Boys on the Side (1995)

So much average

Fresh and Exciting

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Boys on the Side is a powerful but sometimes amusing melodrama about the lives of three woman with different backgrounds coming together to celebrate the lives of women on their earnest road trip. This film may be a bit soapy and seems more like a Lifetime film, but this soapiness enhances the drama. This film may also be a little more on the feminist side, but I didn't mind that much since women are equal to men and should have their stories told as well.Herbert Ross's film is about a wisecracking club singer, an uptight saleswoman, and a young, free spirit all joining crossroads so they can travel cross-county from New York to California.The acting is very good. Whoopi Goldberg actually proves me wrong by showing she can be a good actress. Mary-Louise Parker has some very powerful scenes and should have been nominated an Oscar. Drew Barrymore is also very good and she seems to be my kind of girl.Overall, this is very powerful film about womenhood and some of the problems they face. People call this a chick flick, but is it really? I think guys should watch this film in order to gain a higher appreciation of women. This film is about bonds that will never be forgotten. I'm surprised how such a good movie this drama was. I rate this film 9/10.

Start with the cast - wonderful. From Whoopi Goldberg, Mary Louise Parker, Drew Barrymore - that's just for starters - a solid cast. Each one holds her own and rounds out the character with humor, sensitivity and a truthfulness. The script - good solid script - the director - Herbert Ross - he knew how to tell a story. And don't forget the soundtrack - love the music!Add to that one of the first scripts that looked at AIDS from the eyes of women. Not just a straight woman, but also a gay woman. How the characters both men and women deal with the issue, which is usually for Hollywood and the motion picture world, a male issue (the only other film I can immediately refer to as an AIDS film relating to women is the HBO film GIA).I highly recommend the film for all audiences - including teenagers. It deals with many delicate issues with great warmth, love, trust, humor and truthfulness.Thank you for this little gem!

I see this once every few years and remember why I think it's so cool. This is definitely a women's movie; about the friendships between women. Each one has her own personal challenges, like we all do in real life. They sometimes have difficulty with each other, like friends in real life. They depend on and support each other, like friends do in real life. The movie is both funny and sad, like real life. I've always thought Mary Louise Parker is a great actress, though sometimes I have tired of her "victim" roles - before her "Weeds" days (love Weeds)! Here's Drew at her Drew-i-est, adding her own bubbly appeal to Holly, clueless as to how bad her relationship with the drug dealer (now dead - at her hands) was. Anyone who has tired of Whoopi's poor choice of movie roles (do I really have to list them?) will be refreshingly surprised at her skill in this movie. She really brings it to the table. One more thing - boys ARE on the side here - but I have to mention a couple, because I really do love them! Matthew Mc in his younger days as Abe Lincoln; HONEST ABE, too cute, too by-the-book, but thoroughly engaging. Finally, James Remar, who I loved and loved to hate as Richard in Sex in the City, oozes sexiness.I love a good dark comedy, and this is a great one.

I wanted to like this film bit I really didn't. Maybe it's because the above mentioned film is my all time favorite and this seemed a little bit of a rip off-women. on the road together. wanted by cops. The characters and the central plot maybe different then "T and L" but there are a lot of similarities.I think it looked better in the previews then it wound up being. Not an awful movie but not one that I liked terribly. I did like the premise because I'm into road movies. I know some people loved this. I just wasn't one of them. The whole movie was very forced, a bit contrived and weepy. Not that there's anything wrong with movies that have those aspects but after seeing some really incredible road movies I expected it to be a lot better and be a bit more original.I will say, however, the acting was good-ALL THREE of the leads were spectacular. That was the main positive. But Coming so soon after "Thelma" it seemed like this was almost done to get people to the cinema. Even the previews made it look so much like Thelma.Or maybe I was spoiled by Thelma and Louise, to me no other female road trip movie even comes close. Although I will say this was a tear jerker with interesting characters and good acting(the much better then average cast in my opinion is what saves this movie), on a whole I found it to INTENTIONALLY sappy and unoriginal. My vote is 5 of 10.