BOOK CLUB
US, 2018, 104 minutes, Colour.
Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T.Nelson, Don Johnson, Ed Begley Jr, Richard Dreyfuss, Wallace Shawn, Alicia Silverstone, Katie Aselton, Mircea Monroe.
Directed by Bill Holderman.
Is a book club a mainly female phenomenon? You don’t hear about many men’s book clubs. Whatever the case, the book club here is very much a women’s club – with a rather prestigious Hollywood membership, Jane Fonda at 79, Diane Keaton and Candice Bergen in their early 70s, Mary Steenburgen merely 65. It is clear that this comedy is for an older female demographic.
There isn’t exactly equal time for men but here are Andy Garcia, Craig T.Nelson, Don Johnson and Richard Dreyfuss.
And, what are the members reading this month? With a bit of a giggle, with more than a touch of embarrassment, with some eyebrow-raising and jawdropping, they have ventured into The E. L. James 50 Shades of Grey. So, we know what the film is going to be about. We are not wrong.
We are introduced to the four members of the club, Diane Keaton, a widow, with two insistent daughters who feel a compulsive need to look after their mother – and Diane Keating performing (and sometimes dressing) like Annie Hall after 40 years. With Jane Fonda, we are remembering her long career, 50 years since Barbarella, almost 50 years since an Oscar for Klute, almost 40 years since an Oscar for Coming Home. And, she is a living example of the effectiveness of aerobics! She plays an accomplished businesswoman skilled in risk management. Candice Bergen has always been an enjoyable screen presence, especially in her television incarnation of Murphy Brown. There are some humorous references that she is not as thin as she used to be. Here she plays a Supreme Court judge who has been divorced for 18 years. Mary Steenburgen, winner of an Oscar for Melvin and Howard, has been married for 35 years, several children, a husband who has retired and is trying to do with a retirement crisis.
They read the book. They giggle, imagine, speculate. And they do some venturing. Most seriously is Diane Keaton’s story, not coping with her daughters, encountering a more than charming airline pilot who has retired to a vast ranch in Sedona, Arizona, Andy Garcia. Will she? Should she? The other serious story is that with Mary Steenburgen and her all-out efforts, including dance lessons, spiking beer with Viagra, to interest her husband who has retreated to his workshop, Craig T.Nelson.
Ultimately, Jane Fonda’s story is a bit serious, meeting again an old flame after 40 years, Don Johnson (being rather benign with that Trivial Pursuit answer that he is the father of Dakota Johnson who portrays Anastacia in the 50 Shades films). Her friends in the book club persuade Candice Bergen to go online, online dating. Actually, she is very lucky that one of the earliest men she meets is Richard Dreyfuss, genial and charming.
So, the four stories are intercutting, a lot of humour, a reminder that every subject is possible for humour, even sex. As with so many American films, it starts out with tongue-in-cheek, the touch of the permissive but, eventually, arriving with four final speeches all in the name of true love.
1. The title, the group, the women members, meetings, friendship? The books selected?
2. A film for older audiences, female audiences, their identifying with the characters? The men? Memories, memories of the cast and their films? The age, in the 60s and 70s? Issues of ageing – or not?
3. Los Angeles, homes, hotels, offices, dance studio? Arizona, homes, the ranch? The vistas of Sedona and the air flight?
4. The range of songs, memories of the past?
5. The photos of the past, the actresses in the present? Age, issues of weight, dying hair or not, relational situations, domestic situations, professional? The impact of the past?
6. The meetings, the selection of The E.L.James’ books? The touch of embarrassment, the effect, the erotic details, the excitement, the imagination?
7. Issues of sex and sexuality, sexual activity, relationships, love, mistakes of the past, love of the past, family and children, sexuality and age?
8. The humour, sexual humour, double entendre, the jokes?
9. The indicating of the stories of each of the women, their influence on each other, the meetings, the discussions, ease with one another?
10. The screenplay, moving from the touches of permissiveness to expressions of authentic love, reality? The speeches of each of the characters at the end, declaring what had happened to her?
11. Diane Keaton as Diane, memories of Annie Hall, manner, idiosyncrasies, clothes? The widow, memories of her husband, her explaining the cooling of the relationship? Her daughters, their age, the continual concern about their mother? Going to Arizona, the request that she come and live there, the plane flight, her nervousness, the awkwardness with Mitchell, the effect, the return flight, his being the pilot, getting her interests? The arrangement for dates, the outings, the meals, her clothes? The ease with one another? Telling each other stories? Her going to Arizona but going to Sedona, the happiness of being with Mitchell, the police and her being caught by her daughters? Returning to Arizona, the usual truck, to her daughters, warning them off, her returning to Mitchell?
12. Vivian, Jane Fonda and her reputation and career, at almost 80, glamour? Her life story, risk assessment? Managing the hotels and the staff? Her personal life, her perks? The meeting with Arthur 40 years earlier, meeting again, relationships, her not literally sleeping with people, sexual relationships? Rekindling the friendship, his turning up, the outings, the meals? Her fear, bravado? The sleep, the input of the women, her going to the airport, missing him? His return, appreciating her as she was?
13. Sharon, in the court, the 18 years and the divorce, her concern about her ex-husband, concerned about her son? His remarrying, the young fiance? Her being persuaded to go online for dating? The comic photo with her make up? The encounter with the accountant, his charm, the ease of the meal, the sexual encounter?
14. The dentist, meeting with her ex-husband? On and off the dating service? Her going to the party, listening to her ex-husband speech, her own speech, pride in her son? Dating again – and the photo of the accountant?
15. Carol, her background as a waitress, her ambitions about restaurants? Seeing her at work? 35 years married to Bruce? Their children? His retirement, illness are the dinner? His going to work in the garage, his talk about the bike and the sexual innuendo unbeknown to him? Carol and her desperation, wanting the physical contact? The workshop, his frustration, her frustration, urging him to go to the dance lessons, their failure? The Viagra, the outing, stopped by the police, the Viagra jokes? Bruce upset and humiliated? Carol and her deep apology? Her performance, her dense, Meatloaf, tap dancing, Bruce joining her on the stage, the happy reunion, going home?
16. And the moral of this film is…?
