ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH 
SCHOOL REUNIONcheck out my video captures down the page

1997 -- R -- 91 mins

Directed by David Mirkin. Written by Robin Schiff; based on Schiff's play 'The Ladies Room'

Mira Sorvino: Romy
Lisa Kudrow: Michele
Janeane: Heather Mooney
Alan Cumming: Sandy Frink
Julia Campbell: Christie
Mia Collet: Cheryl
Kristen Bauer: Kelly
Elaine Hendrix: Lisa
Vincent Ventresca: Billy
Camryn Manheim: Toby


"I'd rather put this out in my ass"

PLOT SYNOPSIS:

Romy and Michele are a pair of fun, sexy, and woefully underachieving young women. Romy works as a cashier, Michele is unemployed. And both are completely satisfied with their lives. That is until Romy has a run in with her weird former classmate Heather, and finds out that their 10 year reunion is coming up. Suddenly, Romy and Michele realise their lives aren't so great, and decide to spruce themselves up in time for the reunion. The reunion poses interesting situations for them...confronting old enemies and would-be lovers.

JANEANES CHARACTER:

Romy & Micheles High School Reunion gives Janeane one of her best supporting roles. As Heather Mooney, she gets to fire off insults and smartass remarks at virtually everyone else in the movie. No one is safe...especially perky Toby (played by The Practice's Manheim). Heather changed from alienated high school weirdo to (still) bitter, yet successful business woman, who invented quick burning cigarette paper for the girl on the go. Janeane's character often comes across as a cranky bitch, but the actress herself seems to be having a blast. And the audience does too.

MY REVIEW:

**1/2

I liked this movie more in last century. I've seen it a number of times, and had it on video (before someone I know somehow managed to tape nothing but static over it!) and always thought it was a cute comedy. However, I overlooked it's flaws and accepted it as a good little movie. But now the flaws seem to me to be too glaring and the loses points with me. One of the problems for me is any film that runs a mere 91 minutes and STILL feels padded and stretched out clearly doesn't have enough material to carry a motion picture. The lengthy fantasy sequence towards the end ends up pointless and feeling like filler, although it does have some funny elements.

There's very little meat on the bones of the story threads; there's no under-the-surface character development. Of course, this isn't supposed to be a Woody Allen film or anything, so maybe that's me being unfair. Still, the is rather one note from beginning to end. Another thing that bothers me is the way some of the supporting characters are stick figures (not literally). Everyone is either nice-at-heart or out right jerk offs. The Christie character and her yes-girls could have fallen out of any of a hundred genre teen comedies.  

On the upside, this IS a funny movie, more often than not, albeit in the lowbrow way. Naturally, most of the laughs come from Sorvino and Kudrow, who are perfectly cast as the airheads. Neither character is TOO moronic luckily, which would have killed any sympathetic feelings we'd have for them. Indeed, we feel more for them when we learn of their insecurities and pain that high school caused them. Their fashion sense provides some amusing material throughout, with the expected inappropriate-attire gags turning up. The flash back sequences to 80s high school allows for some funny glimpses of the younger characters, along with outdated clothing and music.
There's some very funny dialogue, and it's pretty consistent. Garofalo has a lot to work with, but the stars get more than enough good one liners too, if of a very different nature. Kudrow delivers my personal favorite line of the whole film: "Well, I hope your babies look like monkeys". 

Romy & Michele's High School Reunion is entertaining, but, considering it was helmed by former Simpsons' honcho David Mirkin, it's not what it could have been.

CRITIC QUOTES:

"Then there is Janeane Garofalo, who could have saved the movie if she had more screen time. Cynical, chain-smoking and foul-mouthed, she is a breath of intelligent smoke."-- Leslie Rigoulot, Filmscouts.com.

"Janeane Garofalo, always a welcome, sullen sight, tickles as the tortured class wit."-- Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today.

"Janeane Garofalo--the stealth comedy weapon in any movie--is characteristically blackly funny in the role of a foulmouthered high school loner. But even Garofalo is forced to vamp."-- Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly.

VIDCAPS (scanned by me...Earl)

               

               

               

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