It’s no secret that I love movies and TV, nor that I often write with telly on in the background. Writing The Friend, my 12th novel, a book about the different dynamics at play in friendships, had me looking back over some of my favourite female relationships played out on the screen.
Dorothy Koomson
Savannah, Robin, Gloria and Bernadine in Waiting To Exhale
Most people who know me, know I love the novel that this movie was based upon. A little less complex and detailed than the book, the film explores how friendships are tested by outside influences. It stares the late, great Whitney Houston and as well as liking the film, I’ve been known to listen to the soundtrack several times in one day. Obsessive? Moi?
Buffy and Willow in Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The Buffy and Willow dynamic has obviously stood the test of time because 20 years later, I still love how they related to each other. They went through so much: ‘My vampire boyfriend is trying to kill all my friends’; ‘I’ve become a homicidal maniac and you’ll probably have to kill me to stop me’; ‘I’m sleeping with yet another vampire’; ‘You need me to do what to save the Earth from the apocalypse?’ are mere snippets of what they endured. And yet their friendship survived right to the last episode. A true testament to how some friendships will take more than a mere disagreement to break them.
Neeta, Sharon and Yvette in Babymother
I actually came across this British movie when I was up very late while writing The Friend. I was completely entranced. This is the tale of Neeta, Sharon and Yvonne, three friends trying to make it in the music business. Neeta, in particular, has lots of talent but no real opportunities. When her mother dies suddenly, she decides she’ll do anything to make her career happen – even if ‘anything’ is potentially unforgiveable. I had to crawl to bed at 4:30am when it had ended, completely behind with my writing.
Thelma and Louise in Thelma & Louise
One of the all-time great female buddy movies. Thelma is a downtrodden housewife whose best friend, Louise, is worldly wise but also world weary. When they decide to go on a roadtrip, Thelma is brought out of her dream-like state into the real world when they run into the wrong man. They then have to go on the run. What I liked most about this movie was how the ‘tough’ Louise, at one point, had to be looked after by ‘weak’ Thelma. Both characters grew as the story developed and I like characters who do that.
Stony, Cleo, Frankie and Tisean in Set It Off
This is a proper action movie where the main characters are women. When Lida ‘Stony’ is unfairly sacked after a heist at the bank where she works, she turns to working with her friends and trying to find her feet. They manage to eek out a bit of living from their cleaning jobs, but after two big tragedies they all decide the best way out of the mess they’re in is to rob a bank. They manage that, but from then onwards, things are far from straightforward – not least because of a policeman who is determined to catch them. I enjoyed this film so much, but I was left a little shocked by the ending the first time I saw it.
Those are five of my favourite screen buddy movies, which ones do you like?
The Friend by Dorothy Koomson is on sale on 1st June, £12.99, Century