Customer Reviews

Beaches [VHS]

5 star:		(112)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This may very well be the saddest movie I have ever seen in my life, but it is also one of the best. If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend that you do. It tells the story of two young women who meet when they are 11 years old. At a glance, they seem like two completely different people, but in the end, it's their strong devotion to their friendship that make them so close. Bette Midler does an excellent job in her portrayal as CC Bloom, a feisty redhead who is determined to succeed in music and will do almost anything to do so. Hilary Whitney, played by the talented Barbara Hershey, is a quiet, reserved woman who often finds herself jealous of CC's rising success. CC and Hilary may be very different, but they grow even closer when Hilary gives birth to a child--a beautiful little girl named Victoria. When Hilary becomes diagnosed with a fatal disease, she is forced to search her soul and strengthen her relationships with CC and Victoria. Throughout the movie, CC and Hilary go through many difficult times, but in the end, their friendship prevails. I definitely recommend this movie to everyone, but don't expect to have dry eyes at the end! It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will touch every piece of your heart. It really does show that even though two friends may be very different from one another, and even though they may go through a lot of rough times, it is the strength of their friendship that will be the decisive element. Go see this movie--you won't be sorry!

BEACHES, based on the novel by Iris Rainer Dart, is a fantastic and emotion-driven drama/comedy. Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey turn in fabulous fully-realised performances as two best friends who share an amazing relationship.

On the beach in Atlantic City, 11-year-olds CC Bloom and Hillary Whitney strike up a friendship that will endure beyond all obstacles. Through letters spanning the years, the two women vent their frustrations, hopes and dreams.

Bette Midler is mesmerising as the brash CC Bloom (the 'Otto Titsling' number is alone worth the price of admission). Barbara Hershey wisely downplays the role of Hillary though she never is upstaged by Midler.

Supporting roles from John Heard, Spalding Gray and Lainie Kazan (as CC's mother Leona) are right on target. Mayim Bialik (TV's "Blossom") plays the younger CC.

This film could have easily fallen into soapy melodrama thanks to it's plot, but the direction of Garry Marshall saves it from becoming too maudlin.

Still one fantastic movie!

Bette Midler is wonderful in this movie. Barbara Hershey gives an outstanding performance. I love their friendship and how it goes through the different phases, and yet at the end they are there for one another, to support one another. This movie is definitely a tear-jerker, yet a classic.

I have seen this movie many times, and I've gotta say that it's one of my very favorites. It is, however, very heartrending, and if you don't like sad movies, then I would recommend a different movie because this movie just absolutely PULLS at your heart. Obviously, it is a story about friendship and the continuous struggles which come from it. This beautiful movie profiles two remarkable women--masterfully portrayed by Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey--who survive some heavy-duty problems in their friendship and come out of it together. Clearly, they would not have gotten anywhere in this relationship if they hadn't held their heads up and pushed through it, which shows that even the strongest friendships require courage all the way through. Basically, "Beaches" is just a great movie that gives the word "friendship" a whole new meaning. Watch it now, and be prepared to cry buckets and learn a whole lot about what true friendship is.

I will cry at anything it seems, My Girl & Armageddon floor me everytime, and I sometimes even cry at Neighbours. So I just knew by reading the blurb of this, that I would cry.

It's amazing these days that a friendship can span three decades - so far my longest friendship has lasted nearly 10 years. And we've been through a lot, but never had a serious argument. As the old saying goes, guys, jobs, etc come & go, but friendships last forever.

In this, the friendship starts at the age of roughly 11, and the young actresses who play Barbara Hershey & Bette Midler's characters are excellent. The little actress who plays CeCe Bloom at 11 is the spitting image of Bette Midler - poor child! She's got the hair, the wide smile and the mannerisms down pat, and it's so funny to watch her. It's a shame Mayim Bialik hasn't done much else, it's mainly voice work she does now (most notably she voices a character in Extreme Ghostbusters.) They become penpals, and the relationship is played out through letters, until they finally get together. The film spirals from there, from husbands, to divorces, to arguments, to children.

It's predictable, and I did find Bette Midler's character just a little irritating, but that wasn't due to Bette Midler. It was just the way she played the character she annoyed me, she was so self centered. Barbara Hershey's character was fun, kinda the sidekick to CeCe, and Barbara actually got collagen injections in her lips to look younger, as she was playing her character through such a long period.

Of course you know Barbara's character is gonna get ill, but it's the way it's done, it's very subtle to start with, she starts looking more tired, and then it snowballs, and it's shocking how they manage to make her look so awful, she deteriorates really quickly, and I have to say the makeup artists did an excellent job there.

The funniest line in this film is my title for this review. "Over the shoulder boulder holders" is the perfect way to describe those annoying things called bras.

I've heard "Wind Beneath My Wings" many times before, and it's an extremely powerful song. What made a bigger difference was watching what was happening on screen, and listening to the lyrics, it brought a whole new meaning to the song, a meaning that I never got before. Well, that was me. Thankfully, I was watching this alone at the time, cos it would have been really embarrassing for someone to see me crying the way I did. To say Beaches had an effect on me is the understatement of the year. Even after I'd switched it off, I was still going about the house in tears. I'll never hear "Wind Beneath My Wings" the same again.

Unfortunately, I bought the bog standard, no frills, DVD, not realising that there was a special edition. But I'm quite happy with the edition I have. I'd probably cry through the extras too.

I'll probably watch this again (I still force myself to watch Armageddon & My Girl now & again, just because I love them that much), and I'll probably cry even more now I know what's coming. It's a terrific film, and is definitely the ultimate chick flick. It's also directed by Garry Marshall, so watch out for a cameo by Hector Elizondo.

Good friends are hard to find. Some people go through life finding real friends. There will be friends but there is only one true friend who'll stand by you through thick and thin. Beaches is an example of friendship that started from childhood until the death of one friend.
Hilary and Claire met in Atlantic City when they were children and kept in contact with each other through letters until they were grown. Hilary shows up in New York and stays with Claire. Their relationship is tested when a man enters their lives. He helps Claire with her career but their marriage doesn't last. Claire is too wrapped up in her career to be focused on a real relationship. But Claire doesn't go astray from her dreams unlike Hilary.
Hilary wanted to break from her elite roots but she found herself returning when her father died and she married a lawyer who cheated her out of a marriage with another woman. She was forced to return to law when she got pregnant with her daughter and no husband to support her. Then tragedy strikes.
Bette Midler is a multitalented woman who can display her acting and singing abilities. She evolves into her character who is pretty much a diva. Barbara Hershey is innocent yet strong as her character who displays manners of old wealth.
This is a movie that will make the viewer value the meaning of friendship and why it is important to havae people in their life.

I fell in love with the movie the first time that I saw it and still love it. One of the most brilliant performances by both Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey I have ever seen.I enjoyed very much seeing Bette showcase her voice in the movie because she has such a strong and beautiful voice, not to mention she is so hilarious. The scenes in this movie are emotional, uplifting, comedic and poignant. This film reminds of a special friendship that I have, and just watching the movie reminds me a lot of my relationship with my friend. It depicts that all friendships aren't perfect, everyone has their differences but that in the end that one special friend will always be there for you. In this world today, it is hard to find a friend like that. There were also some stellar performances by John Heard as the love interest of Bette Midler, Laine Kazane as Bette's mother Leona. What a wonderful movie, a real tearjearker and call it a chick flick if you want but this is a movie that was made for both men and women.

I loved Beaches so much! I watched the movie on the WE network, but it was still good enough for me to pick up the DVD. The movie remind me so much of friendship with my best friend, that I love so dearly. I don't know how I would go on if I lost my friend to a terminal illness, cause we're so much like sisters. The movie just so heartfelt and tender hopefully every friend of a friend will get this movie.

I can't recall when I first saw this movie. It was years ago, and I was living abroad at the time, but it has been a favorite ever since. There's something about the story that is very universal, that can appeal to everyone in any place at any time. Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey are two women who meet on the beach as little girls and stay friends throughout their lives despite everything that life throws at them. It's an incredible, powerful story. You owe it to yourself to see this movie.

I would actually give this film 3 1/2 stars. Bette Middler is just incredible. Bette's timing is perfect. Watch Bette as someone is talking to her in a scene, her facial reactions alone are just hilarious. She is a comedic genius. There are few movies that actually make me LOL, Bette's performance makes me laugh everytime in this film. The child who played Bette was also wonderful...
Barbra Hershey pulls off the other half of the film OK, but it is Bette that makes this movie. Great soundtrack too! I always get teary eyed when Bette is singing "The Glory of Love" at the end of the movie, and waves up in the air to heaven at Hillary.
But why is this a barebones DVD release? This was a huge movie. there are no extras? WHY? Not even a trailer? The DVD gets only 1 star. The movie gets ***1/2. Boo to Touchstone for putting this classic film on such a cheap DVD.