Beaches

There's something quite uncanny about the resemblance between the young "CC" (Mayim Mialik) and Bette Midler who plays her adult self in this quite touching story of lifelong friendship. That all starts when this ordinary youngster meets the well-heeled "Hillary" (Marcie Leeds then Barbara Hershey) and despite being from opposite sides of the tracks, they begin to bond. The former has a love of all things showbiz but isn't exactly getting her name up in lights as she gets older. Her friend had a much better starting position and builds up a successful legal career as well as having a daughter with a man that they are both rather keen on! Things take a much more serious turn for the couple, though, when some bad news puts all of their lives in a perspective that requires both women to readjust for what's now inevitable. It's one of those stories that shows quite effectively how difficult lifelong friendships can be to maintain. They write to each other, they meet now and again, but it's never a straightforward momentum that keeps them aligned nor one that prepares them for what life throws at them. The characterisation of "CC" allows for Midler to belt out a few memorable numbers along the way - "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Under the Boardwalk" maybe being the two best suited for her powerful vocals and it stays just the right side of sentiment allowing the pair to portray quite distinctly powerful characters emotionally, sometimes comically, and engagingly.