Best Friends for Life

Great acting by the two leads makes this film a believable tale of what real friendship is all about. Despite living many miles apart and in different social circles, their friendship endures lifes ups and downs, their husbands deaths and even their harsh words with one another. Rowlands seems to begrudge her friend (Lavin), the 'perfect' life she has had, as now her husband has died she must face the fact that he had an affair, her daughter hates her, and now there is no money coming in she must amend her lifestyle and downsize. Then she is diagnosed with cancer and she deals with it in her own way. Even with its sombre ending it still has a feelgood factor to it. Make time to watch it.

I enjoyed this movie. My mother and I were fortunate enough to be extras in this movie. You can see me really good 3 time and my mother too (airport)! I was able to meet Gena Rowlands and Linda Lavin, both were very sweet and kind ladies. The movie was such a joy to watch. It makes you long for that life long friendship that they had. Best Friends for Life, I think is what most people want. The movie showed other friendships as well. How each lady's life was influenced by others and how they had each other involved. It also reminded me of the country mouse and the city mouse. Ms. Rowlands played a well to do lady and Ms. Lavin, well to do, but down to earth. They are able to become apart of each others life. Ms. Lavin, showed what it is to be a true friend. Her Character was so kind and understanding, even when being accused of not being as such. Both ladies made their characters believable and put you right where they were. I really enjoy this movie, not because I was able to be apart of it but because it was well preformed by so many great artists!!!

Two life-long friends approaching 60 (Gena Rowlands, Linda Lavin) face some harsh realities about their lives and their friendship after their husbands die.

Silly and unrealistic from the get-go. Rowlands is a rich woman in Houston who's life is taken up by the social whirl (a Zoo Ball? Really?) while Lavin is the down-home type living in rural South Carolina. Their husbands die within a week or so of each other, so they reach out to each other for comfort.

While they were friends "at school," their adult lives have been mostly separate and they have just about nothing in common as old women yet believe they are best friends. Each one gripes endlessly about lousy marriages, bad sex, loneliness, etc. But neither one ever did a thing to remedy their situation.

Their lives diverge even more when Rowlands becomes ill and Lavin finds herself a man (the ancient Richard Farnsworth). While Rowlands' life sinks as her daughter (Helen Slater) reveals she never liked her, Lavin's sparks upward with her lover and a ridiculous wallpaper business she goes into with her maid (Ja'net DuBois). Really?

Also involved in this silliness is Gwen Verdon, briefly seen as Lavin's globe-trotting mother and Burke Moses, as the younger financial advisor Rowlands tries to ensnare in a relationship. His dismissal of her advances is the only flicker of reality in this sticky goopy mess.

The worst moment is at the Zoo Ball when Rowlands discovers hubby was having an affair with a fellow socialite (Karen Austin) and she hunts her down in the toilet with her brainless friends in tow. They all brandish guns (really?) and then run away screaming when one goes off accidentally. Dreary and Bleary.

Although parts of this tv movie were a tad uneven, I found the story extremely moving and a testament to friendship. The best thing about the show as the wonderful acting of Linda Lavin and Gena Rowlands. I have always loved the acting chops of Linda Lavin and especially her theater work . This was a quiet performance but she brought strength and compassion to the character and Gena Rowlands is always fantastic in her work, bringing her anger and disappointment full throttle. I was disappointed in Helen Slater who just overacted miserably in this film, especially at the restaurant scene with Rowlands. I missed this one when it aired originally.

A wonderful story with great acting by both Lavin and Rowlands. Told by a woman with great insight and courage. The friendship story shows how we are each on our own journey, regardless if we do start out at the same starting point. A real story.