Alternative Views presents one of my favorite films ever – still. At the time of its release, I’d never seen a film like it. There’s something magical about the first time you see people like you being featured front-and-center in well-marketed product from an industry that normally treats your kind like props. The film was not only groundbreaking (in my personal movie going experience), but it’s fun as hell. Even the goofy, dated dance routine at the end is fun. It’s supposed to be goofy.
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997), Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo
Director: David Mirkin
Writer: Robin Schiff
I may be waxing romantically here, but this film indicated a turning point for me. Prior to “Romy and Michelle”, there had been plenty of those weepy (and offensively monikered) “Chick Flicks”. I’d consumed some. I skipped a lot. (I still have never seen “Beaches”) Then came this stupendous beacon of progress in the shape of two goofy, neon and plastique-wearing blondes, Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow).
See, I have this theory about the real signposts of social progress; It isn’t much of a big, hairy deal when some exceptional Other squeezes into the spotlight amongst the herds of white males. All of us Others are aware that we have to be exceptional to get half the credit. Therefore, those who make it past all of the dismissal and denigration would have to be exceptional.
No. No. No. A big, blinking neon sign screaming the arrival of true social progress is when an Other can be an absolute buffoon – and this is the most important part – and not be held up as representative of the millions of other Others that look just like them.
Case in point:
Barack Obama: exceptional Other whose imaginary flaws are repeatedly projected onto every African-American in this country and vice versa.
Condoleeza Rice: mind-blowingly incompetent, clipboard-carrying, doofus whose egregious errors were self-contained. She was even rewarded for her massive failures in a very Rich, White Male manner; i) her errors were denied to even be errors; ii) her record was purged through promotion to a position of even greater responsibility.
I believe that time will reveal an uncomfortable pattern in the shifts of white social views in America. Election of the first black President? Yeah, that was fucking awesome. Even more astounding? White America yawned when the first black female National Security Advisor presided over the biggest failure of American defense intelligence in US history.
Think about that; Black. Female. (And possibly gay). Colossal fuck up. And no one splattered that shit all over 35 million African-Americans nor 160+ million female Americans. No one.
That, my friends, was a sign of progress right there.
What does this have to do with a movie about ditzy women? So it was – in my view – for women in film with “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”. The brainless, gorgeous, fashion-obsessed ditz has always been a standard prop in Hollywood comedies. She’s often most suited for humiliation of a sexual nature or straight up sexual assault through deception (a la “Revenge of the Nerds”). Romy and Michele, despite being beautiful women, aren’t any man’s targets for sexualized revenge or prize-earning. These two air-headed, Vogue-devouring, unambitious ditzes aren’t objectified at all. They’re allowed to be losers simply because they’re Romy and Michele and not because they’re women.
Nearly all of the main characters in this film are female, because – duh – women typically associate with other women, especially when younger. Our friends and acquaintances are mostly female. Our nemeses are female too. Our hangers-on and heroes – mostly female. Romy and Michele have the same cast of characters that nearly every woman can recognize from high school. There’s the crotchety loner Heather (Garofalo) and the bubbly, over-spirited Toby (Camryn Manheim). Even their nemeses: “The A Group” – are all delightfully played by female actors who were clearly enjoying themselves in this cinematic goof-fest.
Romy and Michele are both heterosexual, so the only male characters are their love interests. Yet, Romy and Michele are even washouts in that arena. They’re geeks who don’t know how to talk to men. Therefore, Romy never knew that she was pining away for an idiot in Billy Christensen (Vincent Vantresca). Michele is still not all that interested in the now, fabulously wealthy Sandy Frink (Alan Cumming), because he’s still too into science and still not terribly fashionable. At least she gets an investor for her fashion line from it all. (It’s stated to be a loan at film’s end. Michele is no gold-digger.)
The film’s biggest flaw is the absurd lack of diversity at their Tucson high school. Not one of their classmates is a Latina in a city that has a current Latino population of over 35%. In the late eighties – when Romy and Michele would have attended high school – that population was still near 20%. The Latino demographic is so influential in current day Tucson that the city’s school district has a specifically Mexican-American Studies Program. (That’s an entire city-wide academic program dedicated to the influence of immigrants from a single Latin American country.) Having absolutely no Latinos in Sagebrush High is an astounding oversight.
Then again, it’s also sadly typical. Look for my future posts on the invisibility of Latinos in American film.
Until then, however, enjoy re-watching this classic if you can. On Netflix now.