Greetings,
I'm going to talk for a moment to those of you in my age bracket, who grew up in the days of the original Beverly Hills, 90210. Remember how, over the course of the first four years, people started to hate the character of Brenda Walsh, and then, in turn, they began to not be so fond of Shannen Doherty? Well, I can agree that Brenda Walsh got a little annoying, and maybe Shannen did a few crazy things when she was out and about, but I always liked Ms. Doherty. Maybe it's because she's one of the few celebrities brave enough to say she's a Republican, or maybe it's because, according to tabloids, she has thrown things at Paris Hilton in night clubs. That would make anyone a candidate to be my best friend. No, I think there is another reason. Despite the shenanigans that Shannen Doherty may or may not have been involved in, you can't deny that she is a really good actress. So I thought this week I would do a review of one of her TV movies, my favorite of hers actually, Friends 'Til the End.
Our movie begins backstage at a kiddie talent show. Don't worry. It only lasts for a few minutes. We see a dark haired girl with a very supportive, loving mother sitting next to a blonde girl with a mother who is, let's say, a bit critical. Despite the encouraging words of the brunette, blondie still goes on stage and chokes. Then, the other girl gets up and sings, "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries", because that is what the cool kids sing. As the music fades, we transition into the future and see the dark haired girl all grown up, and she's Shannen Doherty. I was shocked at this reveal. Okay, no, I wasn't. Anyway, she is Heather Romely, a student in college, a popular sorority girl and the lead singer of a band which she is in with her boyfriend, Simon, played by Jason London, not to be confused with his twin brother, Jeremy, who was in Mallrats, also with Shannen. Heather also writes songs with the drummer named Nick played by a guy named John Livingston, who I've only seen in this movie. Keep that whole songwriting thing in mind, though, because it is important. Anyway, we first see Heather (grown up) at a sorority party, then at a gig with her band, all the while being watched by a blonde girl. I can already feel the wheels in your minds turning, but don't get ahead of me.
So then we see Heather in class, desperately looking for her paper that is due at that very moment. And who should come to her rescue but the blonde girl, handing her the assignment with the flimsy excuse of, "Hey, I think you dropped this is the club. Good thing I coincidentally picked it up, so now you owe me, and you better be my best friend." Or something like that. Turns out, the blond girl is Zanne Armstrong played by Jennifer Blanc, who I cannot believe is not an uber-famous actress. Now Zanne is wearing glasses so that means she's a shy, unpopular nerd. Right? Well, Heather takes her under her wing, getting her into the sorority, helping her to be pretty and even letting her join the band after hearing how well she can sing.
Things seem great at first, but then Zanne starts to "inadvertantly" sabotage Heather, but always in a way that makes it seem like she didn't really mean it. And everyone falls for it. As the plot begins to crescendo, Heather uncovers a lot about Zanne's very dark past, including her real name and the connection the two young women have. So, quickly, Zanne's new life begins to crumble, one thing at a time. And all of this culminates in a - what! - battle of the bands. Oh, man. I thought Shannen was from 90210, not Saved By The Bell. And you'll never guess which girl comes out on top.
Let me take this opportunity to speak about the music in this TV movie. There are only a few songs, and frankly . . . they're kind of good. No lie. I actually liked them. And while I'm not sure about Jennifer Blanc, I am pretty sure that Shannen Doherty did her own singing. As for that, she's not Whitney or Mariah, but I thought she did a decent job. So, since music was an important part of this movie, I'm glad they actually took enough time to make it listenable.
Now this TV movie still airs from time to time, probably LIFEtime, to be exact, but, again, it can also currently be found on You Tube. So if you're looking for some good late nineties nostalgia, music, fashion and all, try to check this one out.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
