Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Starring: Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, Julia Campbell, Justin Theroux
Directed by: David Mirkin
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
1997

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) decide to go to their 10 year high school reunion. However, they quickly realize that their lives are not impressive at all. They decide to lie about their lives and careers, to make the popular girls jealous and get a shot at the guys they never got a chance with.

Review:

Tim: Maybe surprisingly, I really enjoyed Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. I know this is a stupid, lightweight comedy, but I also think it is much more than that. Comedies need to have some substance to them, and even though it is easy to dismiss this movie, if you look below the surface, you will find that it actually has a good bit of heart. Comedies shouldn't set out to ONLY make you laugh. That's not enough for a movie. There has to be more than just a few well writte jokes. This film delivers that- the characters are interesting, and we actually grow to care about them. It also helps that there is a pretty powerful message to this film. That was one of my favorite parts.

Most people, when thinking about high school, wish they were cooler. Even the cool kids have some regrets and wish things had been different in certain aspects. This film taps into those feelings, and that is something everyone can relate to. And yet, that's not all. This film's most powerful message is that it doesn' matter if you are viewed as cool, popular, or dorky and unpopular. All that matters is what you think of yourself. This is an amazingly powerful message, and this film strikes that home. Best of all, though, is that the message is never delivered in a preachy way. While you are laughing and having fun, you also have this really beautiful story about two friends coming to terms with who they are (and who they aren't), and eventually, being at peace with that. That's pretty amazing, and is the chief reason why this movie works.

I also have to give credit to the cast. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow are excellent as Romy and Michele. These two characters could have been complete throwaways- people you laugh at, and dismiss. However, that is not the case here. These two actresses put some real emotion and heart into the roles, and even though these characters are silly, we can identify with them and start to root for them. I thought Sorvino especially was excellent. She has some real talent as an actress, and she brings some of that here So many comedies fail because the leads are given to "funny" people who can't act. Sorvino shows the way it should be done. Her performance was excellent. I'm not a huge fan of Kudrow, but I admit she delivers a solid performance here. She works very well with Sorvino, and these two women make a formidable team. I really enjoyed watching them together on screen.

I have to mention my favorite scene of the entire film. The scene is the "Time After Time" dance number near the end. I am trying hard to describe why I love this so much. First off, it is an excellent song and terrific choice. Secondly, we have Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, and Alan Cumming dancing one of the most ridiculous, hilarious dance numbers I've ever seen. Every moment of this scene is perfect. I truly, truly loved it. It is one of my favorite scenes of all time. It is so ridiculous, yet all the actors sell it with true seriousness. I laugh throughout the entire scene. I thought Sorvino did an outstanding job here. She is jumping around, twirling and dancing, giving such a tremendous, fun performance. I also absolutely loved Alan Cumming here. Cumming is just so funny, and he really makes this scene. I don't think it would have worked nearly as well with any other actor. Cumming is excellent, and I loved him here. I know I've talked about this scene too much, but it was the highlight of the film for me.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, I admit that there are some flaws. The film is very often stupid, and some of the jokes just don't land very well. It is funny, but not as funny as it needed to be. I also have to mention the dream sequence, which wasn't particulary funny, and took up way too much time. It was needless, and needed to be cut way down. It slowed down the movie right at the most important time, and served very little purpose. This is one of the film's biggest flaws.

Still, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion is a surprisingly effective movie. I am not sure why most people didn't like it. I suppose on the surface, it does seem like a silly, pointless movie. However, it has more heart than most comedies, and while not perfect, it was very entertaining. I thought I would hate this movie, but I actually liked it quite a bit.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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