Reviews
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
BEST COMEDY.
The year is 1976,and Vivian Abramowitz (Natasha lyonne)is on the brink of womanhood.But she has more to deal with than her budding bra size.Her dad (Alan Arkin) is broke,her mother is gone,and the family is always moving from one shabby apartment to the next,trying to stay in the Beverly Hills High school district.When Rita (Marisa Tomei),Vivian's wild cousin,enters the picture (after being realeased from rehab),Vivian finally feels she has a fellow bra-wearing friend.Don't let this coming of age premise fool you.This is not a breezy film,but if you're in the mood for a serious look at dysfunction,this family's mysteries will capture your imagination.
Strike! (1998)
A MOVIE ALL GIRLS SHOULD WATCH WITH THEIR BEST FRIENDS.
The in-crowd at Miss Godard's,a highbrow New England girls boarding school,has waged an all-out war against the administration,which wants to merge with St.Ambrose, a nearby boys prep school.Although the St.Ambrose boys are the very same boys these young women want to be at social events,and event on occasion,lust after,they do not want them in the same classroom.Odette (Gaby Hoffmann),the clique's brainy ringleader ,takes Verena (Kirsten dunst),tinka (Monica keena) and tweety (Heather matarazzo)and Merrit weaver along on a bumpy-but often hilarious-road of misadventures as they attempt to keep their school boy-free while constantly fighting with Abby (Rachael leigh cook),Miss Godard's tattletale moniter.What it lacks in suspense (you know what's gonna happen the first 15 minutes)STRIKE!makes up for its CHARM!