Book Club – Film Review

The time has finally come where Hollywood is embracing and making movies that older actresses can star in and that audiences want to see on screen. In Bill Holderman’s new film, Book Club, the story centers on four lifelong friends in their 60’s, who decide to read Fifty Shades of Grey for their monthly book club selection and how the book ends up changing their lives. The film stars power house actresses, Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, and Candice Bergen, and together they play off each other with charisma and sass that can’t be beat by any other actors.

All four women are in different phases in their love and sex lives, Vivian (Fonda) is single and loving it, Carol (Steenburgen) and her husband Bruce (Craig T. Nelson) have been married so long that their sex life has gone stale, Diane’s (Keaton) husband just passed away and she is grappling with the idea of dating, and (Sharon) Bergen has been divorced for years and finally decides she wants to date. The women take to the book like bees to honey and can’t put it down. After they finish reading it, they all start to see their lives a little differently. It makes them realize that they do have a sexual appetite and even in their 60’s, they haven’t lost it at all.

Opposite the women, the men come to terms with their sexuality as well. Arthur (Don Johnson) is an old friend of Vivian’s and he pursues her in a comedic fashion and makes her realize that she doesn’t always have to just rely on herself. While Mitchell (Andy Garcia), the debonair pilot makes a play for Diane and shows his softer side. We see that the men are just as vulnerable and yearning for a good time, just as much as the women. What they all have in common though is that they want to build relationships with one another and it shows that it is never too late in life to start a new relationship or friendship with someone.

I enjoyed watching some of my favorite actresses of all time together, they are all funny and played off each other perfectly. Keaton has the same sensibility that we have loved from her since Annie Hall, and Bergen, for example still projects that tough as nails, yet sweet character that her fans have grown to love. Fonda is hilarious and witty, and Steenburgen rounded out the cast perfectly with her romantic charm. I enjoyed that the women were portrayed as strong and independent, and that they didn’t necessarily need a man to make them happy.

The movie has its rom-com corny moments, but they were all done in good fun and with taste. I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it as one to watch with friends or even the mom in your life. Overall, it’s a fun movie that both men and women of all ages can enjoy. If you are in the mood for a light and funny film, this is one to watch.

Starring: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Don Johnson, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Dreyfuss

Directed by: Bill Holderman

Written by: Erin Simms, Bill Holderman

MPAA rating: PG-13

Running time: 104 Minutes

Rating: 3