I rewatched this because I vaguely remembered liking it, plus Mira Sorvino is hot, so there's that. It's not a deep or brilliant movie, but it's enjoyable. Romy and Michele are likeable despite not really being the nicest people. I think it's because they don't realise when they're being rude. They aren't mean, they're just in a world of their own and speak a different language.
Although they're happy and living together, they're starting to get older and when a high school reunion comes up, it suddenly dawns on them how little they've accomplished. So they think up ways to pretend to be successful. These ideas are hilariously naive, like that they invented post-its. This is both endearing and stupid. But more out of sheer ignorance. They can think but just don't know much about the world outside of the few things they're interested in. In that sense, they remind me of Bart Simpson - he gets terrible grades at school, but he's sarcastic and smart enough to trick a lot of adults.
We get many of the high school cliches - the cheerleaders who are too good for everyone else, the nerds, the cynical girl, the cowboy who never talks (maybe that's a bit specific but it still seems familiar), etc. They aren't really fleshed out but we know people like this so we don't need much development. They just act as a backdrop for seeing who Romy and Michele are and how they learn about themselves and grow up.
The events are not very realistic but we get plenty of fun sequences. After the girls have a falling out, Michele dreams about the reunion and miraculously comes up with a realistic sounding formula for glue making her sound smart. Apparently Lisa Kudrow did study chemistry and was able to come up with that part. The real reunion has similarities to her dream but is mostly different. It's funny how completely unexpected details can come up - like the cheerleaders being pregnant now.
You quickly realise that Romy and Michele are immature and superficial mainly out of insecurity. The main breakthrough for them is realising that they can just be their quirky selves and not worry about other people. It also seems like karma that the nerdy guy ends up super rich, but that's probably also a pretty unrealistic fantasy as many such guys are not so lucky.
One of the best parts is when they finally tell off the cheerleaders. The truth always packs a punch. Once they admit their mistakes and weaknesses, they're much freer. I've found this to be true in my own life. Trying to be something you aren't or better than you are can end up meaning wearing a mask all the time. That's no way to live.
Again, the movie is not a masterpiece, but it's a relatively good entry in the genre that's easy to enjoy. You want Romy and Michele to succeed and while the story isn't that mature or profound, at least it earns some moments and has a generally positive message. Their absurd, clearly-choreographed dance at the end is a highlight. Both Kudrow and Sorvino are funny and bring vulnerability to their characters. The writing is not amazing, but most of the jokes work well because of the actors and energy of the movie.
Although they're happy and living together, they're starting to get older and when a high school reunion comes up, it suddenly dawns on them how little they've accomplished. So they think up ways to pretend to be successful. These ideas are hilariously naive, like that they invented post-its. This is both endearing and stupid. But more out of sheer ignorance. They can think but just don't know much about the world outside of the few things they're interested in. In that sense, they remind me of Bart Simpson - he gets terrible grades at school, but he's sarcastic and smart enough to trick a lot of adults.
We get many of the high school cliches - the cheerleaders who are too good for everyone else, the nerds, the cynical girl, the cowboy who never talks (maybe that's a bit specific but it still seems familiar), etc. They aren't really fleshed out but we know people like this so we don't need much development. They just act as a backdrop for seeing who Romy and Michele are and how they learn about themselves and grow up.
The events are not very realistic but we get plenty of fun sequences. After the girls have a falling out, Michele dreams about the reunion and miraculously comes up with a realistic sounding formula for glue making her sound smart. Apparently Lisa Kudrow did study chemistry and was able to come up with that part. The real reunion has similarities to her dream but is mostly different. It's funny how completely unexpected details can come up - like the cheerleaders being pregnant now.
You quickly realise that Romy and Michele are immature and superficial mainly out of insecurity. The main breakthrough for them is realising that they can just be their quirky selves and not worry about other people. It also seems like karma that the nerdy guy ends up super rich, but that's probably also a pretty unrealistic fantasy as many such guys are not so lucky.
One of the best parts is when they finally tell off the cheerleaders. The truth always packs a punch. Once they admit their mistakes and weaknesses, they're much freer. I've found this to be true in my own life. Trying to be something you aren't or better than you are can end up meaning wearing a mask all the time. That's no way to live.
Again, the movie is not a masterpiece, but it's a relatively good entry in the genre that's easy to enjoy. You want Romy and Michele to succeed and while the story isn't that mature or profound, at least it earns some moments and has a generally positive message. Their absurd, clearly-choreographed dance at the end is a highlight. Both Kudrow and Sorvino are funny and bring vulnerability to their characters. The writing is not amazing, but most of the jokes work well because of the actors and energy of the movie.