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?