The amount of time I’ve spent watching movies about female friendship—Beaches, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Now & Then, Sex and the City (and the sequel), the list goes on—would probably add up to a good week or two. What can I say? I’m a sucker for the Traveling Pants of the Ya-Ya Magnolias. Long before I launched any type of friend search, back when I lived in New York with Sara, Callie and the gang, even then I had a soft spot for a good BFF moviefest. I don’t know, I guess this whole friendship fascination is long ingrained in me.
Despite having seen pretty much every girl-power movie under the sun, there are very few that actually mirror my own time with pals. Our lives are much less dramatic than those of CC Bloom or Carrie Bradshaw. There are rarely intense talks a la Boys on the Side or Mystic Pizza. More often than not we’re goofing off or gossiping. In fact, the friend flick that resonates the most strongly for me was panned overall: The Sweetest Thing. Granted things never get that raunchy when I’m with my friends, but the lighthearted, silly sentiment is spot on.
I don’t know why female friendships are so often portrayed as “serious” onscreen, but maybe that’s what sells. The good news: smart female comedians are having a moment. (So excited that Bossypants is my new book club book!) I’d wager that we’ll start seeing more witty, honest, and relatable friendships in films soon enough (not every best friendship has to end with me clutching an entire box of Kleenex and sporting puffy eyes with streaky mascara), starting with this:
You know how I feel about getting too serious on a Friday (not good) so instead let’s take a moment to celebrate Kristen Wiig, who co-wrote the screenplay for Bridesmaids. She clearly gets what it really means to be a friend… and a bridesmaid.
Now you tell me: What’s your most favorite BFF movie?
MWF Seeking BFF 
Has to be Clueless – Cher and Dion for evah!
Totally! Love that movie. Such a great call…
There’s a terrific amount of knowledge in this article!
I love the BFF relationships in my favorite romantic comedies – like Julia Roberts and Joan Cusack in Runaway Bride, Meg Ryan and Rosie O’Donnell in Sleepless in Seattle, etc. “Secondary” to the storyline, but so fun, and often so real.
I also love Traveling Pants, though as always, the books are superior to the movie. And Clueless is a classic.
I love Gilmore Girls, though not a movie, I think it’s my go-to BFF entertainment. I love the relationships, no only between Lorelai and Rory, but between Lorelai and Sookie and Rory and Lane.
And I’m excited to see Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids playing a completely different character! Love her.
I laughed a lot (a lot, a lot) at that preview.
And I am in love with Jon Hamm. My husband understands that if Jon Hamm were to walk into our house and take me away, there would be no looking back. (Same goes for Daniel Craig. Hmm…Daniel Craig…sigh…)
I shall add that to the movies I need to see in the theater with friends. 🙂
REALITY BITES!!!!! I think my housemates in college watched that movie every day my entire junior year. Dancing to My Sharona in the convenience store is something we’d totally do. That movie has sooooo many real moments that friends share…especially the documentary-style moments. I still say “What’s your glitch” to this day when someone is annoyed.
I can’t wait for Bridesmaids! There aren’t a lot of comedies with mostly women 🙂 My girlfriends and I have that on the calendar and Something Borrowed (love John Krasinski). My friend movie is Now and Then – I love seeing the group reunite in their later years. The Sweetest Thing is my friendship movie for my best friend Brooke and me. We always do the dressing room scene with jiggly arms – “what is this? what’s happening here?” We aren’t as raunchy as those characters, but we have our moments.
Ha! I shouldn’t admit this but I often quote the dressing room part with Cameron Diaz analyzing her less-perky boobs. “22! 28…. 22! 28…”
Since you admitted to it, I’ll admit we do that too.
Heehee… I guess I have no shame.
I was totally going to say Now and Then! I can’t believe other people remember that movie! I was in high school when this movie came out and I had three other BFFs. We totally thought we were those four friends! We just knew we’d be BFFs forever!
Favorite BFF movie is a tie between “Boys on the Side” and “Fried Green Tomatoes” ❤
Definitely “Fried Green Tomatoes” was the movie that described my most recent BFF and me. Not only did we first watch it together, but we were so opposite that it was amazing we ended up as close as we did, just like Ruth and Idgie. She hasn’t died, but we have moved away from each other in the past year, and I mourn our friendship. So yeah sometimes the “serious” friendship movies are good and keep your heart warm.
But for the fun – it will always be “Reality Bites” and “Clueless.”
Hey Rach, catching up on my blogs 🙂 One movie that always stuck with me is ‘Friends with Money’. I think they nail the dynamic between woman and how they can be petty, supportive and wonderful all at the same time. Also and old school movie Shag is completely amazing and I try to watch it every few years.