ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 4/25/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:31 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, Julia Campbell, Mia Cottet, Kristin Bauer, Elaine Hendrix, Vincent Ventresca Director: David Mirkin Producer: Laurence Mark Screenplay: Robin Schiff based on her play THE LADIES' ROOM Cinematography: Reynaldo Villalobos Music: Steve Bartek U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
If I had a choice between attending Romy and Michele's high school reunion or the one with John Cusack at Grosse Pointe, which would I choose? It's actually a difficult decision, because, although the two movies have vastly different strengths and weaknesses, the bottom line is that they're of similar quality. GROSSE POINTE BLANK is, at times, too dark and disjointed. ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION is, on the other hand, occasionally a little too light and vacuous. And, if GROSSE POINTE has too much of an edge, then ROMY AND MICHELE doesn't have enough of one. All things considered, however, I think I'll take the girls over the hit man.
That said, those expecting a female version of DUMB AND DUMBER are in for a disappointment. Yes, Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) have vacuum-filled brain cavities, and the film doesn't shy away from raunchy sexual innuendo, but the pervasive flatulence of the Jim Carrey/Jeff Daniels comedy is entirely absent. ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION is about two ditzes who adore PRETTY WOMAN, think Mono is "the best diet ever", and believe that looking fantastic is the most important thing.
The title characters are blond Southern California babes who have been rooming together since they moved to the L.A. area after graduating from high school. They have been friends for a lot longer -- two inseparable peas in a pod who have never fit in with the hip crowd and have never cared that they're outsiders. Now, a decade after brushing the dust of Tucson, Arizona from their heels, the receive word that the Sagebrush High School Class of '87 is holding a ten-year reunion. So, armed with lies about how they have become successful business women, they head east to impress the classmates who used to taunt and ridicule them.
Neither Mira Sorvino (MIGHTY APHRODITE, for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar) nor Lisa Kudrow (MOTHER, TV's FRIENDS) is a stranger to playing this sort of dumb-as-a-post role. Under the control of two such deft comic talents, Romy and Michele are exaggerated just enough to be funny but not so much that they're unsympathetic. The characters originally appeared in screenwriter Robin Schiff's stage play, THE LADIES' ROOM, and were inspired by a pair of real individuals whom Schiff overheard talking in a night club bathroom. In fact, the most disturbing thing about ROMY AND MICHELE is recognizing that there are actually people in this world who think and act like these two cartoon characters do.
Although I smiled frequently during the film, I didn't laugh too often. Perhaps surprisingly, a lot of the humor is low-key, and there are very few truly hilarious moments. Another problem is that the script unsuccessfully attempts to inject a little lame drama with a moral ("be true to yourself") into the mix. I have no problem with ambitious comedies introducing dramatic elements into the storyline, but those aspects should be less banal than the ones pulled off the "stock plot device" shelf for this movie. ROMY AND MICHELE is at its best when it's being lighthearted and at its weakest when it takes a halfhearted stab at semi-seriousness.
As in GROSSE POINTE BLANK, the reunion is something of a disappointment (actually, for reasons I won't go into here, there are two reunions). ROMY AND MICHELE starts out exceptionally strong, with lots of flashbacks and reminiscences about the girls' high school days, but it loses momentum by the time the duo reaches Tucson. The final forty-five minutes features a few clever moments (including a bizarre dance number with Sorvino, Kudrow, and Alan Cumming), but almost all of the best scenes occur during the first half.
ROMY AND MICHELE boasts a lively supporting cast. As is often the case, Janeane Garofalo (THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS) steals her share of scenes. Playing a chain-smoking, foul-mouthed business woman, she pops in and out of the film to make life generally miserable for everyone around her. Alan Cumming (EMMA) is the nerd who once had a crush on Michele, and Vincent Ventresca (TV's BOSTON COMMON) is the stud who caught Romy's eye. Julia Campbell (TV's MEN BEHAVING BADLY) is that staple of the reunion movie -- the stuck-up prom queen whose vocabulary is made up solely of put-downs.
ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION is one of those pleasant movie-going experiences that doesn't offend, excite, or challenge anyone. There are all sorts of likable things about it -- Sorvino and Kudrow, accessible humor, and an '80s soundtrack that's the most definitive survey of the decade in pop music since PETER'S FRIENDS. First-time director David Mirkin brings a lot of energy to the production, always keeping things moving. And, perhaps most intriguingly, anyone who has ever gone to a reunion will recognize a kernel of truth lurking under all of ROMY AND MICHELE'S blond and brainless icing.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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