‘I really understand a woman like the one I played ’
The Next Chapter stars Jane Fonda, Diane Candice adventure.
Despite having known each other in some cases for 50 years, 2017’s Book Club was the first time that most of its stars: Hollywood legends Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen; had the chance to act together.
The film was rather radical in that it had four older women in leading roles, women who had frank conversations about sex and relationships, made blue jokes and playfully made fun of one another, bringing together the four accomplished and iconic actresses in a story about female friendship in later life.
Six years later, on the other side of a global pandemic which saw their meetings take place over video call, the Book Club, comprising Vivian, Diane, Sharon and Carol; is back together, and they’re off on the girls’ trip of a lifetime to sunny Italy.
Jane Fonda, 85, says that she feels “gratitude” at being given another opportunity to work together with Keaton, Bergen and Steenburgen again, and to represent the lives of older women on the big screen.
“We’re all grateful to be in one film, and then a sequel, at our age and hope that it spreads to other women and other productions,” adds Bergen, 76.
The whimsical sequel, Book Club: The Next Chapter, sees our four friends jet off to Italy after being inspired by Steenburgen’s Carol uncovering an old notebook in which they had planned a Mediterranean trip many years ago, stalled by life getting in the way.
It is billed as a bachelorette party trip, celebrating the imminent marriage of Fonda’s Vivian to Arthur – a man who proposed to her when they were in their 20s, whom she’s reconnected with after “a life full of freedom and lovers and not being pinned down”, as Fonda says, and whom she’s finally agreed to marry.
“I totally relate to it, having been married three times,” says
Fonda of Vivian’s story.
“And yet I really understand a woman like the one I played in the movie, Vivian, who does not want to give up her independence and does not want to get married, and then, because she’s truly in love, has a change of heart.
“But what I love about this movie is that there’s this big surprise at the end. I mean, yes, there’s a wedding, obviously, we all have wedding dresses on and all kinds of things. But it’s not what you think,” she teases.
Of course, no holiday involving these fiery women is going to go smoothly, and the Book Club ladies find themselves in all sorts of sticky situations – even some involving old flames – set against the gorgeous backdrop of Italy’s cities and countryside.
The foursome were also inspired by their latest book club read: Paulo Coelho’s odyssey of self-discovery, The Alchemist, and its themes of taking destiny into your own hands and finding opportunity in life’s challenges prove especially pertinent on their whirlwind adventure.
“I think we felt so blessed and lucky, there was not a jaded bone in any of our bodies,” says Steenburgen, 70, of filming in Italy.
“We’d get to the set each morning and everybody’s jaws were dropping at the beauty of it.
“We had an amazing production design team that just every scene we would do, it was so beautiful, what we were acting in, and we were like little kids, you know, in awe of it all.”
“Can you believe we got to be there for two-and-a-half months?” adds Keaton, 77, who plays Diane.
“I’m ready to move. It was stunning, just stunning to live there. If you have any opportunity for me in Italy, I’m happy.
“It’s full of incredible people and places that you can’t imagine.”
No cinematic trip to Italy would be complete without gorgeous fashion to match – and the costumes in Book Club:
Keaton,
Bergen
and Mary
Steenburgen
tell Rachael
Davis about
the film’s
Italian
The New Chapter certainly fit the bill. “Stefano De Nardis, who did the costumes, did a beautiful job,” says Steenburgen, speaking of the Italian costume designer who worked alongside compatriot, production designer Stefano Maria Ortolani to blend the first film’s chic costuming with sultry Italian style.
That said, not all of the costumes were strictly Italian: “I enjoyed wearing my Armani suit, which was a jacket and a pair of pants from J Crew that I bought myself and then they reimbursed me,” laughs Bergen, who plays Sharon.
“I enjoyed my blue flowy dress with the belt, because it was exactly the right thing for the temperature,” says Steenburgen.
“I had a favourite costume – well, I had a costume that was my worst costume,” adds Fonda.
“It was a wool plaid suit in Rome, in 104 degree (Fahrenheit, equivalent to 40C) temperature.
“However, that same wool suit was my favourite outfit when we were shooting late at night outside and it was freezing. And they were all in these skimpy, little summer things. I was so grateful to have a wool suit.”
While enchanting fashion and spectacular Italian backdrops certainly sweeten the deal, Book Club: The Next Chapter’s leading ladies say that, actually, being able to do the film together was the joy of the project.
“We’re all friends in real life – we became friends since we made the first film together – and so to be in these incredibly beautiful places with such great food and wine and ice cream – gelato – and then to be together doing it. It was like a big vacation.” says Fonda.
“And I think that one of the reasons that people are liking the film so much is because you feel that, when you see the movie, that we’re all having a really good time for real.”
“Basically, we’re like four, young girls together half the time,” says Steenburgen.
“These wonderful friendships have really grown over time. We text each other and call each other and check in on each other, have dinners at each other’s houses.
“It’s been this unbelievable gift to my life that I know these women.”