"The Girls' Room" is a surprisingly engaging little indie "sleeper" about two college seniors and roomies. One is a proper and privileged Southern Bell "have" (Taber) and the other a pot smoking, beer drinking, sexually active "have-not" (Frye aka Punky Brewster). The plot is about the inevitable conflict and competition which, after much ado involving friends and guys and girl issues, results in both learning more about themselves through each other. The film manages an even tone, avoids the usual excesses of filmdom, and communicates an important subliminal message about how, though we all may take different paths through life, we can learn from each other and arrive at the same destination of self-actualization realizing a happiness as unique as ourselves. A pleasure to watch and highly recommendable, especially for females. (B)
11 Reviews
Suprisingly super duper
stephanotis32323 July 2003
I saw this movie on Showtime, and it was actually pretty great. The plot is pretty simple: Revenge. The two actesses are great. Soliel Moon Frye and Cat Taber play room mates who are sorely mismatched and Wil Wheaton plays Cat Tabers soon to be hubby. Good acting, engaging plot, and characters, great for a rental or catch it on cable. It is thoroughly enjoyable.
Not many people have seen this, it's sort of an indie flick, and that's a shame.
Not many people have seen this, it's sort of an indie flick, and that's a shame.
don't bother
Lynn_Marie31 October 2001
bad acting, bad southern accents, inconsistent cinematography, horrible script...
I was looking forward to this film at a recent film festival and was so discouraged after seeing it. It contains quote/unquote name talent, but they do not deliver. Of course the basis for this is the uneven and uninteresting story that is told.
don't bother
I was looking forward to this film at a recent film festival and was so discouraged after seeing it. It contains quote/unquote name talent, but they do not deliver. Of course the basis for this is the uneven and uninteresting story that is told.
don't bother
Really not super duper
oddballgeek3 January 2007
They're showing this on some off-network. It's well crap. While it is not as bad as the B-movies they show on the Sci-fi network on Saturdays but still a fairly large pile of crap. The acting is passable. The plot and writing are fairly sub-standard and the pacing is entirely too slow. Every minute of the movie feels like the part of the movie where they're wrapping things up before the credits - not the peak of the movie, the denouement. Also, large portions of the cast look way to old for the age range they're playing. The whole thing is predictable, boring and not worthy of being watched. Save your time. It's not even worth the time it takes to watch it for free.
The Girls' Room
HoustonKing20 March 2005
I just bought the DVD from amazon and had to write about it. It was the most realistic and inspiring portrayal of being a woman at college that I have seen. Being a southern woman who attended Brown before transferring to NH Community College, it was a hard adjustment for me. Cat the protagonist in the film, was a role that I could relate to.
I think anyone who went to college, man or woman would like the film. Highly recommended. Although it sounds like a straight-ahead chick pic, ~ "The Girls' Room" instead turns out to be a humorous tale of difference and tolerance that, in the hands of frosh helmer Irene Turner, is less gender specific than the title would suggest. Winning, intimate performances by former sitcom star Soleil Moon Frye ("Punky Brewster") and newcomer Cat Taber anchor the film and help smooth over its occasional lapses in logic. The generally appealing picture has an outside shot at finding a distributor and will deservedly open doors for Turner, a co-producer on "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss."
College roomies Casey (Frye) and Grace (Taber) are a contempo odd couple. Casey, a bohemian performance artist with a penchant for bad boys, profanity and pot, garbs herself in black and heavy mascara. Preppy good girl Grace just wants to ace her classes and wed her frat boy Romeo (Wil Wheaton). When Casey's obnoxious taunts and schemes put Grace's plans in jeopardy, she resolves to get even.
And so Grace begins to spend time with Casey's pal Joey (Gary Wolf), a guitar-strumming loner and the only guy her roommate hasn't nailed. That seemingly platonic friendship begets a cycle of jealousy, suspicion and innuendo that further imperils Grace's nuptial plans.
Far from being an update of "Single White Female"-the film that gave female roommates a bad name- "The Girls' Room" nicely develops its characters, resisting the urge to limit them as easy stereotypes. Casey, it turns out, knows she was dealt a bad hand from the start, whereas Grace subtly begins to question her sheltered Southern upbringing.
Nor does Amanda Beall's script demonize either character. Both women are flawed, to be sure, but despite their surface antagonism, each harbors a real desire to explore the other's life. Their mutual attraction-repulsion keeps the tension percolating and thankfully leaves some surprises for the final reel. The characters ultimately emerge in the script as wholly rounded and,as realized in Taber and Frye's empathetic performances, neither easy to like nor completely despicable.
Others in the cast, especially Wolf and Julianna McCarthy as Casey's grandmother, provide ample support. Production values are sharp, and the location photography (at North Carolina's Wake Forest University) adds a sun dappled collegiate feel to the proceedings.
I think anyone who went to college, man or woman would like the film. Highly recommended. Although it sounds like a straight-ahead chick pic, ~ "The Girls' Room" instead turns out to be a humorous tale of difference and tolerance that, in the hands of frosh helmer Irene Turner, is less gender specific than the title would suggest. Winning, intimate performances by former sitcom star Soleil Moon Frye ("Punky Brewster") and newcomer Cat Taber anchor the film and help smooth over its occasional lapses in logic. The generally appealing picture has an outside shot at finding a distributor and will deservedly open doors for Turner, a co-producer on "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss."
College roomies Casey (Frye) and Grace (Taber) are a contempo odd couple. Casey, a bohemian performance artist with a penchant for bad boys, profanity and pot, garbs herself in black and heavy mascara. Preppy good girl Grace just wants to ace her classes and wed her frat boy Romeo (Wil Wheaton). When Casey's obnoxious taunts and schemes put Grace's plans in jeopardy, she resolves to get even.
And so Grace begins to spend time with Casey's pal Joey (Gary Wolf), a guitar-strumming loner and the only guy her roommate hasn't nailed. That seemingly platonic friendship begets a cycle of jealousy, suspicion and innuendo that further imperils Grace's nuptial plans.
Far from being an update of "Single White Female"-the film that gave female roommates a bad name- "The Girls' Room" nicely develops its characters, resisting the urge to limit them as easy stereotypes. Casey, it turns out, knows she was dealt a bad hand from the start, whereas Grace subtly begins to question her sheltered Southern upbringing.
Nor does Amanda Beall's script demonize either character. Both women are flawed, to be sure, but despite their surface antagonism, each harbors a real desire to explore the other's life. Their mutual attraction-repulsion keeps the tension percolating and thankfully leaves some surprises for the final reel. The characters ultimately emerge in the script as wholly rounded and,as realized in Taber and Frye's empathetic performances, neither easy to like nor completely despicable.
Others in the cast, especially Wolf and Julianna McCarthy as Casey's grandmother, provide ample support. Production values are sharp, and the location photography (at North Carolina's Wake Forest University) adds a sun dappled collegiate feel to the proceedings.
An amazing film... great!
swanscrossingfan23 June 2005
I first heard about this film quite a while ago, and have wanted to see it for a very long time. I am a very big fan of Soleil Moon Frye, and she is the main reason I wanted to see it. When I saw that it was released on DVD I was extremely happy.
From the moment the film started, I was drawn in, and I stayed drawn in until the end. Casey's (Soleil Moon Frye) opening and ending monologue was great, and an awesome way to open and end the movie. The ending is very good, and it leaves you feeling complete. The movie is really about two college roommates who are very different. It is about one of them wanting revenge on the other. The movie is very real, and that, to me, is very refreshing.
The only problem I had with the film was the editing. It is very choppy, and isn't put together all that well, but it isn't a big problem. I only thought about it during a few scenes.
The two main characters are compelling. I have to say that Soleil gives the best performance in the film. The other lead, Cat Taber (who plays Grace), was good, but it felt like her performance was missing something. The other actors were all great as well (Notably Wil Wheaton as Grace's fiancé, and Gary Wolf as Casey's friend).
The DVD has no extras at all, though. It only has the film and scene selections (a total of 8 chapters), and if you leave it on the main menu for too long, the movie starts by itself. The lack of extras doesn't bother me, though. It took the film long enough to get released.
While this movie isn't for everyone, I loved it, and will watch it more than once. The DVD doesn't seem to be a big release, so you may have a hard time finding a rental, but it is well worth the purchase price here! If you are a fan of one of the actors, this is a must have DVD! In closing, I would like to say "How nice, How very, very nice!"
From the moment the film started, I was drawn in, and I stayed drawn in until the end. Casey's (Soleil Moon Frye) opening and ending monologue was great, and an awesome way to open and end the movie. The ending is very good, and it leaves you feeling complete. The movie is really about two college roommates who are very different. It is about one of them wanting revenge on the other. The movie is very real, and that, to me, is very refreshing.
The only problem I had with the film was the editing. It is very choppy, and isn't put together all that well, but it isn't a big problem. I only thought about it during a few scenes.
The two main characters are compelling. I have to say that Soleil gives the best performance in the film. The other lead, Cat Taber (who plays Grace), was good, but it felt like her performance was missing something. The other actors were all great as well (Notably Wil Wheaton as Grace's fiancé, and Gary Wolf as Casey's friend).
The DVD has no extras at all, though. It only has the film and scene selections (a total of 8 chapters), and if you leave it on the main menu for too long, the movie starts by itself. The lack of extras doesn't bother me, though. It took the film long enough to get released.
While this movie isn't for everyone, I loved it, and will watch it more than once. The DVD doesn't seem to be a big release, so you may have a hard time finding a rental, but it is well worth the purchase price here! If you are a fan of one of the actors, this is a must have DVD! In closing, I would like to say "How nice, How very, very nice!"
"The Girl's Room" is about Grace, who is dreaming of being married come graduation, in a fancy wedding sponsored by her father provided she graduates. Casey, her roommate, is lost in a world where
theKT8 April 2001
I was lucky to catch this film at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and I thought it was awesome. I spoke with the director/producer after the film, and some people were commenting to her that they didn't remember college life to be so liberal. I was really impressed with how accurate it was (I apologize if you're a parent of a college student and I'm confirming your worst fears). "The Girl's Room" was truthful and entertaining. You get a real feel for each character and their separate struggles in the film. I personally rallied for Casey, but my friend was pushing for Grace to win out in the end. I liked the film, it was a blast to watch. Good script, good characters, good directing and great acting. I wish the film well.
This movie was so real...
dangerousmama90116 June 2005
Most movies out lately are so redundant. A whole bunch of movies about popular, flawless, fake girls fighting over something lame. Don't get me wrong I have liked some of the more recent releases, but they all have the same stuff in it. The Girls' Room was so...GREAT! It was super easy to follow. And I think everyone could relate to some part of it, whether it was a character or a situation. I can't even name a favorite part, there were a ton. Every time it came on cable premiums, I was watching it. I made my best friend watch it and now, it's one of her favorites too. So to all of you who hated it... how nice, how nice, how very very nice.
Outstanding low-budget filmmaking
everbrown512 June 2000
I saw The Girls' Room at the Nashville Independent Film Festival and was floored by it.
Inspired direction, a terrifically complete script, and sharp performances fill the screen. Irene Turner's directorial debut is an excellent and well-paced one. Soleil Moon Frye's Casey absolutely owns the screen as a defining sexual-existential-college-punk-grrl.
The title may make males wince, but The Girls Room is happily not a chick flick. It is a funny and knowing Gen-X movie that hopefully will find a large audience.
Inspired direction, a terrifically complete script, and sharp performances fill the screen. Irene Turner's directorial debut is an excellent and well-paced one. Soleil Moon Frye's Casey absolutely owns the screen as a defining sexual-existential-college-punk-grrl.
The title may make males wince, but The Girls Room is happily not a chick flick. It is a funny and knowing Gen-X movie that hopefully will find a large audience.
Dry plot, Dry Acting, Dry Characters
rkelly-28 August 2002
what is this movie about? - that's what you'll be saying to yourself throughout most of the movie. The acting SUCKS, the soap opera score and 80's music semi montage scene's only hurt the film, you don't beleive a thing the characters are doing, it all appears to be forced emotions. As far as giving it credit for low-budget film making, I give them credit for only getting this horrible movie made, the editing sucks, the cinematography is mediocre, and the script f***ing blows, "I have to do this page" fade to black, fade in hang out with your room mate all of a sudden in 15 seconds she turns into satan for revenge, this movie is almost as bad as my spelling
A quality production but kind of hard to watch
vchimpanzee15 June 2015
Grace and Casey really are quite convincing as friends, before they become enemies again. This explains the movie title in my TV listings "Best of Enemies".
While Casey's personality is kind of hard to take, Soleil Moon Frye gives a great performance. I saw her play a similar character for years on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", where Sabrina was the cute princess. Casey really isn't so bad, and she is so sweet and loving with her grandmother Nana.
Julianna McCarthy is quite appealing as Nana. Not your typical grandmother, but appealing enough.
Cat Taber is just adorable. You expect she will be this spoiled rich girl but there's more to her than that. In some ways Casey is preferable, but Grace is not so bad and sometimes easy to like. If you don't have money, you have to laugh at her priorities.
Sweetie is anything but sweet. I could have done without her. But she adds something to the movie and sometimes we just need to be exposed to that which is outside our comfort zone.
This is kind of hard to explain, but I'll try. A few years ago I couldn't find the magazines I wanted at the big downtown library and I had to go to nearby Wake Forest University to see them. And now that library is closed for renovation and I'm spending even more time at Wake Forest. I thought the architectural style of the college buildings was quite attractive but it didn't hit me why everything looked so familiar until the credits. Not even when I saw the unique name "Reynolda Hall". I tape everything I watch so I was able to back up and see the buildings again. If I had known ahead of time that it really was Wake Forest, that would have been an even bigger reason to watch.
Is it worth seeing? Probably.
While Casey's personality is kind of hard to take, Soleil Moon Frye gives a great performance. I saw her play a similar character for years on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", where Sabrina was the cute princess. Casey really isn't so bad, and she is so sweet and loving with her grandmother Nana.
Julianna McCarthy is quite appealing as Nana. Not your typical grandmother, but appealing enough.
Cat Taber is just adorable. You expect she will be this spoiled rich girl but there's more to her than that. In some ways Casey is preferable, but Grace is not so bad and sometimes easy to like. If you don't have money, you have to laugh at her priorities.
Sweetie is anything but sweet. I could have done without her. But she adds something to the movie and sometimes we just need to be exposed to that which is outside our comfort zone.
This is kind of hard to explain, but I'll try. A few years ago I couldn't find the magazines I wanted at the big downtown library and I had to go to nearby Wake Forest University to see them. And now that library is closed for renovation and I'm spending even more time at Wake Forest. I thought the architectural style of the college buildings was quite attractive but it didn't hit me why everything looked so familiar until the credits. Not even when I saw the unique name "Reynolda Hall". I tape everything I watch so I was able to back up and see the buildings again. If I had known ahead of time that it really was Wake Forest, that would have been an even bigger reason to watch.
Is it worth seeing? Probably.
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