Book Club
(2018)Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen are four lifelong friends whose lives change forever after reading 50 Shades of Grey at their monthly book club.... More
Diane (Keaton) is recently widowed after 40 years of marriage. Vivian (Fonda) enjoys her men with no strings attached. Sharon (Bergen) is still working through a decades-old divorce. Carol’s (Steenburgen) marriage is in a slump after 35 years - and then the bestselling erotic novel comes along.Hide
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Directed by Bill Holderman (feature debut)
Starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Don Johnson, Alicia Silverstone
Written by Bill Holderman, Erin Simms
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Book Club
BY icecream52 nobody
I was so wrong.
This movie left me laughing and a feeling of wisdom which can only be imparted by someone who's lived their life. I found myself surprised that I could relate to the mother, who sacrifices her own life to care for other people, even if those people have outgrown their... More need for her care. The joy of laughing along with the women when they regale their dating adventures made me feel like i was having tea with a bunch of fun aunties.
This movie is great because it does not depend on vulgarity for humour. The humour is so subtle and FUNNY because they come from moments that occur in real life. They do this in clever physical metaphors and some really clever banter, which left me impressed and thinking "I need to steal these lines".
It was amazing to see strong female friendships with all support and no envy. Each personality was likeable and distinct.
I recommend this movie for teenagers and above. Everyone will find something to relate to and laugh about. I found this funnier and therefore liked it more than the box-office record breaking Crazy Rich Asians.Hide
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The Press Reviews
Fonda. Bergen. Keaton. Steenburgen. "Book Club." Sure, "Avengers: Infinity War" came out a few weeks ago, but now this is the greatest crossover event in history. Full Review
It's a pleasant, no-stakes affair, as numbing as a two-glass buzz. Full Review
...a piece of Nancy Meyers-esque escapism, in which musing about romantic frustration is only a bottle of pinot and a picturesque view away from being neatly resolved. Full Review
These women - Ms. Fonda, Ms. Keaton, Ms. Steenburgen and Ms. Bergen, that is - have nothing to prove. Each one brings enough credibility and charisma to "Book Club" to render its weaknesses largely irrelevant. Full Review
There's a maturity and warmth to director Bill Holderman and Erin Simms's script, which respects these ladies and understands that they've got a wealth of life experience that doesn't exactly fit into one rom-com. Full Review
As far as it goes, Book Club is a mostly painless ride, with a few laugh-out-loud moments, but as Peggy Lee memorably sang, Is that all there is? Full Review
The kind of comfort-food movie that's been pre-masticated by committee to the consistency of pudding (with even less flavor). Full Review
It will appeal to those who want to switch off and be entertained by a film as light and fluffy as a pav. Full Review
I absolutely, utterly and completely loathed this film. Full Review
BY Adam Fresco Flicks Writer
Hollywood acting royalty Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen play friends who have been meeting once a month to drink wine and chat books. After four decades, starting in the 1970s when they read Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying, they’re up to Fifty Shades of Grey, (with author E.L. James even popping up in a cameo role). But whilst the protagonists play characters in differing occupations and relationships, all are heterosexual, upper-middle-class, prosperous, privileged and white.... More
Bill Holderman’s directorial debut, from a script co-written by Holderman and Erin Simms, is clearly aimed at a greying audience that powered the likes of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel to box office and sequel success. As such, it’s a perfectly jovial time in the company of four lead performers unafraid to play (if not look) their age. There’s fun to be had as the quartet quaff vino and chat about love, relationships and the naughty bits, with Richard Dreyfuss, Don Johnson, Craig T. Nelson, Ed Begley Jnr. and Andy Garcia dropping by to play supporting roles, in what plays out pretty much as Sex and the City for seventy-year-olds. Whilst it’s great to see mainstream Hollywood fare recognising older women as sexually active, it’s disappointing to see their sexuality all-too-often treated in terms of snickering innuendo and shallow characterisation.
Carried by its vivacious lead performers, Book Club is amiable enough, with a few good laughs, but for a film that rejects realism in favour of frothy rom-com, it’s a shame about the end result. Fun but shallow, were it not for a stellar cast, it could well be mistaken for a big-screen version of a cosy TV sit-com aimed at an older demographic. Undemanding? Absolutely, but if the cast appeal to you, there’s still some fun to be had in Book Club.Hide
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