Book Club: The Next Chapter is a tonic for the weary moviegoing soul. It is a refreshing change of pace from the dour, depressing, and dark films that make up so many new releases. This film is a fizzy fantasy filled with humor and heart. It’s escapism, but at its core is a story about the power of friendship, the courage to embrace love, and the importance of actually living life even when you’re scared.

*This review contains mild spoilers.*

Book Club: The Next Chapter picks up a few years beyond where the first film left off. It stars (again) Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen as four forever friends who take their book club turned bachelorette party to Italy. Directed by Bill Holderman and written by Holderman and Erin Simms, the film is a witty and insightful exploration of the lives of the four women as they experience the joys and challenges of aging while still living a full life. Book Club: The Next Chapter is both hilarious and surprisingly thoughtful. (And it doesn’t hurt that the film takes place with a stunning Italian scenic backdrop.)

The film’s opening scene, which director and writer Bill Holderman and Erin Simms discussed in my interview with them, is an extended sequence that takes place on Zoom. It stood out to me as the best and perhaps most hopeful encapsulation of the pandemic times. It also took me completely by surprise with how poignant it was. In those short moments, it describes the funniest parts of the terrible years we all went through as we tried to maintain normalcy- from technical challenges with Zoom to weird hobbies and isolation. The film’s team acknowledged the time with grace and humor.

Book Club: The Next Chapter is very much a character-driven comedy in the vein of beloved classics such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Holiday, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The film possesses a lightness and sweetness that is both charming and endearing while also imparting genuine truths and positive messages. It’s hard to separate the characters from the actresses, and that’s part of the film’s allure – it’s fun to watch people we like just having a good time together. By watching, we’re hanging out and drinking Italian wine and fancy dress shopping with Keaton, Fonda, Bergen, and Steenburgen. 

The movie is also a great example of how to use tropes done right; they’re entertaining and thoughtful. The tropes are not simply there for the sake of familiarity or to paint by numbers; they are used to create a narrative that would not be possible without them. The tropes help anchor the characters’ journeys.

 A common trope for travel comedies is that the group ends up in jail. There’s a similar situation in Book Club, but it isn’t slapstick and is a turning point in the leading ladies’ arcs. (Okay, maybe some immature humor in the situation leads them to the Italian jail. The women mistake an Italian police officer for a stripper in true bachelorette party movie fashion, and hijinks ensue.) Other tropes are signs from the universe along their Coelho-inspired fated journey too. 

The fact that this film is a sequel—albeit one based on original characters developed by Holderman and Simms—makes it all the more impressive. It doesn’t feel like a rehash of the original but rather a worthy continuation of the story. The movie quite literally feels like “the next chapter.” This is a testament to the skill of the filmmakers and the strength of the characters they have created. The women are enduring, and this road trip is delightful. 

The actresses behind the characters help make this movie much more realistic. There’s no other fan casting for the women – no hypotheticals. They just work together. As an audience, this film delivers a fantasy of lifelong friendship that we want to believe in, no matter our age. If you’re 16 or 76 years old, the movie taps into a very human yearning in your soul. The actresses’ effortless charisma and chemistry make it easy to believe that they’ve been friends for years, even though they only connected during the filming of the first movie.

The story is balanced with each woman on their own internal journeys. But I want to call out Jane Fonda’s character because she is so central to the movie’s premise. We are, after all, going to Italy vicariously because of her. Fonda brings a wealth of experience and charisma to the role, and she is perfect as the strong-willed and independent Vivian who has defied societal expectations by remaining unmarried and unengaged till her senior years. She is funny, charming, and vulnerable, and she brings heart and a bit of sass to the role.

Book Club: The Next Chapter is a tonic for the weary moviegoing soul. It is a refreshing change of pace from the dour, depressing, and dark films that make up so many new releases. This film is a fizzy fantasy filled with humor and heart. It’s escapism, but at its core is a story about the power of friendship, the courage to embrace love, and the importance of actually living life even when you’re scared.

Grade: A

Oscar Prospects:
Likely: None
Should Be Considered: None

Where to Watch: In Theaters

Ayla Ruby
she/her @TulinWrites
A writer in the Washington, DC area.
Her true love is Star Trek. One day she hopes she can actually visit a holodeck in real life.
Favorite Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Sign: Taurus