Top 10 Friendships on Film

As of two years ago, today marks the date of International Friendship Day. Created by the UN to inspire solidarity and communication between organisations and communities, it is a time to appreciate those closest to you in life. Be it your childhood playmate or a family member, we all have that one person we can count on through thick and thin. Some of the most memorable and heart warming friendships throughout history are those played out on film. So to celebrate our best friends, and yours, AnOther present a loveable list of top 10 friendships on film.

1. Enid and Rebecca – Ghostworld (2001)
Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson play social outsiders Enid and Rebecca in Terry Zwigoff's cult classic. Sarcastically strolling through life, the girls take it upon themselves to toy with the odd and lonely Seymour, played by Steve Buscemi. The series of events that follow result in the montonous pair questioning their friendship, ethics and the possible uture of a life forever in small town suburbia.

2. Elliott and E.T. – E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Based on Steven Spielberg's own childhood imaginary friend, the touching tale of a lonely ten year old boy and his friendship with the peculiar stranded extra terrestrial has warmed hearts for years. Perhaps Speilberg's best loved film it is a timeless example of unassuming childhood companionship.

3. Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern – Stand By Me (1986)
In this ever lasting tale of growing up and friendship, four boys, including a young River Phoenix, make the decision to leave their troubled day-to-day lives at home and undertake the adventure of a lifetime. Searching for a dead body, apparently abandoned nearby, the boys discover more than they had intended to when their friendship and loyalty is tested. The bittersweet ending makes for a heart-warming tear jerker of a film.

4. Withnail and Marwood – Withnail and I (1987)
One of Britain's most famous cult classics, Withnail and I is an alchohol and drug fuelled tale of two struggling, lazy, eccentric actors as they decide to leave their dingy London life for a weekend away in the countryside. Alas, the break is not as relaxing as they had hoped as they encounter flamboyant family members, disapproving locals and typical British weather all in a wine induced haze. 

5. Thelma and Louise – Thelma and Louise (1991)
Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis were both Academy Award nominated for their roles, as a troubled waitress and bored housewife turned criminals on the run in this 1990's classic. An escape whirlwind road trip across the deep south sees them run wild as they put their unwanted lives behind them and embark on a life changing adventure.

6. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Renowned as one of the greatest westerns of all time, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stars famed actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the strong willed Wild West outlaw duo, as they migrate to Bolivia on the run from the law. The Library of Congress selected the prestigious film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry on account of it being 'culturally, historically and aesthetically significant'.

7. Dorothy, The Lion, The Tin Man and The Scarecrow – The Wizard of Oz (1939)
One of the oldest and most magical tales of friendship ever to come from cinema is The Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy is swept up in a Kansas tornado and landed in the unusual world of Oz, it is the three curiously familiar friends she meets on her way along the yellow brick road that help her find her way back, learning new things about themselves and one another as they go. Ultimately Dorothy returns to her beloved Kansas because, after all, 'there's no place like home'.

8. Laurel and Hardy
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy appeared in 107 films together throughout their illustrious career. The two celebrated comedians came together by chance, when paired up in the 1926 film 'The Lucky Dog', they hit it off and worked together from that day onwards. Paving the way for future generations of slapstick comedians, the pair will remain notorious throughout film history for their hilarious routines and undeniably loveable personas.

9. Mikey, Mouth, Data, Brand, Chunk, Andy and Stef – The Goonies (1985)
Perhaps the most popular adventure film of the last 30 years, The Goonies is a firm family favourite. After finding an ancient treasure map, the close knit group of friends go on a thrill seeking adventure to unearth the legend and the long lost treasure of the 17th Century pirate One Eyed Willie, in a bid to save their homes from demolition. When they encounter the dastardly Fratelli family, the battle begins in deadly earnest, but good prevails and the film ends as expected, with a feel-good happy ending.

10. Cher and Dionne – Clueless (1995)
Having bonded over both being named after 'great singers of the past who now do informercicals', the loveably superficial Cher Horowitz and her best friend Dionne live a life of Beverley Hills based luxury. A glorious 90s reworking of the 1815 Jane Austen classic Emma, the film follows the two girls as they face various teenage hardships, like learning to drive and losing their virginity, all the while amusing themselves with make-overs and match-making in their sugar coated, impeccably dressed world. Totally fab.

Text by Rhiannon Wastell