Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Bette Midler | ... | CC Bloom | |
Barbara Hershey | ... | Hillary Whitney Essex | |
John Heard | ... | John Pierce | |
Spalding Gray | ... | Dr. Richard Milstein | |
Lainie Kazan | ... | Leona Bloom | |
James Read | ... | Michael Essex | |
Grace Johnston | ... | Victoria Essex | |
Mayim Bialik | ... | CC (age 11) | |
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Marcie Leeds | ... | Hillary - Age 11 |
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Carol Williard | ... | Aunt Vesta |
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Allan Kent | ... | Mr. Melman |
Phil Leeds | ... | Sammy Pinkers | |
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Lynda Goodfriend | ... | Mrs. Myandowski |
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Nikki Plant | ... | Iris Myandowski |
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Michael French | ... | Head Waiter |
When the New York child performer CC Bloom and San Francisco rich kid Hillary meet in a holiday resort in Atlantic City, it marks the start of a lifetime friendship between them. The two keep in touch through letters for a number of years until Hillary, now a successful lawyer moves to New York to stay with struggling singer CC. The movie shows the various stages of their friendship and their romances including their love for the same man. Written by Sami Al-Taher <staher2000@yahoo.com>
Iris Ranier Dart's novel was obviously written with Bette Midler in mind (there's even a mention of a movie called "Jilted" which is the Midler character, Cee Cee Bloom's version of Midler's own fiasco, "Jinxed.") So, she's wonderful in the role, and Mayim Bialik is perfect as the 11 year old Cee Cee. But Barbara Hershey (as "Hillary", a character called Bertie in the book) is cold instead of cool. Besides the odd name changes (Bertie/Hillary's daughter's name is changed from Nina to Victoria) the movie left out a key scene (it takes place in Hawaii) which explains one of the turns that their friendship takes. The movie replaces this scene with more of Hershey being cold and Midler being angry.
Midler gives some terrific musical numbers, but they don't work within the structure of the movie (its understandable that they couldn't realistically flashback to her being a 19 year old in summer stock, but "The Factory" and "Otto Titzling," respectively fascinating and funny, belong in another film.)
I understand when books are changed a bit in order to fit into a two-hour-movie. I DON'T understand changing plots --why buy the rights if you're not going to keep the story? Write your own!