Little Mary Sunshine 1979

The first scene takes place in a high school gymnasium, circa 1963. Joanne is a hilarious but lovable priss with a Southern drawl and over-the-top mannerisms. Mary is the wild one of the group. Kathy is the great organizer, the one who plans the best parties and is captain of the cheerleading squad. Their obnoxiously comical interaction is cut short when their principal announces the death of President Kennedy.

During the second scene, set in the spring of 1968 in a Sorority House, the differences between the characters become more pronounced. The three women are graduating from college and are planning for their futures. Wild Mary is going to Europe to experience life. Drawling Joanne is getting married, and organizer Kathy is grappling with a career choice and struggling with overcoming a broken heart.

The last scene, in a garden of an apartment, summer, 1974. The women no longer have much in common at all. Joanne has become the happy homemaker. Mary is laughably flamboyant, and Kathy has finally learned to stop trying to control her life and start enjoying it.