(1987)

Submitted by Julio M

Lauren (Shelley Long) and Sandy (Bette Midler) find themselves having to climb the hills of Tres Cruces, in New Mexico, trying to run away from scoundrel double agent Michael (Peter Coyote), who is bent on trading with the CIA for not releasing the deadly toxin, as well as with Professor Korzenowski (Robert Prosky) -who is, himself, a Russian spy- for the money he was offered but not given.

Michael catches up with Lauren at the top of a chain of mountain plates separated by gaps in between. She eludes him by jumping between the plates using her theatrical ballet training; especially when jumping towards the last one, for which she does a spectacular “grand jeté” -or horizontal jump/split- to reach safety, while he fails and falls to his death; at the same time, he drops the case with the money, which crashes against the rocks below and its content is lost to the Natives.

After this experience, the two women become great friends and go on to perform on a stage production of HAMLET together, with Lauren playing Hamlet and Sandy playing Ophelia; in attendance are seen an approving and proud Korzenowski, as well as fellow actor -and also a CIA agent- Weldon (Anthony Heald).

When the movie ends and the credits roll, we hear, in the background, the voices of Lauren and Sandy, hilariously bickering, like a married couple, over who performed better.