| Just Between Friends | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
| |
| Directed by | Allan Burns |
| Written by | Allan Burns |
| Produced by | Allan Burns |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jordan Cronenweth |
| Edited by | Anne Goursaud |
| Music by | Patrick Williams |
Production | |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $6.4 million[1] |
Just Between Friends is a 1986 American drama film about two women whose friendship is tested by tragedy. The film was written, produced and directed by Allan Burns, and it stars Mary Tyler Moore, Christine Lahti, Ted Danson and Sam Waterston.
Holly Davis is a wife and mother, happily married to seismologist Chip Davis. She is not aware that he is having an affair with Sandy Dunlap, a television news reporter who interviewed him after an earthquake.
Holly begins teaching aerobics part-time at the gym, where she and Sandy meet by coincidence. Sandy and Holly become fast friends and Holly's children like Sandy as well. Sandy is a career-minded reporter trying to become an anchorwoman. Holly invites Sandy to a dinner at her home. It's then that Sandy realizes her married boyfriend is Holly's husband. Sandy tells Chip it's over, but he begs her to wait until they can talk after his upcoming trip. One day at work, a news bulletin reveals the death of Chip in a car crash.
Holly is devastated by the news and so is Sandy. Helga, the gym's owner, is ready to sell, so Sandy and Holly invest together. Holly learns the truth while clearing out her husband's office where she finds a photo of Sandy and Chip together. She angrily confronts Sandy who tells her that she was unaware that her new friend was the wife of the man she loved until the dinner party, then she ended it. Holly angrily ends their friendship.
Sandy begs for forgiveness, but Holly is devastated, hurt and angry, and refuses to forgive Sandy. Holly swears she will buy Sandy out of her share of the gym as soon as she is able and refuses to resume the close friendship they once shared.
Sandy discovers that she is pregnant, and she tells Holly, who is horrified by the news. Over time, Holly realizes that Sandy's child will also be her husband's child so she decides that she should try to forgive Sandy so that she can be a part of the child's life. Harry, Chip's co-worker, helps Sandy with her pregnancy. He also sees Holly, always having had a crush on her. Sandy rejects Holly's attempt at renewing their friendship at first but once the child is born, the film ends as they begin to repair their friendship and Harry kisses Holly.
Just Between Friends received generally negative reviews from critics. The film holds a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 6 reviews.[2] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times was critical of the film saying it "labors over the smallest points of the most inconsequential scenes and then hurries past the big emotional climaxes".[3]
Just Between Friends was released on DVDbyMGM Home Entertainment on January 13, 2004 as a Region 1 DVD.
