Best Friends for Life (1998 TV Movie) User Reviews

They seem very different, but perhaps that's the point.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 18 January 2022]

The friendship here to watch isn't Gena Rowlands and Linda Lavin. It's Lavin and her longtime cleaning lady Ja'net DuBois whom out of the blue labs in decide she wants to go into business with, taking samples of old wallpaper of classic houses in her area and recreating them. What a wonderful idea, especially since she found that some of her house wallpaper was peeling and there was still evidence of the old wallpaper underneath. Lavin and Rowlands are both recent widows. Lavin is searching for a permanent resting home with the ashes of her husband in the opening scene, and is on the phone with Rowlands who suddenly hears a crash and finds her husband dead behind the wheel. Lavin pays Rowlands a visit, finds that she doesn't have much in common with Rowland's uppity friends, although when they are alone, they seem to share everything about their lives and even including the sexual problems they have with their late husbands. Rowlands is undergoing financial issues and finds a ypung adviser to help her, and he escorts her to a fancy Texas social event where a rather bizarre confrontation takes place.

The little moments in each of their lives that don't intertwine are interesting and amusing, but they rarely see each other or call, and you wonder why just because they were best friends as kids they've kept in contact at all. Both actresses are terrific, but its Dubois and Richard Farnsworth who steal the film, with Farnsworth absolutely adorable as the old town doctor whom Lavin takes a romantic interest in. Gwen Verdon has a nice cameo as Lavin's mother, but she's on and off so quickly that it doesn't really make an impact. This is obviously another "Old Acquaintance" variation, a bit better then 1981's "Rich and Famous" and a whole lot better than "Best Friends", a cable movie with Carol Burnett and Elizabeth Taylor. Lavin is far difference in this than anything else that I seen her in, and Rowlands is as usual the epitome of class and grace. Well worth seeing in spite of the light flaws, although a few moments are rather perplexing. One of those, the confrontation in the bathroom, does have a funny twist, but that mixed with an eye role for me.

Powerful Acting

[cockezville · 8/10 · 2 September 2023]

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.

Sweet Movie

[dixiesgirl1 · 10/10 · 21 November 2006]

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!!!

EXCELLENT STORY OF A MATURE MARRIAGE AND FRIENDSHIP

[goose-47 · 10/10 · 2 August 1999]

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.

complete mush with a real message

[susanxx · 12 December 2004]

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.

Fairly Good Film, but not Underground Cult Made for TV Masterpiece as Film Historians Suggest

[elect_michael · 5/10 · 20 December 2021]

5.5 stars of 10. This is a fairly good Film; but some Film Historians consider this to be an underground cult made for TV Masterpiece, but it's not. Even though the Performances from its 3 Stars is good, the Directing is just too uneven, and a couple of the scenes with Helen Slater (in a smaller role) simply don't work. There is a scene with Slater at dinner with her Mom that is simply over-acted, she over-reaches and the scene almost stops the Film in its tracks. I don't mean to be too hard on Slater because some of the scenes with her work good; but the scene at dinner fails miserably, even though Gena Rowlands is brilliant in the scene and single-handedly saves the scene.

The 3 Stars Perform good in the Film. It stars Gena Rowlands, Linda Lavin and Richard Farnsworth. Farnsworth and Lavin are competent Performers, and they turn in Performances as such, they do good.

Gena Rowlands does good the 1st half of the Film, and then really knocks it out of the park during the 2nd half of the Film; it is worth watching for the Performances that Rowlands and Lavin do together in the 2nd half of the Film, they flat out work. Most know, Rowlands is considered by many as one of the best and most intricate Actresses in History, and the 2nd half of this Film gives us a glimpse of this, no doubt. People have asked me what the best Gena Rowlands Films are, as she seems to have bridged the gap from the old Hollywood to the new Hollywood to Actresses like Cate Blanchett more than perhaps any other single Actress in History. I believe if I asked 100 of the most respected Film historians in the World what are the Top 10 Films that she Starred in, they would all have slightly different orders, but this would be their consensus, and they would consider all 10 to be 'Masterpieces': 1. A Woman Under The Influence (1974) 2. Love Streams (1984) 3. Opening Night (1977) 4. Faces (1968) 5. Lonely Are The Brave (1962) 6. Gloria (1980) 7. Night On Earth (1991) 8. Minnie And Moskowitz (1971) 9. A Child Is Waiting (1963) 10. An Early Frost (1985)

Dreary Bleary

[drednm · 12 August 2021]

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.