Connie and Carla (2004) - 3½ Stars

What a fun and cute movie full of exuberance, side step, song and dance. Nia and Toni are the perfect duo and easy to relate to their situation. I'm placing this one in musicals as there are many numbers through the show.

Ever since they can remember, best friends Connie (Nia Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette) have dreamed of making it big in show biz. The two, as girls in school, preformed in the cafeteria at lunch and finally ended up singing in an airport lounge between passengers flights. It's not the big time, but it makes the girls happy doing what comes naturally for them. Their dream is to some day meet Debbie Reynolds.

One night at the lounge at the end of their show, two men appear looking for their boss Frank (Michael Roberds). As Frank slips out the back door, the two girls are encountered by the thugs. As they get away, they go looking for their boss on the roof top only to witness him murdered by a policeman working with the men. As they scream, the thugs now turn their attention to the girls as they are witnesses to their crime. With out knowing what to do, the girls jump in their car and head to California to blend in. They find a shabby apartment to rent and audition for a song and dance show at a local bar. The only problem is, the bar is for gay men and drag queens and Connie and Carla must convince everyone they are men with good voices. They finally start to relax and find there new happiness staring on stage every night with the other Drag Queens, who absolutely adore them.

Business is good and as they help the bar expand to a full serve restaurant, the past will catch up with them. When Connie falls for the brother of one of the boys in her act, they have to decide to keep going on as they are or blow their cover in order to find true love.

Spyglass Entertainment Holdings, LLC, Universal Pictures
Director: Michael Lembeck
Writer: Nia Vardalos
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman

I viewed 2/09