Romy and Michele: In the Beginning (2005 TV Movie) User Reviews

Unfortunate misuse of Ketherine Heigl's talent....

[Fugitive_at_imdb · 4/10 · 30 May 2005]

The movie gets four stars for the wonderful interpretation of Lisa Kudrow by Heigl. Immediately at the film's beginning the audience sees how magnificently she does the voice and facial expressions of her predecessor.

Which would have been enough to give the movie ten stars if it wasn't for the small fact Katherine Heigl is supposed to be playing the part of Mira Sorvino. I thought for a moment I had just mixed up the names from my memories of the previous movie, but no: now that I'm checking this site, I see it was the movie's mistake. They either didn't notice it or didn't care. Whichever is unforgivable.

I'd give the whole thing zero if Heigl hadn't been perfect in her portrayal of at least somebody.

Nowhere near the original

[beantownbum · 3/10 · 1 June 2005]

(contains minor spoilers) This may have been a cute little time waster on its own, but as a prequel to Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion, it fails miserably. I was shocked to learn that Robin Schiff penned both the original and this prequel, as this outing seemed so incredibly phony. For example, the original opens with a scene of the girls making fun of the film Pretty Woman, even though its obvious that Michelle secretly enjoys it on some level. However, the prequel film has both Romy and Michelle so openly obsessed with Pretty Woman that they decide to become hookers so they can meet their own Richard Gere. This doesn't really make sense considering their attitude toward PW in the original film (and neither does the fact that the new Romy and Michelle constantly refer to Julia Robert's character in PW as "Pretty Woman" instead of Viv or Julia Roberts).

The disparities between the original and the prequel do not end there. The costumes are hideous, the supporting cast is random and the subplots are uninspired. It isn't a completely terrible movie (by the standards of ABC family films), but if you really enjoyed the first one, don't expect to repeat the experience. The two lead actresses never quite capture what made the original Romy & Michelle so endearing. Instead, they rely on constantly giggling and bad valley girl accents. Even worse, Schiff seems to think that the same audience will enjoy both films if they simply repackaged the old jokes/mannerisms in a new, thinly-developed plot (the comparison another reviewer made to Legally Blonde 2 is quite accurate).

So, if you barely remember the first Romy and Michelle movie and want to pass time with a silly, little comedy, check this one out. However, if you really liked the original and expect this film to do it justice - don't even bother.

A comedy with a borrowed name

[karantan · 3/10 · 17 January 2010]

My theory is that someone had a script for a bad comedy about two girls moving into a big city lying around on his desk and while there was nothing else to do, they simply chose to use the script as it is and borrow a name from a well known movie to attract at least some viewers. This would explain all the anachronisms, mixed up names, the long time period between the movies and the fact that the movie is only very distantly connected to the original Romy and Michele movie.

Even so, the movie is not all bad. I'm not saying it is not bad, because it really is. But it's not all bad. The two lead actresses do a fine job, and so does Kelly Brook. Not really going for an Oscar there, but I've seen a lot worse. As far as for the script goes, there's not even a one tiny drop of originality in it but I guess one can't expect that from this type of comedy. As a whole the movie is a cute little comedy which is not particularly entertaining but does not cause a severe headache either.

They named the girls wrong!

[bkarasek-1 · 31 May 2005]

We have Katherine Heigl, playing the role of Romy White. Alex Breckenridge plays the role of Michelle Weinberger. Ms. Hiegl is a tall blond doing a credible Lisa Kudrow impression. Ms. Breckenridge is a somewhat shorter brunette, doing a credible Mira Sorvino impression.

Trouble is, Lisa Kudrow, the tall blond in the original, plays the role of Michelle Weinberger. Mira Sorvino, who is a somewhat shorter brunette (there's a conversation about how great she looks with dark roots), plays the role of Romy White.

Anyone else notice this? I find it odd that so many of the same people were involved, but that the actresses are clearly playing to the wrong character. I taped this off AMC and had to watch for most of the film before realizing what was bothering me.

bad casting

[pinkblossm · 5/10 · 31 May 2005]

I loved the first movie but just couldn't get into this one for one reason. The girl playing Michelle is NOTHING like the original. It's like a whole new character and I just couldn't get past that. But Romy was perfect casting. She did a really good job and I've liked her in many things she's done. This movie could have been so good if only they had a different Michelle. I loved the Paula Abdul cameo at the end. It was a really cute part. And the costumes were also a little over the top. Romy and Michelle did create their own clothes, but they were supposed to be talented at it. The clothes they wore really did not show any talent at all.

Completely forgettable!

[mirwais-orbit · 1/10 · 19 April 2009]

Well... this is a crap and I must start by this, because it's true.

This is one of those movies that only exists to destroy an original and brilliant idea that Romy & Michele was even people not understanding its potentials so much and then not giving great ratings as it really deserved and still deserves.

I always knew that this movies was bad, and that's why I never care to watch it. But yesterday, visiting a friend of mine, I had to watch it because he was, and you know... it was impossible not underrate it while my poor friend seemed to be loving it. All the time I felt the need to explain to him that the original one is so much better that he would keep it in his mind as one of the best comedy movies he would ever seen... but at the same time I thought by myself: "Well, think about it. If he seems to be loving this huge piece of $#!%, probably he would not understand a half of what Romy & Michele really means". Also, I brought with me Welcome To The Dollhouse, because it was a movie that he was curious about after saying so much about it to him. So I thought by myself again: "I can't believe that he seems to be loving this huge piece of $#!% while I have in my hands one of the finest thing about comedy that I've ever seen". And then... like a bolt sent from heaven, he said: "lets watch this one you brought... seems more interesting". Well, of course it is!

Romy & Michele: The Beginning, is the worst movie I've ever seen. So awful that all Friday The 13th series seems really great. OK, it's a movie made for television so it doesn't care so much for quality, but it's not an excuse for a so horrible taste.

The great thing about the original Romy & Michele are, of course, the actresses. Mira and Lisa are so perfect in their roles and their chemistry are stunning. Then you have all that nostalgic thing about the 80's, and an amazing script with extremely funny and intelligent dialogs. You have none of that in this one.

So, here's my advice. Do not waste your time on this one for your mental sake. I'm wasting my time writing all of this because I want you to know that I'm meaning it: IT'S AWFUL!!!

Katherine's good, the rest sucks

[monkey_936 · 4/10 · 11 June 2006]

So this movie is really not any good, but Katherine Heigl is so good that if you like her it is worth watching. I only saw the movie on TV, but the problem is obviously the screenplay. The movie easily could have been just about Romy and Michelle moving out to California, but instead they had to have a transsexual woman and super model and all these stupid elements that just take away from the story. They once again have a dance sequence near the end of the movie, but it is not anywhere near as funny or creative as the original. They took the basic formula from the original instead of just taking the characters into a new movie. Once again Romy and Michelle get into a fight and the whole movie just plays like a crappy retelling of the original. The four out of ten is only because Katherine is so likable in the movie, just like all her other movies so don't watch it unless you really like her.

A charmless prequel.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 30 April 2022]

Romy and Michele: In the Beginning was shot as the pilot for a TV series, but it stank so bad that networks wisely passed on the show. A prequel to Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), it has none of the wit or charm of the original movie, stars Katherine Heigl and Alexandra Breckenridge totally failing to capture the ditzy delight of the characters established by Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow. Of course, they didn't really have much chance with such a dreadful script, which starts by having the two best friends up sticks from Tucson to Los Angeles and try to make some easy money by becoming prostitutes. I kid you not.

When whoring themselves doesn't work out (don't worry, they don't actually go through with it), Romy and Michele hook up with a transexual called Donna (Alexandra Billings), who asks the pals to cat-sit for her while she goes to London to have surgery. I kid you not.

The rest of the film sees the girls working towards their ultimate goal -- entry into exclusive Hollywood nightclub Ozone -- aided in their ambition by shallow supermodel Linda Fashiobella (Kelly Brook). Along the way, Romy and Michele are reminded of the importance of true friendship. Yadda yadda yadda.

In The Beginning is so desperately unfunny that I might have bailed if it hadn't been for the fact that Heigl is really fit, Breckenridge is incredibly cute, and Brook is a babe. 3/10.

This broke my brain.

[dhaniroserocks · 1/10 · 9 February 2023]

Did I go into this expecting peak cinema? No. Not a chance in hell. However, I don't believe anything can properly prepare me for the major mark missing in this.

Casting is assbackwards. Katherine Heigl couldn't decide if she was gonna keep doing Romy's weird ass accent or not. There were so many moments where I got more of her character from Wish Upon A Star than I did Romy ' Michele.

Pretty woman was a guilty pleasure they mocked. It wasn't life advice for them. In fact, Michele goes out of her way to try and justify her positive reaction towards the film.

No one in their graduating class gave them any kind of "friendship" so that little valedictorian hugging them was beyond wrong. And you can't tell me that the valedictorian wouldn't have been either Sandy if they went only academically, or Christy if they went popularity. Both of which, that's not what would have happened.

And the original makes a joke about prom and the last day of school being on the same night. And considering Romys obsession with Billy, if they had stayed in Tucson after graduation for three years, she'd've known Billy and Christy were married, which makes that big reveal in the original null and void.

The original was charming, quirky, and very tongue in cheeky poking fun at some basic teen flick tropes. This "prequel" is nothing more than a money grab ABC and Disney tried using the name of a popular movie. I wholeheartedly blame this travesty as to why we don't have an actual sequel yet.

And Alan Cumming is a goddamn gem. You cannot have Romy & Michele without Sandy, dammit.

Nails the spirit of the thing

[mmwilde · 9/10 · 15 June 2005]

While I agree that this was an anachronistic nightmare, and while I'll take everyone's word for it that they mixed up the characters, the fantastic spirit which took the potential train wreck of "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion" and catapulted it into instant cult status remains intact here. With the exception of the two male leads who were dropped in from "I-Don't-Quite-Get-It-Ville", every actor involved is right with the program, Katherine Heigl as Romy and Rhea Seeborn as Ashley Schwartz in particular. I recall when "RaMHSR" ended, I wished I could have spent more time with Romy and Michelle. Well, I got my wish (more or less). I spent the better part of this movie smiling like an idiot, laughing occasionally, and wishing I had a friend like that...one who got me, and made me better. I also found myself wishing, again, that it wouldn't end. True, this lacks the sophistication of the first one across the board; production, research, writing (they managed to slip in a fart line just minutes before the end), but if you are someone who appreciates substance over form and you were a fan of the first movie (if you haven't seen it, please see it before this one), then you should truly appreciate this and take it for what it is...a cheap, but shiny, gift from the gods.

Quite amusing

[beermonster3171 · 6/10 · 24 September 2005]

I have never been into this sort of film and never liked legally blonde or its follow up but after watching this film I wanted to know more about it all.

It was nice seeing the girl from Roswell playing a fun part,she plays dumb really well and boy does she look good. I also found her co star amusing and cute. This is a bit of a NO BRAINER, but I found it funny.

I found my self wanting more and now want to see the original film even though the cast is different. Paula Abdul and Kelly Brooke make appearances, Brooke shows she is limited as an actress but looks fantastic, her part is of limited appeal. Overall give it a go and you may have a bit of a giggle

Good little movie!

[purple-stars · 8 October 2008]

As a die hard fan of the original Romy and Michelle i had to see this movie, although i had heard absolutely nothing else but bad comments about it. It was clearly never intended to be a massive box office hit but as a rainy afternoon flick it got a good few laughs and did its job! The acting isn't exactly Emmy worthy but Heigl is really funny and Kelly Brook actually does a good job as the spoilt unlikeable star.

If your looking for a serious movie with lots of meaning behind it then obviously this movie isn't for you.. which makes it slightly unfair that people watch it for these reasons then say bad things about it. If you like fun, quirky little movies then it's a really fun movie to watch and you'll really enjoy it!

Why The Hate?

[statuskuo · 7/10 · 25 June 2014]

This is not your typical ABC Family movie. The jokes are surprisingly raw.

I'm surprised I enjoyed this movie so much. So before anyone judges my tastes, I'd like to explain how this movie is one of the first to focus on a "meta" world.

Yes, the gags are sit-com like. And yes, the plot is incredibly predictable, but this is the movie Romy and Michele would make if they could make a movie. It really celebrates a more upbeat optimistic view of the "Hollywood Dream." And is washed with so much color and patent characters of THAT specific era. I really like they captured a bygone era of these post- teen comedies. Where, in any other world, they'd be in deep trouble.

It's not to say that they are completely clueless. They make some really dark innuendos to how often they have sex, who they would have sex with (living or dead), sex changes...basically all the archetypes of what most people think Hollywood is about. Which (now working in Hollywood myself) isn't that big of a stretch. They run into self-important publicists. a VERY narcissistic model, Clubs they're under/over dressed for, next door neighbors who they think are gay. For those in the industry, it's a toybox of your first time here. But in Romy & Michele's case, seen through a sunnier view.

What, I think, a lot of cynics will criticize is how stupid the concept it. The same that would embrace "Dumb & Dumber." That's the point, Romy & Michele live in this very bizarre world that if they are positive, positive things will happen. If you don't believe in "The Secret" (personally I think it's garbage), then this will annoy you to no end. I found it hilarious how their tunnel vision keeps them going on their adventures, whether you think them to be idiots or not. They A) don't seem to care what you think or B) just don't know.

Isn't refreshing to have that type of freedom in life?

It's rudimentary, to be sure, but on a slow night, it's actually a fun watch.

Better than I thought it would be... I liked it!!!

[swanscrossingfan · 9/10 · 30 May 2005]

When I first heard about this movie, I was a little disappointed. "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion" is one of my all time favorite movies, and a made for TV prequel, well, let's just say it didn't really sound like a good idea! I am a very big fan of Katherine Heigl, and I like Paula Abdul, so I decided to give this a chance... I was really pleasantly surprised! I really liked it. Of course, it wasn't as good as the first one, but it was really a different movie. This one is about Romy (Katherine Heigl) and Michelle (Alex Breckenridge) moving to LA right after they graduate High School. Their LA adventures were actually pretty funny... I taped the movie, and I am sure I will watch it again! Now, about the performances. At first, I was annoyed. It seemed like the actresses were just doing impressions of the characters, but as I watched, I got into it more. I think they did a pretty good job. Katherine was great as Romy. Alex was good as Michelle, but it didn't really feel right to me. I think she is very talented, but I think they could have cast someone else in the role. Everyone else in the film is pretty good, but none of them are really memorable. And as far as Paula Abdul (playing herself), she doesn't show up until the last seven minutes of the film (and she doesn't actually speak until the last five minutes!), but it was still good to see her in a movie.

In closing, if you are a fan of the original, give this one a chance, you might like it! If you haven't seen the original, you can watch this anyway, and if you are a fan of either two main actresses, watch it! (Paula Abdul fans, just tune in to the last 10 minutes!)

In the beginning was the word, and the word was "Whatever."

[Victor Field · 6/10 · 21 September 2005]

"Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" was an amusing trifle of a movie helped enormously by Lisa Kudrow, Mira Sorvino and Janeane Garofalo. "Romy and Michele: In The Beginning" is also an amusing trifle of a movie, but not helped much by Katherine Heigl.

Robin Schiff, returning to her characters to write and direct this TV movie with our heroines before they claimed to invent Post-It notes, delivers a pretty decent script that passes the time well - this may be the only TV movie in history where a character celebrates her man-to-woman surgery with a "coming off" party (I understand this was made for the ABC Family Channel in America; over here cable won't show it until after the watershed). The story isn't original, but at least the dreaded sitcom misunderstandings aren't dwelt on for the bulk of the movie (Romy thinks their male neighbours are gay; the one Michele falls in love with thinks they're drag queens), allowing us to get on with the 1990s nostalgia and the friendship strains, and the movie surprisingly keeps from making the evil publicist's doomed-to-failure picks for success (Richard Greico, "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane") into a strained running gag.

Though amusing and likable, the trouble with this movie is that Katherine Heigl as Romy spends more time impersonating Lisa Kudrow and doing it gratingly (she's a lot better now on "Grey's Anatomy"), and as a lot of the movie centres on her character the entire proceedings suffer. (And kudos to the other poster who pointed out that Lisa Kudrow didn't play Romy in the movie in the first place, something I admit I'd forgotten until now...) Fortunately, Alex Breckenridge is better as Michele, and it's always a treat to see Paula Abdul (although the less said about the cover of "Opposites Attract" the better). And as for Kelly Brook (!) as supermodel Linda Fashionella... well, the movie does deserve praise for having both Paula Abdul and Kelly Brook in the first place.

You could do a lot worse. And it's fun to hear my two favourite moled brunettes (Paula and Cindy Crawford) get name-checked in the same movie.

Deliciously ditzy comedy about Prue-reunion Romy and Michele

[IndieSpirit92 · 9/10 · 14 June 2005]

First off, I just want to say, if you are expecting to exactly relive the experience of Romy And Michele's High School reunion over again-the awesome one liners, the hilarious dream sequences etc..., you may be disappointed, as this is really a different film entirely. But if you go into it with an open mind, and don't compare it to the original all the time, you will probably have yourself a good laugh.

I personally loved the performances. With all sequels/prequels that do not have the same cast as the previous film(s), there is already an idea of what to expect from the main actors/actresses. I thought Katherine Heigl (Romy) and Alex Breckinridge (Michele) did a great job of really making the characters they're own, and not just doing imitations of the characters from the first film.

And with so many of the same people working on this film that worked on the last film, many of the elements that made Romy And Michele's High School Reunion so great are present. While some people may say that this film is not as funny as the previous one, I found it endearing, as the unbreakable friendship between the two girls is evident in this movie, as it was in the previous one.

In conclusion: This is one movie you just might want to check out. Be patient, don't compare it to the original all the time, and go in with an open mind-you just might be glad that you did.

A good watch

[oh05ohyeah · 8/10 · 31 May 2005]

This movie was great. If you have seen the original Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion this movie is worth checking out. The people cast do a good job. Romy still has the same sort of voice, but sometimes sounds like Michelle from the original. Which isn't too strange considering they sound a lot a like.

This movie is fun. Even without seeing the first movie it would be a good watch. It is sort of in the realm of Clueless and while it ignores some of the facts and characters from the original, it provides a good story of friendship and following your dreams.

The worst part is probably the role of Linda the whiny supermodel. I could have done without that character.

All in all it is a good movie to watch with a group of friends.

... Is totally awesome!

[aaronpalenski · 8/10 · 2 February 2024]

In the Beginning is awfully good and a lot of fun! It's a very silly and heartfelt journey about friendship and the discovery of what's truly important in life.

After half a dozen times of watching this flick, as my reliable go to Katherine Heigl eye candy fix (bikinis abound!), I finally figured out that Romy & Michele are like the female equivalent of Bill & Ted, except their adventures are fabulous, instead of excellent! Calibrate your expectations accordingly.

Heigl is at her most fabulous... crazy beautiful and consummately comedic! And as mesmerized and devout as I am to her unparalleled and exquisite beauty, I have to admit that Alexandra Breckenridge is also totally stunning! Both are completely breathtaking in this lighthearted flick, and together they make for a ridonkulously sexy combo... a dream team.

In the Beginning is the proverbial unicorn of obscure made for TV movies and sadly, the only copies available for viewing are homemade bootlegs. It would be fabulous to one day be able to enjoy this in a commercial HD grade format.

Not a disappointment

[drudolph8 · 8/10 · 5 June 2005]

I was a little hesitant about watching this prequel to one of my favorite comedies of the 90s. A made-for-TV movie, starring neither of the original stars, and on the ABC Family Channel, not exactly a network known for great movies. But after looking it up on IMDb and finding that it had been written and directed by the original's author, I figured I'd give it a shot.

The opening scene, shot in a brown-tint, was not promising, but within a few minutes I knew I'd made the right choice. For starters, simple math explains why a casting change was a logical move (the story takes place 7 years prior to the original's setting, a movie which was released 8 years ago - how believable would Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow have been as a couple of 20-year-olds?) And the prequel retains the original's clever wit and dead-on characterizations. Alex Breckenridge does a good job as Michele, but the real standout is Katherine Heigl, who shows an amazing gift for comedy. There are also a lot of great early-90s bits of nostalgia and music, and, just like the original, there is still something oddly touching and endearing about these two characters - maybe the portrayal of friendship; as dumb and vapid as they may be, their love for each other is genuine and unbreakable.

It's an adventure through Hollywood

[literaryladybug · 8/10 · 31 May 2005]

This a well-done feel-good movie about friendship. The antics are quirky, comical, and delightful. It's an adventure through Hollywood where you don't have to leave your living room to get the experiences of the two main characters. The director obviously focuses on Romy a bit more than Michelle, but that's OK because she's the leader of the pack and Heigl is adept at convincing the audience that she's the funny one. I loved their hooker outfits and their "just say no" to johns with an explanation of herpes. The only thing I think the writer forgets to explain is how Romy and Michelle go from self-confident geeks in this prequel to cashier and unemployment in the original movie, and maybe why Michelle passes on the hunky Taylor. Oh well! I guess they can just do another laugh-a-minute in-between plot. I would watch this again because it is funny and upbeat.