Kicking things off with Tom Petty’s infectious and pointed “American Girl,” Holderman sets a buoyant mood that’s quickly deflated by six pre-title minutes of the clique’s pandemic Zooming. Screenwriters: Bill Holderman, Erin Simms Nelson, Giancarlo Giannini, Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, Hugh Quarshie, Vincent Riotta

As to this fearsome foursome’s fabulosity, it needs no underlining, but Next Chapter is very busy with a highlighter, less we forget.Ĭast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. In the 2018 hit, Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen transcended the often tepid humor with their rat-a-tat delivery here, returning director Bill Holderman, again working from a screenplay he wrote with Erin Simms, struggles to find a rhythm, and flat jokes too often hang in the air. Totally Fabulous.” That qualifying “slightly” signals the softer cadence of this reunion. The tagline on the key art encapsulates the sequel’s problems: “Slightly Scandalous. If you can see past the clunky plot contrivances, strained hijinks and one-liners that don’t land, and focus on the Italy-set comedy’s Mediterranean glow and the dazzling quartet of go-getters at its center, the movie might fit the bill as a celebratory pairing with Mother’s Day brunch.

As a vehicle for their talents, it’s less of a sure thing. Signed, sealed and delivered, Book Club: The Next Chapter is an unabashed love letter to four great movie stars.

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