''Boys on the Side '' is a 1995 American

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by

Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...

(in his final film as a director) and written by Don Roos. It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Mary-Louise Parker and

Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, talk show host, and businesswoman. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she has received multiple List of awards and nominations received by Drew Barrymore, awards a ...

. Real estate agent Robin finds Jane to share a ride in her car with Jane from New York to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. They end up taking Jane's friend Holly with them for the trip west. The three vastly different strangers end up bonding closely on the cross-country road trip. The film received positive reviews and was a moderate box office success.

Plot

Jane, a musician who recently broke-up with her girlfriend and her band, decides to move from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. She answers a newspaper ad for a co-driver to LA posted by Robin, a real estate agent who is also moving to California. Jane initially declines to join her on the road, but agrees after her car gets towed. Jane and Robin begin their journey, making a stop in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

to see Jane's friend, Holly. Jane and Robin witness a physical fight between Holly and her abusive boyfriend Nick about missing drugs. The three fight him when he assaults Holly in an argument over drugs. Holly hits Nick in the head with a bat to stop him from attacking Jane, knocking him out. They tape Nick to a chair with duct tape and put four hours worth of loud music on his stereo to give themselves a head start. Holly snaps a Polaroid of herself with the tied and bound Nick before they leave. Hours later, Nick frees himself but falls, hits his head and dies from his injuries. Robin sees a newspaper with the report of his death the next day, so they debate what to do. When Holly confesses she is also pregnant, and afraid of being arrested for murder, everyone decides to continue on to California together. During a stop in

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

, Robin collapses at a local diner and is rushed to hospital for

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

. A doctor informs Jane and Holly that she has HIV, which has brought on the pneumonia. They decide to stay in Tucson and start new lives there. Robin’s health improves, Jane gets a job singing in a bar and Holly falls in love with a local police officer named Abe Lincoln. Robin, Holly and their new friends throw a surprise birthday party for Jane. Robin surprises her afterward with a new piano. Jane plays

The Carpenters The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining ...

“

Superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

”, while Robin watches from the shadows. Robin realizes Jane is in love with her. Their idyllic life is short-lived. Jane and Robin's friendship crumbles when Jane, with the best of intentions, tells a friendly bartender interested in Robin, that she has HIV. Feeling betrayed, Robin asks her to move out. When Abe proposes to Holly, she confesses about Nick. Abe finds the photo Holly took and arrests her, despite his vow that he still intends to marry her. Holly is returned to Pittsburgh to stand trial for murder. Jane and Robin follow her to Pittsburgh and make peace with each other in the courthouse. Holly accepts a plea bargain offer of

involuntary manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

with one to two years in prison, with possibility of parole in a few months. Robin collapses after the trial from a lung infection, and in the hospital, Jane and Robin pledge love for each other. Holly gives birth to a daughter named Mary Todd and finishes serving her sentence. She and Abe marry and return to the house in Tucson for a welcome home party. Holly is shocked at Robin's weakened state, due to her advanced stage of

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

as she is in a wheelchair. At the party, Robin weakly tries to sing the Roy Orbison song " You Got It" to Jane, and Jane gently finishes the song. In the final scene, Robin has died from AIDS, Holly and Abe plan to stay in Arizona to raise a family and Jane hits the road to seek a new life in

Cast

* Whoopi Goldberg as Jane DeLuca * Mary-Louise Parker as Robin Nickerson *

as Holly Pulchik *

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He achieved his breakthrough with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first su ...

as Abe Lincoln * James Remar as Alex * Billy Wirth as Nick * Anita Gillette as Elaine Nickerson * Dennis Boutsikaris as Massarelli, Prosecuting Attorney * Estelle Parsons as Louise * Amy Aquino as Anna

Reception

''Boys on the Side'' received a positive response from critics. The film was entered into the 19th Moscow International Film Festival. Film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

gave the film three-and-a-half stars, writing:

The reviews for ''Boys on the Side'' will mention ''
Fried Green Tomatoes ''Fried Green Tomatoes'' is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Jon Avnet and based on Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel '' Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe''. Written by Flagg and Carol Sobieski, and starring Kathy Bates, J ...
'' and '' Thelma and Louise'', because it shares their assorted themes: female bonding, unexpressed love, women on the run. But this movie is not a collection of parts from other films. It's an original, and what it does best is show how strangers can become friends, and friends can become like family.

To get to know someone is very difficult, but if you really do, they should be able to tell you almost anything, and ask you almost anything, and that is where ''Boys on the Side'' is leading us.

Box office

The film grossed $23.4 million in the United States and Canada for a total of $47.4 million worldwide.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack album consists entirely of contributions from female musicians, including Melissa Etheridge ("I Take You With Me"), Joan Armatrading ("Willow") and the

Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duet (music), duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in Primary school, elementary school and began performing together as Secondary school, hig ...

("Power of Two"). Hit singles by

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...

("Why") and

The Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock music, rock band formed in Limerick in 1989. The band was composed of lead singer and guitarist Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan (Noel's brother), and drummer Fergal Lawler. O'Riord ...

("Dreams") also appear, as are new recordings by

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...

Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing (album), Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two G ...

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasing the album ...

The Pretenders The Pretenders are a British rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (ba ...

, and others.

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

's cover of the

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

hit " You Got It" peaked at #33 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart.

Track listing

- " You Got It" (

Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and, latterly, sole member of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) which was formed in 1970. He has written all of ...

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

) – 3:27 # Melissa Etheridge - "I Take You with Me" (Etheridge) – 4:50 #

- "Keep On Growing" (

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...

) – 5:27 #

- "Power of Two" (

Emily Saliers Emily Ann Saliers (born July 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the musical duo Indigo Girls. Saliers sings soprano and plays lead guitar as well as banjo, piano, mandolin, ukulele, bouzouki and many other instruments. Ea ...

) – 5:23 #

- "Somebody Stand By Me" (

, Todd Wolfe) – 5:06 #

Pretenders Pretenders may refer to: Film * ''Pretenders'' (2018 film), an American drama film * ''The Pretenders'' (1916 film), a lost American silent film * ''The Pretenders'' (1981 film), a Dutch film Literature * ''Cemetery Girl – Book One: The P ...

- " Everyday Is Like Sunday" (

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

, Stephen Street) – 3:42 #

- " Dreams" ( Dolores O'Riordan, Noel Hogan) – 4:32 #

- " Why" (Lennox) – 4:54 #

- "

Ol' '55 "Ol' '55" is a song by American musician Tom Waits. It is the opening track and lead Single (music), single from Waits' debut studio album, ''Closing Time (album), Closing Time'', released in March 1973 on Asylum Records. Written by Waits and pro ...

" (

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...

) – 4:14 # Joan Armatrading - "Willow" (Armatrading) – 4:04 # Jonell Mosser - " Crossroads" (

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 and 1937 recordings have influenced later generations of musicians. Although his r ...

) – 2:49 # Whoopi Goldberg - "You Got It" (Lynne, Orbison, Petty) – 3:03 # Bonnie Raitt - "You Got It" (Lynne, Orbison, Petty) – 3:26 There are several songs from the film that are not included on the official soundtrack album, such as Toni Childs' version of " Take Me To The River" and Boxing Gandhis' version of "Magic Carpet Ride".

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boys On The Side 1990s female buddy films 1995 LGBTQ-related films 1990s road comedy-drama films 1995 films American female buddy films American LGBTQ-related films American road comedy-drama films Fictional portrayals of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Films directed by Herbert Ross Films scored by David Newman (composer) Films set in Pennsylvania Films set in Pittsburgh Films set in Arizona Films shot in New Jersey Films shot in New York (state) Films shot in Pennsylvania HIV/AIDS in American films Indigo Girls Lesbian-related films Regency Enterprises films Films with screenplays by Don Roos Warner Bros. films LGBTQ-related buddy comedy-drama films Films produced by Arnon Milchan 1990s English-language films 1990s American films African-American LGBTQ-related films Films about female bisexuality Homophobia in fiction English-language road comedy-drama films English-language buddy comedy-drama films