WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?
Starring: Melora Hardin, Dana Hill, Susan Adams
Original Airdate: 1980
Type: Afterschool Special
Be careful who you vow your undying friendship to. That's the lesson for today, boys and girls.
When Amy Warner and her mother move into a new apartment, they are quickly greeted by neighbor Michelle Mudd. Michelle's a motormouth, and she's a little strange, but as Amy is desperate to make new friends, she allows herself to grow close to Michelle. And hey, they have something in common -- their parents are divorced. Michelle makes it sound like she and Amy are the only kids in the world who share this trait... therefore they are destined to be friends.
Michelle is adamant that Amy participate in an oath of friendship. The girls trade jewelry, and -- choking in a cloud of incense smoke -- both agree to be best friends forever.
Even though the girl who used to live in Amy's apartment -- Barbara -- warns Amy that Michelle is not someone you'd want to be friends with, Amy doesn't listen. Michelle has told Amy that Barbara doesn't like "divorced people." Amy assumes that's why Barbara doesn't like Michelle.
Hmmm, let's see... reasons not to like Michelle...
*She breaks into people's apartments when they're not home.
*She shoplifts whenever she gets the chance.
*When confronted at the store for stealing earrings, she drops the earrings into Amy's back pocket.
*She tries to work a voodoo spell to make her almost-stepmother disappear. First she plucks off a strand of the woman's hair while it is still attached. Then she fills a bathtub with red goo and submerses a doll that Amy gave her for her birthday. All this while wearing voodoo priestess robes and goth makeup.
*She steals a $5,000 doll from an antique store to give to Amy so Amy will like her.
*She freaks out if Amy talks to Barbara, yelling things about loyalty.
*She tells Amy that if Amy breaks their vow of eternal friendship, Amy will die.
Amy, who has never had a crazy friend before, doesn't know what to do. She feels sorry for Michelle, but she doesn't like how controlling Michelle is. She wants to be able to befriend Barbara and other girls, too. But Michelle won't allow it. Torn between keeping her vow of friendship and wanting to run like hell, Amy finally tells her mother what's going on. In the end, Michelle goes to live with her father and receives psychiatric help.
Yes, Michelle moves away.
Freedom! Peace! No more living in fear!
Having had a few "Michelles" in my life over the years, I can definitely relate.
9/19/2006
(c)2006 AlligatorJuice.com
