The First Wives Club/ Robert Harling / 1996
The First Wives Club is an amazing, lively film about 3 women who sought revenge and instead got the world empowering themselves and touching the hearts of many women like them. Three college friends were reintroduced at the funeral of their dear friend Cynthia Swann-Griffin. After the funeral the three protagonist had more in common than they had thought, each of their husbands had left them for a much younger women. Seeking revenger they then create the first wives club, dropping their wedding rings in champagne and toasting. The women do everything from selling their ex-husbands personal belongings, stealing their tax records, buying their company, to uncovering a potential relationship with a minor. After a fight one evening the women realize that seeking revenge makes them no better than their husband. Therefor, the women decide to go global. The women decide to use their blackmail to encourage their ex-husbands to fund their non-profit organization. With everything moving forward the women open the Cynthia Swann Griffin Crisis Center for Women. This non-profit organization was dedicated to aiding abused women in memory and celebration of their late friend Cynthia. The film ends as they are celebrating their new organization happily singing “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore.
The First Wives Club is truly an inspiring movie that shows how you can turn a shitty situation into an amazing one. The 3 protagonist in the film are not only able to uncover years of lives, but also hold their ex-husbands accountable for their actions. While holding their husbands responsible they are also bettering themselves and the world around them one step at a time. The First Wives Club is a revolutionary film that empowers women to stand up for themselves and make a difference in this world. Annie was used for sex spending the night with her husband right before he asked for a divorce, interrupted by his mistress. Elise was being robbed as her husband requested alimony and half of their assets claiming she owes his fame to her. Brenda’s husband used her and her families ties with the mafia for years and dumped her after his business had taken off. Each of the women were taken advantage of but turned their anger into something bigger than each of them. This story is empowering because it shows young girls to stand up for yourself and to not let the man always have the power. In the final half of the film when the girls had their ex-husbands fund their non-profit organization they showed them how strong and smart they are despite being told for years that they were neither of those things. In making the film end with the creation of the Cynthia Swann Griffin Crisis Center for Women It made the film credible so that critics couldn’t write it off as just a bunch of women mad again. Instead, of just getting even themselves they gave many women from all over the chance to get even. Done with humor and class the women got even, got mad, and got it all.
-AH
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