The First Wives
Club is one of those movies that just hits home at every turn. It features
some of the top leading ladies you can think of, and it feels like the female
empowerment movement of the ’90s before #MeToo.
The movie was a surprising financial success, especially considering it
received mixed reviews upon release. I give credit to the writing because,
while the story could have been sad and depressing, it wiggled away from that. It
became an uplifting ride about three women tired of being pushed around by the
men in their lives. This movie is fun, comedic, and empowering. As the movie
puts it, these women decide it’s time to push back, and their pushback is a joy
to watch.
Bette Midler (as
Brenda), Diane Keaton (as Annie), and Goldie Hawn (as Elise) are the three
leading ladies, and they make sure we know it. The movie is based on Olivia
Goldsmith’s 1992 bestseller of the same name, and the plot focuses on Annie,
who also serves as the narrator.
Annie starts the
story at their college graduation, where four friends part ways with big dreams
for the future. Fast forward to the present, and what brings them back together
is a letter from Cynthia, who has committed suicide.
Cynthia’s life was in turmoil and she had just gone through a divorce, and to
make matters worse, her ex-husband remarried a younger, more attractive woman.
The remaining
three friends reconnect over a long lunch and soon realize they’re all
struggling in their own ways. Annie is separated from her husband and battling
low self-esteem. Brenda is divorced, her husband having left her for a younger
woman, and she’s also dealing with financial troubles. Elise, a movie star, is
financially stable but addicted to plastic surgery and alcohol, and her husband
has also left her for a younger woman.
They decide to
support each other, bonding over their shared pain and forming a club to help
other women going through similar struggles. Of course, a movie like this
wouldn’t be complete without a touch of revenge, as the three women go after
the men who hurt them.
The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Music Score, something you’ll understand when you watch it. There’s been talk of sequels and remakes over the years, and I hope that if one is made, it delivers the same kind of fun and empowerment as this first movie.
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