The First Wives Club

Starring: Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, Maggie Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dan Hedaya, Stockard Channing, Victor Garber, Stephen Collins, Elizabeth Berkley, Marcia Gay Harden, Bronson Pinchot, Eileen Heckart, Rob Reiner, Timothy Olyphant, J.K. Simmons, Heather Locklear
Directed by: Hugh Wilson
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
1996

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three college friends (Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton) reunite years later when their marriages have all failed and seek revenge on their problematic ex-spouses.

Review:

Tim: The First Wives Club feels like a weak revenge fantasy designed mostly for divorced women. This isn't necessarily a bad idea, but when it's executed as poorly as it is here, it becomes hard to stomach. This is a forgettable, silly film that should simply be dismissed.

Now, I recognize I'm not the target demographic here. In this film, men are mostly the bad guys. I'm not suggesting this isn't true, but it does feel a bit one-sided to me. I went into this trying to get into the right frame of mind and I see how this could be appealing to women still suffering the lingering effects of bad relationships. It would certainly appeal to a specific demographic. We need more empowered women in Hollywood films, so I did appreciate that the movie featured three strong women. The problem is that most of their actions feel like they're responding to the men in their lives. I wish the movie had focused more on them moving forward and less of them looking back. But, there wouldn't be much of a movie and you couldn't call it "The First Wives Club". Still, I didn't like how most of the movie features these women thinking of themselves as "wives", highlighting their relationship to men, verses standing up on their own. I think this is a big reason why the movie doesn't hold up.

I wasn't a huge fan of the main cast, but I recognize I have some biases. First off, I've always strongly disliked Goldie Hawn. I think she's a terrible actress and it's hard for me to even look at her. It felt weird that her plastic surgery was spun into a recurring joke here. It mostly made me feel sad, not want to laugh. Hawn is typically below average in this role. It's a part that easily leads her to overact and force her performance. She's not good. Bette Midler is probably the best of the trio, although she needed a bit more restraint, too. She at least helps us identify with her character and works to create some emotional moments throughout the film. Diane Keaton might be the most talented actress of these three, but her performance here feels note-for-note like most of her performances (only this time, it seems worse). Keaton always seems like a better actress than she is. Here's she's fully in her wheelhouse, playing the role like many others she's played before. While I admit I didn't love these three's individual performances, it was enjoyable to watch three famous actresses interacting together. I thought they played off each other well and their differences led to fun exchanges between them. If you were a middle age woman in the mid 1990s, I bet you just ate them up.

The rest of the cast was decent and surprisingly large. It was nice to see Maggie Smith here, but disappointing that she had such a small role- she's more talented than Hawn, Midler, or Keaton, yet her role was minuscule in comparison. I thought Stockard Channing's small role was more effective than the main three as well, but she gets only one scene. Dan Hedaya was solid in his supporting role. It's what he usually does in these roles, but he played it well. Victor Garber was decent and Stephen Collins was okay. It was fun seeing Elizabeth Berkley, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Marcia Gay Harden in small roles that at least gave them a few opportunities to act. Bronson Pinchot felt like a relic of the 1990s and did his comedic thing decently enough. It was fun seeing Timothy Olyphant and J.K. Simmons in small and ultimately pointless roles. Similarly, I liked seeing Heather Locklear, but she has nothing to do. It's strange to see how many solid names this film had, only to not leverage them fully.

The movie itself is okay, but it's absolutely a paint-by-numbers affair. There's no real surprises, as the film follows the predictable path. It's not especially funny, but there are some individually funny lines throughout the movie. It needed a more consistently strong script, as the one it has is very up-and-down.

I do want to point out a big issue I had. I guess I need to somewhat spoil the movie, although I do recognize I'm talking about "spoiling" a 25 year-old film at this point. So, MINOR SPOILER- As the movie progresses, the idea of what "The First Wives Club" is begins to emerge. The characters spend a lot of time and energy on this idea. As it progresses, I remember thinking, "This film is really going all in on a pretty terrible idea." I remember thinking that these women could have easily spent their time in a more positive endeavor. Shortly after that, it's like the writers came to that same conclusion. The movie takes a laughably forced turn to try and salvage these women. It's so abrupt and so unearned that I rolled my eyes and groaned.

I can't say The First Wives Club is even a decent movie. It's okay, but it's full of flaws. I wouldn't criticize anyone for this being a guilty pleasure (especially if you're in the target demographic), but this just feels like a huge miss and a waste of the talent assembled for it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Hanging Up, Something's Gotta Give, Hocus Pocus