Warning: This article contains spoilers for Book Club: The Next Chapter.
Towards the final act of Book Club: The Next Chapter, it seems like Vivian (Jane Fonda), who’s the only one who’s never been married out of her friend group, is finally going to walk down the aisle, but at the last minute Diane (Diane Keaton) takes her place, and it turns out to be the best way to conclude the film. The pair have reunited with Carol (Mary Steenburgen) and Sharon (Candice Bergen) on a whirlwind trip to Rome, Florence, Venice, and finally Tuscany that’s full of romance, intrigue, and adventure in celebration of Vivian’s bachelorette party. They’re reading Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, and taking everything as “a sign.”
Though the trip is an uproarious journey of self-discovery and unforgettable memories in Book Club 2’s beautiful Italian locations, Vivian has the wedding jitters the entire time and has interpreted every bit of bad luck on the journey as bad omens about her impending nuptials. At the same time, frightened and perpetually worried Diane has leaned into her more adventurous and romantic side, and while she encourages Vivian to take the plunge, she’s really convincing herself. When Vivian doesn’t go through with the wedding to Arthur (Don Johnson) and Mitchell (Andy Garcia) uses the opportunity (and beautiful location) to propose to Diane, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
Vivian Stays True To Her Character From The Original Book Club Movie
When they’re standing at the altar and Vivian shares a candid moment with Arthur, she realizes that her trepidation about getting married revolves around being confined. She doesn’t realize that Arthur has suspected this, and rather than reassure her that their marriage will be different, he acknowledges her feelings and gives her emotional space. He knows that she’ll never be fully happy being married, even if she loves him, and he respects what she isn’t able to ask for, releasing her from the expectation of marriage.
By subverting expectations, Book Club 2 lets Vivian stay true to the vivacious character she was in the original Book Club movie without sacrificing what makes her unique. The sequel doesn’t make strange leaps in her character development that don’t make any sense just because it feels obligated to appease certain genre tropes. She got to have the true “fairytale wedding” that made sense for her, which meant watching two of her loved ones get married instead., and still feeling loved.
Vivian Helps Women Of Previous Generations Feel Okay About Never Marrying
At 85, Jane Fonda came from a generation when women were expected to get married and have children, so to play a character like Vivian who can decide to remain single vindicates other women who never felt like caving to societal expectations. Rather than double-down on the opinion that at Vivian’s age, true love might never come again, and she should be thankful to get married at all, Book Club 2 celebrates her choice for freedom. It’s a refreshing curveball that makes an ordinarily predictable narrative into something dynamic and modern.
Luckily, stigmas have had no place in the Book Club franchise ever since the four ladies picked up Fifty Shades of Gray and decided to take a chance on unconventional romance. Vivian is proof that a person can remain faithful to their convictions and, in the process, find a supportive partner who cherishes that very trait. Respecting Vivian’s choice to stay true to herself and her character in Book Club: The Next Chapter, without shame or guilt, is gratifying to see for fans of any age who might think that growing older also means resignation from free will.
