Just Between Friends

Written and directed by allan burns. Was nominated for a little romance. Burns had worked with mary moore on her own show, as well as the spinoffs, rhoda, phyllis, and about half the tv series ever made. When holly (mtm) brings home a friend and tries to play matchmaker with a friend of her husband (danson), it backfires. There are complications that holly didn't know about. And they are simmering, bubbling, just waiting to pop open. Co-stars sam waterson (hopscotch, grace and frankie) and christine lahti (oscar winner and nominee!). And then more stuff happens. Good stuff. And bad stuff. Funny and typical conversation between holly and her own mom. Mtm was nominated for her role in ordinary people. And of course, she made change of habit with elvis! Shows on epix streaming. It's good. Some sadness. But a good look at relationships, marriages, friendships.

This movie has the unlikely premise of two woman becoming friends all the while unaware that they're in love with the same man. Mary Tyler Moore is Holly, the wife. Christine Lahti is Sandy the girlfriend. Ted Danson (ugly as ever) is Chip. This movie wants you to believe that a woman who is career driven, has a foul mouth, lives on junk food, chain smokes, wears funky (a.k.a. ugly) clothes & has big hair she's automatically "interesting" (Sandy). If she's married & loves her husband, lives a healthy lifestyle, has two teenage kids & a beautiful home, doesn't work outside that home, & is a kind person she's "boring" (Holly). The message is pretty twisted. This movie is loaded with clichés, is unrealistic & has a TV movie feel to it even though it was released in theaters. Despite it's flaws, the soap opera plot does keep you interested, but the storyline drags on at times.

Writer-director Allan Burns seems to have patched together two different scripts about sisterhood and infidelity/betrayal. Christine Lahti plays a crass, cynical TV news reporter who makes friends with aerobics instructor Mary Tyler Moore; soon, she's having dinner with her new friend's family, only to discover Moore's husband is Lahti's married lover. Burns has a strange, stop-and-start rhythm to his dialogue which is neither realistic nor effective (just increasingly annoying, because nothing important seems to get said). Rail-thin Mary, looking alarmingly frail in her leotard, has a radiant smile but doesn't convince as Ted Danson's wife (and he's stuck with a paltry, thankless role, merely present as the cad). The movie attempts to cover all its bases in a classic case of overreaching (a woman's role in the workplace, the TV news-biz, the cheating family man, the working wife and mother who wants more, a woman's need for female friendships, et al), but nothing substantial comes of these ideas since Burns only half-heartedly examines the issues. As a writer, Burns is surprisingly free of punchlines; however, his script is uncertain of its purpose, and the heavy plotting just gets all fouled up. *1/2 from ****

While I enjoyed the movie, it is clear Mary Tyler Moore's character is supposed to be around 10 years younger than the actress actually was at the time of filming. In the film she spoke of having another child and at 50 (As she was when this was filmed), that wasn't likely at the time. Christine Lahti and Sam Waterston shined as supporting characters. Definitely worth the watch.

I remember watching a movie starring Mary Tyler Moore with my mom; I turned to her and said, "She's the lady from Ordinary People, right?" My mom cracked up and told me that was like someone saying, "Jane Fonda's the lady who does exercise videos, right?" As embarrassing as it is to admit, I've never seen Mary Tyler Moore's television work, so I only know her as a dramatic actress.

In Just Between Friends, two women become friends during an exercise class. They get along so well that Mary invites Christine Lahti over to her house for a small dinner party and to meet her family. Mary introduces her two children and husband, Ted Danson, but there's a problem. Ted and Christine already know each other. They've been having an affair! The dinner party scene when the two lovers are "introduced" is absolutely hilarious.

As Ted tries to reconcile his feelings for both women, with his best friend Sam Waterston giving advice, Christine has to handle her guilt now that she's been exposed to Ted's happy home. Does she break things off? Does she tell Mary what's going on? Watch this fantastic film and find out that some issues are best handled just between friends.

Writer-director Allan Burns created three-dimensional characters and a very fascinating, emotional plot. The story will really make you think, and the acting is fantastic. Watch the preview to see if you'd like it, but if we share similar taste, I'm sure you will.