Thirteen years later Mrs. Garrett's "girls" have all grown into successful, independent women. After a stint in the Peace Corps with her husband, a widowed Mrs. Garrett is heading back to America, ready for a new life and new romance, and also looking forward to seeing the girls again. Blair is wealthier than ever, after building a hotel empire with her husband, Tad. But she suspects he is having an affair. "Tootie," now preferring to be called by her real name, Dorothy, has forsaken her acting hopes to host her own talk show. Natalie is a dedicated TV news producer, juggling an active love life with a frenetic work schedule that takes her all over the world. Jo, ever the free spirit, is a devoted cop, wife and mother. It's been years since Natalie has had a Thanksgiving back in America, so she's talked all the girls and Mrs. Garrett into spending the holiday together back in Peekskill, NY. When Jo is unable to attend the reunion, her teenage daughter, Jamie, and husband, Rick, come instead. They're all in for a surprise when Natalie's not one but two boyfriends unexpectedly show up at the reunion. Trouble soon starts, as both men compete for Natalie's attention and exclusivity, so it's up to the girls to help solve Natalie's predicament. After receiving two separate marriage proposals, Natalie asks the gang to reunite in Peekskill, NY. Even without Jo being able to show up, this movie had so much more potential. The chemistry between the three girls and Ms. Garrett was there and I enjoyed seeing it again, but the plot sucked. I find it hard to believe that whoever wrote this script couldn't come up with a better plot than Natalie having two boyfriends at the same time. When shes found out they degrade themselves for her love and it's horrible to watch. The only old characters in this movie you will see is Blair, Tootie, Natalie, Ms. Garrett and her son Raymond. I think Tootie has a much more interesting story and I think the focus of the movie should have been on her and not Natalie, and Natalie was my favorite character. Lisa, Kim, Mindy and Charlotte must have really missed each other to agree to this script. It wasn't a terrible movie overall, it had it's good and bad moments, but it was no masterpiece either which is why I gave this movie a 6 out of 10. If the Facts Of Life cast ever decides to come together for another project like this, I hope they are more pickier about the plot. If they couldn't get Nancy McKeon, they shouldn't have done this movie. For most of the series, she WAS the show. I don't care if she showed up for a brief scene at the end, one that could have been filmed in an hour. It would have been better than nothing.<br/><br/>But no, getting another actress was not an option. Anyone who thinks it would have been good apparently doesn't watch TV, or at least not shows/movies in which that is done. EVERY one of them is routinely and thoroughly panned when they do it. Not to mention, the actresses mentions by one commenter would split their sides laughing so hard at the notion the that they would be asked to stoop to playing Jo in a Fact of Life TV reunion movie. "Hey, Ms. Bullock, I know you make $10+ million a movie. But would you like to take a hundred thousand of so bucks to be on the Facts of Life Reunion?" "Sure. I'll just put my major motion picture career on hold for a few months!" "Hey, Angelina, don't bother with those sequels to Tomb Raider and the ensuing $20 million dollars you will make. Do this TV movie instead!" While we are at it, let's suggest that they should have asked George Clooney to take a break from filming Ocean's Eleven in order to reprise his role.<br/><br/>The other bad thing about this movie was, did Beverly not exist? Cloris Leachman is still around. Why not get her. (And, unlike Angelina Jolie and Sandra Bullock, she would be more than happy to appear.) What, the girls don't love her anymore?
Zilpayal replied
295 weeks ago