NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (November 2020): Criterion have transferred Claudia Weill's Girlfriends to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by director Claudia Weill and director of photography Fred Murphy". Although the print format was 35mm, the image certainly looks to have been shot in 16mm. The restored image shows extensive grain textures, rich colors, true skin tones... it is consistent and clean. 

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The audio suffers from the production roots but it is consistent and clean. The score is by Michael Small (Klute, The Drowning Pool, Black Widow, Child's Play, Night Moves, The Driver, The Star Chamber) adding some effective subtleties to the film experience. Criterion offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray offers many new supplements. There is a new 27-minute interview with director Claudia Weill recorded for the Criterion Collection in New York in 2019, and a new 13-minute interview with screenwriter Vicki Polon recorded in 2020. I enjoyed the 1/4 hour group interview with director Claudia Weill and actors Melanie Mayron, Christopher Guest, and Bob Balaban recorded remotely. There is also a 22-minute peice with director Claudia Weill talking with writer and filmmaker Joey Soloway. Also recorded remotely. In 1978, director Claudia Weill and actor Melanie Mayron appeared on the Canadian talk show City Lights, to talk about Girlfriends with host Brian Linehan. It runs just shy of 20-minutes. Joyce at 34, is a 1/2 hour 1972 short documentary film by Weill and Joyce Chopra examining the effects of Chopra's pregnancy and the birth of her child on her pursuit of a career in filmmaking. Lastly is Commuters, a 1973 4-minute film by Weill and Eliot Noyes revealing the two kinds of commuters who travel to and from a suburban New York neighborhood. There is also a liner notes booklet with essays by critic Molly Haskell and scholar Carol Gilligan.

Claudia Weill's Girlfriends is a refreshingly realized human slice-of-life. It's a warm, almost vérité, liberating feminist story with moments of humor and desire without relying on sentimentality to ingratiate us to Susan. I'm so glad I saw it and the Criterion Blu-ray has a 4K-restored transfer binging it back into the conversation and a host of highly interesting extras including interview with the filmmakers. Absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze