Back in 2003, a girl sat on the bed in her room trying to find something to watch. She continuously flipped through the channels but nothing caught her eye. That was until she landed on Lifetime and caught the last half an hour of a little movie about a longtime friendship between two women. Lucky for me, it played all over again right after and the rest they say is history.
At that point in my life, I didn't fully appreciate how much I really needed this film in my life. I had heard about it constantly from bits on VH1's I Love The 80's but never had I decided to rush out to go track it down. After that first viewing though, I rushed to my public library and located the VHS. I think that tape never saw the light of day from anyone else after that!
I learned the songs. I learned the lines, and I may have even picked up a few of Barbara Hershey's mannerisms from it as well.
From that first viewing I was instantly drawn to Hillary. I don't know why, I still don't. I did know that at the time I was having problems at home and I turned toward strong female fictional characters for guidance. It's difficult to explain but after that first watch, I wish I had Hillary as a mother. I just wanted to be so much like her because I loved how she escaped her life to move in with CC and became a lawyer.
Sure, she has flaws. Sure I still don't agree that she apologizes for whatever CC said even though she was clearly the one who instigated that big outburst in the department store. But, she was still so strong in her own right that I wanted to be so much like her that these flaws only added to how round her character was. So when she gets hit with a giant punch of being terminally ill it hurts even harder because you see the life she's made and the things she's over come.
Over the years as I continuously watch and rewatch this film I keep seeing it with new eyes. When I was younger it only scratched the surface about how friends can last forever and will be there for you always. Now that I'm older though, the themes go a lot deeper. Their individual characters go a lot deeper and you can really see how they balance one another out with their differences. How we all should have that one person who makes us question and challenge ourselves, and doesn't have to be a guy. The bonds we make as women can teach us some pretty powerful things.
I can really go on and on about how much this film has done for my outlook on life, but I'll spare you. I will say, this was the film that introduced me to Barbara Hershey. I went from watching this to tracking down everything else I could get my hands on to see if everything I loved about her portrayal of Hillary could be found in her other work, and in very subtle incidences it could.
As of now, I only have been watching the film when I am in really deep need of "an emotional cleansing"... which is about three times a year. This film really allows me to experience a wide range of feelings, some of which I didn't even know I was feeling. For me I really enjoy taking that journey. I don't think I will ever get tired of this film, and if that day comes then I would truly feel sorry for myself.
I do leave you with one question that I still never got the answer to, "What DOES yodeling got to do with it?"
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