Moving On

Moving On is yet another tour de force for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who once again prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.

While the tonal shifts from melodrama to mordant comedy don’t always work, Fonda and Tomlin are as good as they have ever been and Moving On proves itself a powerful rumination on the strength it takes to age—mentally, physically, and economically.

Ultimately, Moving On is about friendship, and who better than Grace and Frankie to show us that?

Moving On is certainly not perfect, but it’s sincerely trying to be something more than your standard octogenarian farce. You might even be surprised by your own emotional investment in this rather trim film.

Moving On, a dark comedy written and directed by Paul Weitz, isn’t a great movie by any means, but it’s a pretty good one. It’s also a relief to see Fonda and Tomlin play women whose age is not discounted, but is also not disqualifying.

Something else is missing here — a farcical energy or satirical audacity that might shock the premise to unsettling life, or else a deeper, darker core of feeling. Moving On takes refuge in pleasantness, and in the easy charm of its stars.

The film never lets these characters earn anything, despite everyone ending up moving on in Moving On. You’re advised to do the same, when it materializes as one of your viewing options.

IN A NUTSHELL: If you’re a fan of the popular TV show Grace & Frankie, you’re in for more of the same goofy fun from this dynamic duo. Their chemistry together is undeniable and entertaining. The story of this movie is about two old friends who reconnect at a funeral and decide to get revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before. The movie is written and directed by Paul Weitz. THINGS I LIKED: Jane Fonda is usually dolled up to look much younger, but in this movie, she’s starting to look her age. Of course, she’s still beautiful. She’s 85 years old and still pumping out movies like crazy. Lilly Tomlin is always delightful and, truly shines in this movie. Together, they’re reliably entertaining. What impressed me was not the actresses’ comedic chops, because we already know they’ve got the funny bone in spades. The serious drama required them to stretch and show us they’ve still got it. It was nice to see Malcolm McDowell in something again too. I always enjoyed his performances. It’s really great to see that aging stars can still find an audience in Hollywood. I had to laugh at the special request for bacon from one of the characters. Mmmm…bacon. The issues of aging is taken very seriously in this film; however, murder and revenge are not. hmm… THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The plot trudges along, shifting tone and pacing. It’s very dark with not much humor. When these two stars are paired together, we expect much more humor. There are several scenes at night that will appear very dark if/when you watch this on a small streaming device. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be completely bored since the movie is all about older people talking. Talk of murder Two women try to purchase a gun in California Alcohol A woman encourages a young boy’s desire to wear girls’ clothes and jewelry. A woman talks about her lesbian lover. Profanity, including an F-bomb. An unmarried couple sleeps together. (We don’t see anything though.)

After 7 seasons as Grace and Frankie, the undeniable chemistry between Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin has been established. For this film, Fonda plays a character headed to a college friend's funeral with the intention of killing her husband (Malcolm McDowell). Along the way she re-teams with her longtime friend (Lily Tomlin) and it becomes more about their relationship than the murder. The trailer makes it look like a comedy, but there are virtually no laffs, even though Tomlin's crusty attitude does make for some fun moments. The 2 women are working their typical types, so there's nothing new: Fonda's the beauty with issues, while Tomlin plays a lesbian. The duo's chemistry is the only thing that resonates in this film and they've done it much better before.