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Cancer Major 
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TITLE |
Girls' Night (1997) |
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DISABILITY |
Cancer Brain
tumour |
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NOTES |
Friends
since childhood, later in-laws and work mates Dawn |
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and Jackie
live in each other's pockets. Dawn discovers she |
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has terminal
cancer and Jackie knows she's always wanted |
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to go to Las
Vegas. So with the money she has from a bingo |
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In Vegas
they meet Cody (Kristofferson). Initially he's tracking |
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Jackie but
quickly susses out what's going on (must be a |
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new man) and
takes them for a trip through the desert. Now |
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that's a
sane move. Two days in Vegas is enough for |
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anyone's
sanity. But why would anyone whose dream was to |
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visit Vegas
want to drive through the desert? Of course the |
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desert is
for contemplation and discovering yourself and you |
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can
understand why you, or I, or a film maker would want to |
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At the end
of the holiday the two women return and Dawn |
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dies. Jackie
feels like she's lost a twin sister but there's |
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The film
starts off well rooted in working class England. A |
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little
picture of dysfunctional family life then it's to Bingo. |
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Dawn wins,
marking both cards while her mate Julie gets |
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screwed in
the manager's office. It's a big win but traditionally |
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the two
women always share their wins. Though Dawn wins |
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ú105,325
Jackie only gets ú35,000 because of Dawn's |
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Both go back
to work in an electrical component factory, |
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meanwhile
Jackie leaves her husband who is Dawn's brother |
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for the
bingo manager who distracted her from marking her |
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bingo card.
Unfortunately as she walks into his office, bags |
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packed as it
were, she finds he's having it off with someone |
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At work Dawn
starts to have jerky movements and collapses |
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in a fit.
Taken to hospital she is found to have brain tumour, related to
the breast cancer she had years ago. She has
radiation treatment causing her hair to fall out.
Dawn gives up treatment because of the side effects and the
realisation there is no cure. Jackies' big idea since they
haven't had a holiday for 7 years is to buy tickets to Las
Vegas. At this point I did wonder how Dawn would get travel
insurance.
In a casino Jackie is chatted up by Kris Kristofferson when
she hits the jackpot. Now wouldn't anyone sensible give the
boot to cheesy Kris K?
The other big idea Jackie has is that if Dawn thinks positive
she can get rid of tumour. K.K. goes along with this and they
canter around the desert on horses.
Returning home Dawn dies surrounded by her family who are
who are stuffing their mouths and watching the TV programme, Blind
Date. Jackies give a 'moving' speech at her funeral and then goes back
to U.S. to her cowboy Kris K.
This is half inspirational, half slice life film with solid
performances. |
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Notes
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