Book Club review: a pleasant enough ladies’ night out

Book Club shines due to its quartet of very talented ladies – but leaves one wondering why such esteemed actresses can’t land a better showcase.

Book Club stars four very talented actresses (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) as a tight-knit group of friends who have bonded for decades through their book club.

When the movie begins, all four women are all living relatively passion-free lives. Vivian (Fonda) is a wealthy hotel owner who has never had a true companion. Diane (Keaton – sharing her character’s namesake) is a widow whose adult children believe their mother is incapable of being on her own. Sharon (Bergen) is a successful judge who learns her ex-husband is engaged to a much younger woman. Finally, there is Carol (Steenburgen), a chef who longs for the missing spark in her marriage.

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The group of friends gathers for their monthly book club where Vivian introduces them to their book for the month – Fifty Shades of Grey. The women are initially hesitant to read the book but Vivian pushes it hard, telling the women that it is time to use their club to stimulate something other than their minds.

The women all dive into the world of Fifty Shades (“I could have gotten (Christian Grey) locked up for any of these things” Bergen hilariously quips) and find themselves enjoying it more than they would care to admit. What follows is a harmless, fluffy journey as the book awakens in all four women the desire for something more.

Seeing these four actresses on screen together is this movie’s greatest joy. Unfortunately, many actresses in Hollywood have spoken out about the lack of quality roles for women over a certain age. It is a delight that this quintet of talented ladies got a chance to share the screen – though it is a shame that these women aren’t offered better scripts than what could have easily been a Sunday night Lifetime movie.

Of the four storylines in the movie, some of them work a lot better than others. The most enjoyable in my opinion was Sharon’s quest to find a man by reluctantly entering the world of online dating. Her many misadventures are hilarious and Candice Bergen is immensely likable in the role.

As for the other women, their arcs are a little less interesting. Vivian comes into contact with a man from her past (Don Johnson) and wonders if she is ready to settle down for the first time in her life. Fonda is essentially playing the same role she plays to greater success in Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, but she is always enjoyable to watch on screen.

Diane meets a rich, endearing pilot (Andy Garcia) who shares many similarities with Christian Grey – though, thankfully, not his darker tendencies. Her husband has passed many years prior, but Diane still struggles to fully open up to a new man while also dealing with her meddling children who treat her as if her mind is gone.

Then there is Carol, who will try anything to try and get her longtime husband (Craig T. Nelson) to desire her the way he used to. This is easily the least successful thread in the film. Instead of just discussing her feelings with her husband, Carol goes to ridiculous lengths to try and force their connection to come back. The results are more sad than comical – though they are certainly intended to be humorous.

The frequent references to the Fifty Shades franchise also grow to be a little much over the film’s runtime. Author E.L James even makes a quick cameo (likely her condition for allowing the books to be used in the film) though I am pretty sure nobody else in my audience even realized who she was when she popped up.

Overall, I enjoyed Book Club. I am certainly not the intended demographic for the film but regardless I found it to be a charming enough way to spend 90 minutes. If you are a fan of these ladies I think Book Club would be time well spent, though I would advise you to catch a matinee or wait until the movie comes out on home media as it doesn’t quite warrant a full-price ticket.

At the end of the day, I really hope that these women and other older actresses in Hollywood are given more opportunities to star in mainstream fare. As the movie illustrates, your life doesn’t end once you hit a certain age – and neither should an actress’ shelf life.

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Do you plan to check out Book Club in theaters this weekend? If you have seen the movie, feel free to leave your thoughts on it down below!

Book Club is in theaters across the country now.