Beaches

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Beaches

PG-13

Released Dec 21, 1988

2h 3m

Drama

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42%

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45 Reviews

88%

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50,000+ Ratings

Hillary (Barbara Hershey) and CC (Bette Midler) meet as children vacationing in Atlantic City, N.J., and remain friends throughout the decades. As CC, a loud New Yorker, pursues a singing career, Hillary, a staid Californian, becomes a successful lawyer. Over the years, they often quarrel or compete, but, as other relationships flourish and die, the two women are always there for each other, traveling from coast to coast through the most tumultuous times.

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Critics Consensus

Not all great soundtracks make good movies, and Beaches lacks the wind beneath its wings.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Barbara Hershey is wasted in a boring role.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 23, 2018

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Anything for a laugh, anything for a tear, and nothing much authentic.

Mar 23, 2018

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Beaches epitomises the sort of triple-strength, three-hankie work you can expect from American women with three names and gives the lie to those who thought they stopped making women's pic heartstring-tuggers.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 23, 2018

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

In Beaches, Miss Midler and Miss Hershey wrangle, forgive, embrace, part, and reunite until I found their antics difficult to comprehend, difficult to believe, and finally difficult to bear.

May 7, 2024

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Jeffrey Lyons

Video Review

Once in a while it's okay to enjoy a movie for its own sake -- to let it work you over emotionally, to make you cry when you know you're supposed to cry and laugh when you know a laugh is coming. Beaches is such a movie.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 8, 2022

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Lisa M. Keen

Washington Blade

The movie is a must-see for those who love Midler. It is a project that not only allows her to be herself, it demands it.

May 20, 2022

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Audience Member

One of my favorite movies!! Always makes me cry. If you are a woman and you haven't seen this then you are seriously missing out!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/21/24

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Zoey S

iconic cinema and anything less is most likely from the perspective of a white male

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/14/24

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Julian S

A powerful story of friendship that makes you fully believe in the bond between Hershey and Midler.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/02/24

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Zenobia O

A true crowd-pleasing, tear-jerking, classic story of the deep love of true friendship, expertly performed by all involved and one of the best soundtracks of all time. Beaches will live in your heart and mind forever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

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Jordie W

One of the most beautiful films you’ll ever see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/29/24

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Carina W

One of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Bette’s voice is practically the sound of angels. This movie will make you laugh, cry, laugh a whole lot more, and break your heart in two at the end. A must see!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/19/24

Full Review

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Garry Marshall

Director

Bette Midler

Cecilia 'CC' Carol Bloom

Barbara Hershey

Hillary Whitney Essex

John Heard

John Pierce

Spalding Gray

Dr. Richard Milstein

Lainie Kazan

Leona Bloom

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Synopsis

Hillary (Barbara Hershey) and CC (Bette Midler) meet as children vacationing in Atlantic City, N.J., and remain friends throughout the decades. As CC, a loud New Yorker, pursues a singing career, Hillary, a staid Californian, becomes a successful lawyer. Over the years, they often quarrel or compete, but, as other relationships flourish and die, the two women are always there for each other, traveling from coast to coast through the most tumultuous times.

Director: Garry Marshall
Producer: Margaret South, Bette Midler, Bonnie Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Mary Agnes Donoghue
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, All Girl Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $56.4M
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Surround

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