Babycakes

I remember recording this television movie on an old VHS, which I think I still have somewhere, back in 1989. I watched it over and over and over and then once DVDs came out, I never really saw it again. Until the other day when I discovered a fab copy of it on YouTube. I loved Ricki Lake's character, Grace, because she was so fun and real and relatable. The basic premise is simple and formulaic - an "ugly duckling" gets made over and wins the heart of the man of her dreams. The big difference in this film is that no one changes Grace; she decides to embrace who she is and wants to be. Grace dresses in clothes that she chooses and does her hair in the style she likes. It's because she wants the guy she's crushing on to notice her and so she goes from trying to look invisible in dowdy grey clothes that hang on her, to bright, fun, youthful clothes that show off her sassy figure and turn heads. Craig Sheffer, an utter dreamboat if ever there was one, was perfectly cast. His portrayal of Rob was not your typical one-dimensional character just there for his pretty face. Rob has insecurities and makes mistakes. He falls for Grace because she's interested in him, in getting to know who he really is and she helps him to become more confident. It's such a great Friday night flick. If only I had some popcorn handy...alas, I watched it while munching on dried seaweed. It was yummy, but c'mon, it ain't popcorn.