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Ghost World
Coming of age films don't get enough respect. What experience is more universal? In this genre, I have a special weakness for films about girl friendships. Here are the very best.
1) Ghost World
Thora Birch ruins Steve Buscemi's life in Terry Zwigoff's "Ghost World." But the pain at the very heart of this film lies in her disolving friendship with Scarlett Johansson. Achingly true, hilarious and at times, painful to watch, this comic book adaptation is an instant classic of the genre.
2) Dreamlife of Angels
Winner at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, Erick Zonca's film tells the heartbreaking story of Marie and Isa, penniless friends in Lille who stick together in a borrowed apartment. French actresses Elodie Bouchez and Natacha Regnier give compelling performances.
3) Last Days of The Disco
Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny are roomates and fellow disco girls in Whit Stillman's third film. Beckinsale is not to be trusted, and Sevigny (after contracting HIV in "Kids" and falling for a woman in "Girls Don't Cry") has more bad luck.
4) Heavenly Creatures
Kate Winslet's debut performance in this early Peter Jackson film is not to be missed, and the claymation fantasies are oddly intruiging. When female frienships go wrong, mothers beware!
5) Me Without You
Still in theaters, Sandra Golbacher's film about girlhood ties is one of the very best. Talented actresses Michelle Williams and Anna Friel grow up together, doing their best to make each other miserable--all in the name of friendship.
6) Our Song
This quiet, intelligent movie tells the story of three friends who live in a housing project in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The teenage girls are pulled in different directions when their high school is closed. A lovely performance by Kerry Washington holds it all together.
