I Rewatched Now And Then, And I'm Still Upset Roberta And Chrissy Didn't End Up Together

Now and Then is one of those ‘90s movies not enough people talk about anymore. Considered at the time the Stand By Me of female friendship movies, the 1995 film showed us the summer four teenage girls spent in 1970 and how they made a pact to be with each other, even in adulthood during the '90s.

I’ve always had my eye on the friendship pairing between Roberta and Chrissy for being total opposites, though they work well together. But, after re-watching the comedy-drama, I’m still upset that the two didn’t end up together romantically as adults.

The Original Script Intended For Roberta To Be Gay

Back in 2023, on Now What? With Brooke Shields, Rosie O’Donnell, who played older Roberta, said her character’s lesbian identity was cut out. She got real about a producer (a rep later told People she meant to say that the studio, New Line Cinema, made the final decision) who reportedly saw the movie and wanted to take out “every little, tiny thing that I had done to build the character into an accurate gay woman.” That fear the studio allegedly had is a real shame. With Now and Then being a coming-of-age story, it would have been radical and invigorating to see a young queer character in the ‘70s, and later as an adult in the '90s, navigate her sexuality at a time when coming out wasn’t common.

The Harriet the Spy actress also acknowledged that Now and Then came out during a time before great LGBTQ+ characters made an impact on television, like in Will & Grace, or when Ellen DeGeneres came out. Even though O’Donnell didn’t explicitly say that the script had Roberta and Chrissy as endgame, it still would have been a great opportunity for Roberta to have explored her sexuality if she started to have feelings for her best friend.

Roberta And Chrissy Looked Out For Each Other More Than Their Other Friends

Throughout the female friendship movie, Roberta and Chrissy were shown to be closer to each other than to Samantha and Teeny. When it came to being there for Chrissy, Roberta was the first to run to her rescue, specifically protecting her from The Wormers’ jello balloons or trying to get bird droppings out of her hair while everyone else laughed.

However, the one scene that really made me ship Roberta and Chrissy was when Roberta pretended to drown in the pond, and Chrissy was the only one willing to do mouth-to-mouth. While Samantha and Teeny saw Roberta’s faking as a moment of defeat for not being quick to perform CPR on their friend, Chrissy saw it as a moment of anger and hurt that she pretended to be dead. After Roberta apologized to Chrissy, the awkward looks between the two suggested that maybe something more could have happened if their friends hadn't interrupted them.

Chrissy Wanted To Get Married To A Doctor, Which Roberta Ended Up Being

Towards the third act of Now and Then, Chrissy had her three friends make a pact to always be there for each other, saying, “If Teeny goes off to Hollywood or I marry a rich doctor.” Yet, lo and behold, Roberta ended up being a gynecologist as an adult who delivered Chrissy’s baby. But unfortunately, Roberta is not the doctor that Chrissy married. It’s Morton, the geeky kid who was pining for Chrissy in 1970. Roberta instead "lives in sin with her boyfriend." Those random pairings just don't sit right with me.

It would have been a sweet reveal if the film revealed that the doctor Chrissy envisioned marrying ended up being her best friend, Roberta. For Roberta to have delivered her wife's baby would have been really romantic and a cute ending for the two. Especially the endearing exchange the pair had after the delivery, where they both mouthed “I love you” to each other.

Their Differing Personalities Could Have Balanced Each Other Out

The two were very different from each other. Roberta was a tomboy who cussed, played sports, and wasn’t afraid of confrontation. Chrissy, on the other hand, was girly, against cursing, and was the farthest thing from an athlete.

Despite the differing personalities between Roberta and Chrissy, they could have helped each other grow if they had ended up together. Roberta would have inspired Chrissy to push out of her comfort zone, and Chrissy would have helped bring out Roberta's softer side. When opposites attract and build a life together, it can be a beautiful thing.

A Same-Sex Pairing Would Have Embraced Queerness In The ‘90s

There were a few films of the ‘90s that had LGBTQ+ themes, but had bad representation. In movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Crying Game, transgender reveals were depicted as a shocking twist that led to characters reacting by throwing up. Movies like Clueless and My Best Friend’s Wedding had lovable male gay characters in supporting roles, but were depicted as stereotypical with no development.

Now and Then could have been a ‘90s movie where we see that by the time Roberta is an adult, she’s embraced her queerness and settled down with a lucky lady. If Chrissy and Roberta were endgame, the romantic pairing could have shown audiences of the era that female childhood best friends can evolve into life partners without the relationship being viewed as tragic or as a comic relief. Their authentic portrayal of lesbian love could have simply been just as ordinary, warm, and loving as any other couple’s.

No matter how many times I rewatch Now and Then, I’ll always ship Roberta and Chrissy, with plenty of disappointment that the two weren’t endgame. I’d like to believe that if the planned film-adapted TV series panned out and was made today, LGBTQ+ inclusivity would have been seen through the pairing of the two pals, with hints that Roberta and Chrissy had the potential to develop more romantically. To further see where I’m coming from, you can find the friendship dramedy available to rent or purchase on digital streaming platforms.