Giant Days

Based on a US comic book series this light-hearted comedy follows the ups and downs of three students who meet in fresher’s week at university and quickly become firm friends.    The three girls could not be more different.  Ditsy and privileged Esther dresses outrageously, can be a drama queen and hasn’t a clue what modules she is studying; Daisy has been home schooled, is somewhat naïve, misses her granny but wants to please everyone, and medic Susan is scruffy, possesses a good line in sardonic wit along with a sense of social justice and has a heart of gold underneath her steely exterior.

Although most difficulties can be sorted out over a cup of tea the girls find university life is not without its pitfalls: Daisy is homesick and decides to join every society going in order to make new friends and ease the pain of loneliness, Esther becomes obsessed by a goth girl in her English class whom she thinks is marvellous but in reality is anything but and Susan is trying to avoid her previous life colliding with her new life when old flame McGraw turns up at the same university.

Things soon get out of hand as the girls become more focussed on their own problems and spend less time with each other.  It isn’t until Esther and Susan find that Daisy is missing that they realise something peculiar is going on and they will need to solve the mystery.  In true girl-power style along with some help from friends McGraw and the somewhat hapless Ed Gemmell they spring into action to rescue Daisy from a very unusual yoga club.

This is a great romp but it all becomes rather farcical by the end and skates too easily and cheerily over some serious issues facing new university students such as homesickness, managing workloads, difficulties making friends, and how to deal with awkward situations, not to mention the dangers of drugs and cults.  But the central theme of looking out for your friends and going the extra mile for them is an important one and gives the story its feel-good factor along with a dash of love interest from the enigmatic and hunky McGraw and some keenly observed humour throughout.