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Boys on the Side

Boys on the Side

Comedy · Drama · 1995

After breaking up with her girlfriend, a nightclub singer, Jane, answers a personal ad from Robin, a real estate agent with AIDS, seeking a cross-country travel partner. On their journey from New York City to Los Angeles, the two stop by Pittsburgh to pick up Jane's friend Holly, who is trying to escape an abusive relationship. With three distinct personalities, the women must overcome their differences to help one another.

Movie details

Boys on the Side

“A motion picture that celebrates the art of survival, the gift of laughter and the miracle of friendship.”

1995 Comedy · Drama 1h 55m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

After breaking up with her girlfriend, a nightclub singer, Jane, answers a personal ad from Robin, a real estate agent with AIDS, seeking a cross-country travel partner. On their journey from New York City to Los Angeles, the two stop by Pittsburgh to pick up Jane's friend Holly, who is trying to escape an abusive relationship. With three distinct personalities, the women must overcome their differences to help one another.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Boys on the Side?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Herbert Ross

Written by

Don Roos

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg

Jane Deluca

Mary-Louise Parker

Mary-Louise Parker

Robin

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore

Holly Pulchik-Lincoln

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey

Abe Lincoln

James Remar

James Remar

Alex

Billy Wirth

Billy Wirth

Nick

Anita Gillette

Anita Gillette

Elaine

Court is in session

Put Boys on the Side on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.