Boys on the Side (1995) Review

Three very different women brought together by the strong bond of friendship helping each other deal with the worst possible situations, really showing that women can empower one another and don’t need men to do that!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jane is a night club singer and currently out of work answering an advertisement from Robin who is a real estate agent looking for someone to accompany her to California. On the way they stop to see Holly who is Jane’s friend and they help her escape a violent drug dealer horrible partner. This is when the friendship starts and they reach an understanding with one another and respect the crazy decisions and life choices they must deal with. Jane is a lesbian always picking the wrong woman, Robin is suffering with AIDS and Holly pregnant running from her past trying to find a good man.

I had never even heard of this film which in all honesty I was rather disappointed in myself as I have tried to watch and catch up with as many Whoopi Goldberg films over the years but this one had somehow escaped me. I am therefore going to place it in the hidden gem category of films I have found on streaming services, this one being on Amazon Video Prime UK.

Watching the film from start to finish I could not help but think that it was massively ahead of its time and a film about three women coping and not having a man to do everything for them would be perfect in this day and age, especially with the Me Too movement. It shows that women really can empower one another and everything does not have to revolve around a man. Ok, I know with Holly she is looking for a man but she is looking for a nice man after her horrific experience with her ex.

I just felt that despite some very sad and hard-hitting moments they managed to mix it with comedy moments which made you smile whilst also being so close to tears. You want them all to be happy and are very unsure if that is actually going to be possible for them or not. It makes you think about your own life and choices, whether you can control everything or not. But the most important thing is to ensure that you have people around you who really deeply care. That doesn’t actually mean that you have to know the people for a very long time, when you think you are at the end of the road or at rock bottom someone will come along just in time.

As you can probably tell I throughly enjoyed the messages sent across from this film and thought the performances were very impressive from Goldberg, Parker and Barrymore as well as the supporting roles from McConaughey Gilette. Such a shame I had not heard of this one before and I am guessing that means it won’t be very well-known at all now? Maybe some people will remember it from back in the 90s. I hope this review will help encourage others to watch this hidden gem.

 

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