From Rock to Beaches

The first movie that ever made me cry was Beaches. I watched it at a Jr. High slumber party. And when Bette Middler sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" over sweeping cinematography of an ocean sunset, I wept. Up until that point, I had been dubbed "the rock" by my family for never crying at movies (not even when Old Yeller died). But something about the story of Cece Bloom and Hillary Whitney, young girls who met at the coast and forged an unlikely but enduring friendship, resonated with me. Every girl longs to have a best friend.

A few years ago, my friend Heidi and I were driving downtown for coffee and (this is embarrassing to admit) listening to the Delilah Show. "Wind Beneath My Wings" began playing, and Heidi and I began talking about how much we loved Beaches. Soon Heidi turned her little green bug around, and we headed to the video store. The guy behind the counter gave us a knowing smile and didn't charge us. "Just have it back by tomorrow."

Last night, I was flipping channels and came across Beaches, playing on the Oxygen channel. Like so many times before, I was sucked into its magic. It didn't matter that Bette Middler and Barbara Hershey wore 80s-style clothing and used the library instead of the Internet. The story was still fresh — and still made me cry. I think this film speaks of the community the Lord desires women to have. While, unfortunately, it relies on negative male stereotypes to emphasize Cece and Hillary's close relationship, the film reveals the preciousness of friendship. And that's why I consider Beaches one of my favorite movies. I'm sure I will watch it again before too long. And I will cry.