BEACHES (1988) *** I remember, when I first heard that Bette Midler was in a hit movie called Beaches I immediately thought it was a play off the word "bitches." It's not. I mean I don't think it is, it definitely mainly isn't. I have a tape of a Waylon Jennings concert where he says that he's been friends with Willie Nelson "for 20 years. And 20 out of 25 ain't bad!" It's more about that. It's more about how you can't like anyone all of the time, but some friendships somehow have, or develop, roots that stretch right out into...whatever's beyond. Roots that are stronger than the bad times, the uninvited developments that throw us, throw other things off. Bette and Barbara Hershey have great chemistry, and John Heard's credible as the male totem, more than just a little bit of Sam Shepard in that character and we all know what women think about him . Beautiful sentimental Georges Delerue incidentals for when Bette's pop isn't enough (she does a particularly good job with Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today). I didn't feel manipulated, just grateful.
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