Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
D: David Mirkin (1997); with Lisa Kudrow, Mira Sorvino, Janeane Garofalo.High school is hardly the best of times for most people. Under the guise of providing an education, pubescent kids are cast into a crucible of other people’s expectations designed to break their wills and instill a respect for authority. In spite of which, most teenagers manage to squeeze a certain amount of enjoyment from the experience anyway. While a high school reunion may be an opportunity to check up on old friends, each of us also hopes to appear comparatively more successful than our former classmates. This is a major problem for best friends Romy and Michele, who are returning to the place that spawned them into the adult world 10 years previously, with precious little to brag about. Unable to find boyfriends or high-powered jobs in the week or so before their 10th reunion, the pair arm themselves with a borrowed car, business suits, cell phones, and a cover story (they claim to have invented Post-It notes) in hopes of making an impression. Needless to say, things don’t go as planned.
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is tremendously entertaining taken on its own terms. Propelled by the winning performances of Sorvino and Kudrow, as well as a soundtrack full of catchy Eighties tunes, it emphasizes the importance of enduring friendship and provides plenty of amusement along the way. The movie is also a satisfying revenge fantasy for anybody who didn’t occupy the top of the food chain in high school. In a supporting role, Janeane Garofalo is at her brittle best and steals every scene she’s in. The show undeniably belongs to Kudrow and Sorvino, who have great chemistry and manage to make their none-too-bright characters memorable and appealing. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is a lightweight confection, to be sure, but is nonetheless quite enjoyable.
This article appears in March 3 • 2000.