Hollywood. We need to talk. We have never had more content than we have right now. We have our major theatrical releases, we have indie films, we have streaming movies, we have fantastic limited series, we’ve got big name talent starring in TV shows, and yet we cannot find good films or television projects for women of a certain age. Jane Fonda and lily Tomlin at least had Grace and Frankie for a while, but the bulk of Diane Keaton’s work over the last few years is clinically depressing. One of the best actresses of her generation can’t get out of being offered shit like Summer Camp, 80 For Brady, Maybe I Do, Poms, Mac and Rita, and whatever other nonsense she keeps saying yes to. Did she take one of Tom Selleck’s reverse mortgages or something?
The Fabulous Four is the latest film to take four talented actresses, all awards winners or nominees in at least one EGOT category, and vomits them into a movie. Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Megan Mullally, all being sucked into this trite. It’s not funny, but these four actresses have to work overtime to make something watchable. The “plot” here is tht these four women, who in real life are two pairs of ages ten years apart, all went to college together and became friends. There was a big fallout between Sarandon and Midler haven’t talked in a while, but Midler is getting married and Sarandon is coaxed by the other two to join them and go celebrate, heal old wounds, and be bridesmaids.
the two other women are given really generic “character traits”, if you will. Megan Mullally is horny for younger men, which makes sense since she’s 65 years old, 13 years younger than Sarandon/Midler, which is basically what they did on Golden Girls with rue McLanahan. Blanche was the sex centered Golden Girl, and also significantly younger than the other cast members.
Oh, and Emmy Award Winer Sheryl Lee Ralph is really into weed. Like, gummies and stuff. She has her own formula.
It is marginally a better film than Summer Camp, and it gets points for having audio description. But, there’s no real reason to actually watch this. Every actress has better films on their resume, and perhaps if we all agreed to stop watching this, Hollywood would find appropriate roles for these ladies. Ralph is literally on an Emmy nominated sitcom, one that is an anchor for ABC, and reportedly where they all just got pay bumps. Mullally was just featured with husband Nick Offerman on The Umbrella Academy, and does voice work, but she could use a consistent role as well. Midler and Sarandon have both been on TV series before, and it shouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that they could be there again.
And the same goes for everyone who was in Book Club, 80 For Brady, poms, Summer Camp, or any of the myriad of movies repurposing like names being drawn out of a hat.
Final Grade: C-
