction, the film just can’t pace its life in the moment presentation. While we see a number of things develop over the course of several years, it all feels like it’s on fast-forward, with no smooth transitions between the big leaps in these characters day to day lives. At one moment they’ll be at the end or their ropes, and then the next moment they’ll be living the dream.
Healthy relationships will blossom, only to fall apart within moments, heated conflicts ensue, only to get resolved in the next scene, and it just keeps going at this breakneck pace. It feels less like experiencing life, and more like witnessing a series of events that just come and go. There’s kind of a pointless sub-plot involving a love-interest, played by John Heard. He’s set-up as a main stay character, causing a rift between the two ladies, quickly goes through the motions of both marriage and divorce, and aside from a single scene of helping C.C. get her acting career on track, the character quietly disappears from the back half of the film all-together. There are actually a couple moments when characters will be introduced, and set-up as meaningful, only to disappear from the film all-together.
One detail I never cared for is a framing device, in which the linear events cut back and forth between C.C. taking a long drive at night to a critical destination, which we don’t see her reach until the end of the film. Once again, the segues between these night driving scenes are not very smooth, and they feel more randomly placed, rather than a natural progression in the narrative. The film also has a dual nature of combining its character drama with a comedic tone, and at times it works, but it’s not always consistent. We’ll get lengthy scenes of melodrama, only for it to close on a funny punch-line, but the delivery can have mixed results, sometimes undoing the good-will a scene had going for it. Other times the comedy helps convey something thematic in the moment, which is when the hummer is at its best. As an example, there’s a great scene in a delivery room, in which Hillary is going into labor, and it’s just as overwhelming for best friend C.C. in the moment. The way the scene plays out with its comedy integrated makes it look like both ladies are delivering this baby, and it really works.
That being said, most of the comedy is in the first half, where the final act is far more dramatic in tone, to the point where it feels like a different movie all together. I don’t want to go into direct spoilers, but things take a very dark turn, as we watch the two best friends spend one last summer together at a beach house, complimenting where they first met. Hillarie’s daughter Victoria also grows-up fast, and becomes a main focus for the films third act. While events and conflicts still move fast, the pacing is at least tighter near the end, and the life and times experience feels more genuine than it had before. The Victoria character also helps shake things-up, and makes the friendship between our two leads more interesting. The emotional moments are also handled fairly well, and while I wouldn’t call it a tear-jerking ending, like it’s clearing aiming for, I did at least feel all the right emotions in the moment. One great detail at work is the films use of music, which knows when to be silent when a scene requires it, and when to let the tone ride on the beats of the soundtrack. There’s a chilling moment that reveals a character’s situation, and all done silence, allowing the moment to leave an impression.
While on the subject, lets talk about the music soundtrack to “Beaches”, as it’s arguably the main reason this film has remained in the public conscience. I must admit, it was through this soundtrack that I discovered “Beaches” in the first place. The majority of these songs were already hits in the 1960’s and early 80’s, but effectively woven into the film’s themes, and each memorably performed by Bette Midler. She got to cover a number of hits for this album, including a cover of The Drifters 1960’s hit “Under the Boardwalk”, which became one of the films main themes. Billy Hill’s song “The Glory of Love”, from the 1967 film "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", was also utilized as a main theme for the film. “Beaches” even utilized Randy Newman’s 1966 song “I Think it’s going to Rain Today”, which was another fitting choice. The film also makes good use of the song “Baby Mine” from Disney’s animated classic “Dumbo”, which I’m always a sucker for. Of course, Midler’s cover of “Wind Beneath My Wings” was a smash hit, topping all kinds of Billboards music charts, and won several awards. While other artists performed this song in the 80’s beforehand, Midler’s cover remains the most popular.
Despite mixed, to negative reviews from critics, “Beaches” was still a box office success, was nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, and it’s had a legacy of its own in the decades sense. While the novel had a sequel, the movie sequel was cancelled. There was a TV remake in 2017, and most significant of all, in 2014, “Beaches” was adapted into a stage musical, which has been sighted by many as being superior to the movie. Personally, I do think the film would have been stronger if it was a full-on musical from the start. In the end, “Beaches” wasn’t a perfect movie … but I quiet like it for what it is, and it’s not without its qualities that make it worth viewing. Speaking personally for a moment, I’ve had a life-time of friends, but only a quarter of them I’ve been able to keep in touch with. As such, a premise revolving around a lifelong friendship is just going to feel special to me. Aside from the memorable soundtrack, the cast is solid, with the two leads making it all worthwhile, and for Bette Midler, it really was a show-case for her talents. Even if the execution was a little rocky, I think the film can still appeal to viewers who like these simple “life and times” pictures.
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reading my review of the 1988 Drama-Comedy “Beaches” … and continue to
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