Girl's Best Friend
(a review)

A comedy starring Jeanne Garofalo where Garofalo is funny and cynical and complains about how she was hurt in the past and pushes people away, but eventually learns to open herself with a happy ending. Which describes most of the bad elements of the film (i.e. lots of cliche, lots of cynical, no real big laughs), but there's a lot of good too. And, to be honest, part of my disappointment is probably because from the title I assumed the "friend" was a vibrator, which would have been a much funnier movie, but they chose to go in a different direction. The story revolves around Mary (Janeane Garofalo). She's a rock music critic who thrashes every band she hears. So bad are her thrashings that the newspaper she works for forces her to take a vacation. She is also struggling with her boyfriend who wants to move in with her, but she was hurt in the past (divorce) and wants things to stay right where they are -- i.e. safe. She also won't listen to his band for fear that she will hate it and it will end their relationship (but it is a country band so that's understandable). Then she gets a call from her sister. Her mother has broken her leg and Mary is forced to fly out to Kansas and then drive back east with her mother's dog. Along the way she will lose the dog, meet a cute young musician, breka up with her boyfriend, go to her ex-husband's wedding, and to her nephew's birthday party. By then she has realized that she loves her boyfriend and tries to make it to his first performance in New York.



What works in the movie is Garofalo, and if you're a fan of hers then the movie is enjoyable. While there aren't any big laughs there are a lot of enjoyable moments (the ex-husband's wedding is probably the best) and she brings a nice realism to the role that helps some of the quiet, emotional moments hit home. And in case it wasn't clear, the actual "friend" of the title is a dog.

I don't think the movie is available for rent in the US yet, but you might be able to view it through the Lifetime network website -- http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/girls-best-friend

--Paul