Best Friends is a novel by Jacqueline Wilson, which was originally published in 2004. It revolves around two girls called Gemma and Alice, who have been friends since they were babies, and whose friendship is tested when Alice and her family are moving away.
ITV produced a five-part TV miniseries based on the book in 2005.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: In the novel, Gemma receives a charm bracelet from Alice in the final chapter. In the miniseries' final episode, she visits Gemma at her birthday as a surprise.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Alice's mother, Karen, is single in the ITV miniseries as Alice's father walked out on her when she was a baby.
- Adapted Out: Neither Gemma's brother Jack or her dog Barking Mad appear in the miniseries.
- Animal Motifs: Gemma's mother at one point likens her to a gorilla for her savage table manners.
- While running away, Gemma likens Biscuits to an elephant for the grey, creased suit he is wearing.
- Anger Born of Worry: Alice and Gemma's parents after their failed attempt to run away.
- Big Eater: Gemma is seen eating an entire plate of spaghetti Bolognese in one go.
- Biscuits, for obvious reasons.
- Big Fancy House: Alice's house in Scotland is one of these.
- Big Friendly Dog: Gemma has a dog called Barking Mad.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Alice's Scottish friend, Flora, puts on a friendly front but comes off as condescending.
- Bittersweet Ending: More on the sweet, as while Gemma and Alice are forbidden from seeing each other, Alice's father sends Gemma a charm bracelet with a charm reading "Best Friends Forever", reassuring her that the two girls will always be friends. Gemma, on her end, manages to carry on without Alice in her life and makes friends with Biscuits.
- Canon Immigrant: Biscuits previously appeared in Wilson's previous books "Cliffhanger" and "Buried Alive".
- Cool Old Guy: Gemma's grandfather definitely qualifies.
- Childhood Friends: Gemma and Alice, as if the title of the book didn't make that plainly obvious.
- Fat Best Friend: Biscuits is more of a frenemy to Gemma, but eventually starts to build bridges with him.
- Full-Name Ultimatum: After her botched attempt at running away, Gemma's mother refers to her by her full name "Gemma Jackson".
- Goth: Gemma's brother Jack styles himself this way, to the point where Gemma believes he is a vampire.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Alice has blonde hair and is a pleasant, sweet-natured girl in general.
- Hairstyle Inertia: Gemma has had her wild, messy hair since she was a baby.
- Meaningful Name: Biscuits' real name is Billy Mc Vitie, after the British confectionery company.
- Persona Non Grata: After ratting her and Alice out, Biscuits becomes this to Gemma; refusing to talk to him and at one point, almost physically attacking him. The two later mend fences, though.
- Pink Means Feminine: Alice. In Spades.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Gemma and Alice try to run away in disguise; it then takes about five minutes for their families to notice they are gone and find them at the train station.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- Gemma gives one to Alice's mother Karen, calling her selfish for wanting to move away.
- After Gemma is grounded for attempting to run away with Alice, her mother gives her a particularly vicious one about how the leaving party was ruined because of her actions.
- Gemma also gives Biscuits one for ratting her and Alice out.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Gemma loves sports and has a rough-and-tumble personality, Alice is more delicate and loves the color pink and ballet.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Biscuits accidentally lets it slip to his mother that Gemma and Alice are running away, which leads to her contacting their parents.
- Wanted a Gender-Conforming Child: Gemma feels her mother thinks this way about her.
