The First Wives Club (1996)

[inactiveuser501 168]

I love this movie. I loved it, I loved it, it is my guiltiest pleasure, this movie's amazing.

 

With that being said, I know the critical reviews, and I understand why it might be bad.

 

This movie is on Joyful Noise's level of funny slapstick based on depressing scenarios. I know damn well I was laughing at serious moments (Bette Midler slapping the shit out of Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn) And a lot of characters are insane, like Pre-Sex and The City Sarah Jessica Parker and Post-Showgirls Elizabeth Berkley as the mistresses, and an absolutely depressed looking Maggie Smith. This movie was also considered feminist and influential enough to warrant a Time cover, which may be the craziest fact of all.

 

I'm really posting this to get a feeling on the forum's thoughts. Crazy Insanity or actually sorta good?

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

DO THIS MOVIE.

 

Bronson Pinchot would be an off the charts delightful guest.

[inactiveuser501 168]

Oh my god, I completely forgot about Balki playing Duarto Feliz and the goddamn scene where he is trying to keep Sarah Jessica Parker distracted. Which leads to, of course...

 

 

And still came out with this...

 

 

There is a weird feminist legacy to this movie that almost makes it seem like Spice World for middle-aged housewives. Again, as someone who loved this film, I have no idea where that comes from. I really just want to see them try and decipher this.

[JustinL 216]

It's about three middle-aged women who are dealing with confidence issues after being cheated on and dumped by their husbands for younger women. They get revenge by using wits, intelligence and clever scheming to reveal their husbands as immoral scumbags while sapping them of the fortunes they helped them make and gain back their self-worth by proving they are strong, capable, exceptional women. Feminism.

 

Cameos by Rob Reiner and Ivana Trump.

 

(I used to freaking love this movie)

[inactiveuser501 168]

Agreed. Agree 100%. But there is still craziness in this movie. And I do want to know if the lesson of the movie really was meant to be "Don't get Mad. Get Everything", because as amazing as this movie is for me, it still is a pretty messed up message. But then there's the 3rd act self revalation, but then Ivanka Trump says THAT EXACT LINE at the end of the movie.

 

I will say for a third time that I love this movie and think that it is awesome, I'm just self-aware that it is at 39% on RT, so if I can get them to talk about it, why the heck not?

 

Excuse me as I go watch the final scene 20 more times.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Was this the regular version of "Waiting to Exhale"?

[inactiveuser501 168]

This was the over the top version of Waiting to Exhale. With the Mafia. And Underage Sex.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

But it had "regular" people in it!

[sillstaw 414]

 

This reminds me of a bit I read from a book written by a screenplay reader who, in one part, was marveling at how "Fatal Attraction" went from a boring script to a big blockbuster. He pointed out that (IIRC) Paramount got the cover of "Time" the week the movie came out to talk about adultery; as he pointed out, it must have been a really slow news week if that was the big story.

 

The thing I love about both of those examples is that they seem to ignore what people went to see the movie for. Nobody went to see "The First Wives' Club" because it was a big feminist film; they went for wacky antics and a silly revenge plot.

[neilly 105]

Man, i guess I need to watch this movie again.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Bette Midler supposedly made the director cry on set with how horrid she was being.

[inactiveuser501 168]

Bette Midler's Character is basically a treasure trove of one liners. I would've thought that Goldie Hawn would have been the biggest diva on set, but I genuinely believe she was drunk for most shots

 

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Bump for this movie which I have seen far too many times.

[KelseyKing 2]

I love this movie, and I think June may actually enjoy watching this one...?

 

My favorite part is how they start a whole club to steal money from their estranged spouses. Also SJP wears a huge fur coat that makes her look like a coat rack for most of the movie.

[SlidePocket 707]

It's director Hugh Wilson just passed away a few days ago, so I thought I would bump this up.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Have to bump this movie because of insanity that is life the line "Don't get mad, get everything." Takes on an entirely new delightful meaning knowing it's in reference to our current president.

 

I really hope she did take fucking everything.