“Every single one of these women had her own unique story to tell,” says actor Mary Steenburgen of her new film, “Book Club.” “They are all going through something, and it talks about the importance of friendship, and it talks about having each other’s backs.”
The comedy, which opened in theaters nationwide in May, is a celebration of friendship, love, aging, sex and taking chances. It tells the story of four lifelong friends — Carol (Mary Steenburgen), Diane (Diane Keaton), Sharon (Candice Bergen) and Vivian (Jane Fonda) — whose lives are hilariously turned upside down when their book club takes on “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Chef/restaurateur Carol, who has been married for 35 years, finds her marriage to Bruce (Craig T. Nelson) in a slump. Diane, who was married for 40 years, is now coping with the passing of her husband. The “emotionally detached” Vivian enjoys her men with no strings attached, and Sharon, a federal judge, is still dealing with divorcing her husband 18 years prior. Reading the book wreaks havoc on each of the women’s lives, but it also forces them to face new challenges and to open up to new experiences.
With a talented cast of Academy Award and Golden Globe winners and nominees, the film from first-time director Bill Holderman and co-writer and co-producer Erin Simms tackles the issue of aging head-on. “One of the things that was so crazy about this movie was first of all, no one hires four women our age. I’m the youngest of the four. I’m the baby at 65,” says Steenburgen. “And so, nobody makes movies about four women our age. Let’s just talk about what kind of message, whether it’s four women or four men, what kind of message that sends to someone [younger] about your years as you’re older.”
Steenburgen, whose 40-year career encompasses theater (“Marvin’s Room”), film (“Step Brothers,” “Last Vegas”) and television (“The Last Man on Earth,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Orange is the New Black”), says that what she has consistently searched for in a role, whether big or small, is one that makes her heart beat faster, offers complexity and allows her to get to know a whole person. She adds, “Sometimes, especially with women my age, your character is really just there to further the story. And she’s not very real or very full, and so I have to kind of weed those out.”
The role of Carol offered both complexity and the depth of a character living a full and rich life. “I do believe in scaring myself, you know,” remarks Steenburgen. “This movie was kind of perfect for me thematically, because I don’t like the idea that you’re cooked at a certain point and that’s just who you are. … I know some doors get closed, but I don’t want to make it easy for life to close the doors.”
