movin on movie reviews

Bette Davis famously owned a pillow with the adage “old age ain’t no place for sissies” stitched across it. This truism is at the heart of writer/director Paul Weitz ’s “Moving On,” which stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as Claire and Evelyn, two aging, estranged friends thrown together again after decades at the funeral of their mutual friend Joyce.

A melodrama with comedic elements, plot-wise the film is about Claire’s desire to get vengeance for a sexual assault perpetrated by Joyce’s husband Howard ( Malcolm McDowell ) nearly 50 years earlier that completely derailed her life. In the wake of the event, she pulled away from Joyce and Evelyn, left her loving husband Ralph ( Richard Roundtree , as charming and suave as ever), and has spent most of her life petrified by the trauma. 

Yet, this is not a film that exists solely for its plot mechanics. It’s a clear-eyed examination of the compounding weight of growing older, of carrying your life and your hopes and your memories and your regrets with you everywhere you go. The title, “Moving On,” does not just mean to move beyond your past but also to keep moving forward in life, even if your past stays with you. 

Like the characters they play, Fonda and Tomlin have spent decades building a deep friendship while appearing together in projects like “9 to 5” and “Grace and Frankie,” and their chemistry shines as bright as ever. They are not, however, just playing versions of their own personas. 

Claire is a woman who never found her own power, always living for others after the assault left her “mute.” Fonda plays her with a somber rigidity, holding her body tight as if thousands of emotions are one moment away from escaping the cage she’s built around them. As she reconnects with Evelyn, Ralph, and even Howard, Claire’s long-repressed sense of humor, sensuality, and seething anger she kept hidden for so long find their way to the surface. 

Tomlin plays retired musician Evelyn with her trademark deadpan sensibility, always seeming to say what she means and what feels at any given moment, unafraid to be unabashedly herself. Yet, Evelyn is a woman with secrets, wounded pride, and a passion for music – and for women – that hasn’t had an outlet in far too long. She secretly ekes out as free an existence as she can in the independent section of an assisted living facility. Joyce’s death, and Claire’s return to her life, bring out in Evelyn a bevy of complex emotions, this shift played with subtle precision by Tomlin, whose eyes belie her stoic face and monotonous voice. 

While Evelyn helps Claire plot out how to get her revenge, the two discuss the immediate aftermath of the incident. Claire didn’t report it to the police because “They wouldn’t have believed me.” On one hand, the dialogue here is on the nose, yet when looking back 50 years and then forward again, and seeing that not much has changed for women in this country in terms of their bodily autonomy and the prosecution of rapists, perhaps on the nose becomes just the truth. 

When Claire does finally get to say her peace to Howard, she graphically describes the assault, recalling every horrid detail as if it happened yesterday and not nearly 50 years ago because, for her, time stopped on that day. Fonda delivers this monologue with as much power and conviction as any in her career, tapping into the weight not just of Claire’s trauma but all the compound traumas that the actress has witnessed as a woman in this country for the last half-century. 

For his part, McDowell plays Howard as the kind of privileged man who has done just enough work on himself to consider himself a “changed man” yet has only really achieved healing for himself and for his own sake, not for those he’s harmed. Howard is less a character than an emblem of all the powerful men who get away with it over and over and over again. This could be seen as a failure at the script level, but it also allows Howard to get his just desserts at the end without the audience feeling too bad for the family he leaves behind. 

While the tonal shifts from melodrama to mordant comedy don’t always work, Fonda and Tomlin are as good as they have ever been and “Moving On” proves itself a powerful rumination on the strength it takes to age—mentally, physically, and economically. It takes strength to live with yourself and your traumas, to embrace your pleasures, and to be there for those you care about despite it all. 

Now playing in theaters. 

Marya E. Gates

Marya E. Gates is a freelance film and culture writer based in Los Angeles and Chicago. She studied Comparative Literature at U.C. Berkeley, and also has an overpriced and underused MFA in Film Production. Other bylines include Moviefone, The Playlist, Crooked Marquee, Nerdist, and Vulture. 

• Jane Fonda as Claire
• Lily Tomlin as Evvie
• Richard Roundtree as
• Malcolm McDowell as Howard
• Catherine Dent as Molly
• Amanda Delores Patricia Jones
• Paul Croteau
• Hilda Rasula

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• Tobias Datum

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‘Moving On’ Review: Cracking Jokes and Settling Scores

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda team up in an awkward comedy about two women contemplating the murder of a predatory man.

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By A.O. Scott

After 23 years as a film critic at the Times, he is moving on to a new post at the Book Review.

Let me say right up front that I would happily watch Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in anything — except for maybe that one about the football player . Their comic partnership, inaugurated back in 1980 with “ Nine To Five ” and honed during the seasons of “ Grace and Frankie ,” is one of the blessings of modern pop culture. It is certainly the main pleasure of “Moving On,” an otherwise thin and muddled new film directed by Paul Weitz.

Weitz, who directed Tomlin in the sublime “ Grandma ” and the misguided “ Admission ” — the high points of his up-and-down filmography are still “ About a Boy ” and “ In Good Company ” — has a style that’s by turns genial and prickly. He embeds laughter in the possibility and sometimes the fact of real pain, and extends even his most wayward characters the benefit of the doubt.

Tomlin and Fonda hardly need that. They play Evelyn and Claire, two college pals whose paths cross at the funeral of another old friend. Claire (Fonda), devoted to her pet corgi and a bit chillier with her daughter and grandson, travels from Ohio to Southern California with a sinister plan. She is going to murder the bereaved husband, Howard (Malcolm McDowell). Claire announces this to anyone who will listen, including Howard himself and Evelyn (Tomlin), who signs up as an accomplice.

Howard seems like a generally unpleasant guy, but the reason for Claire’s grudge is grimly specific. It becomes clear fairly early on that “Moving On” is operating in strange and risky genre territory. If the phrase “rape-revenge comedy” sounds like an oxymoron, this movie won’t convince you otherwise. And even though you can’t help but root for the would-be killers to deliver a much-deserved comeuppance, this vengeance is oversweetened and served lukewarm.

Fonda’s wary melancholy effectively communicates the persistence of trauma and Claire’s long-suppressed rage at the man who inflicted it. Tomlin, in the familiar role of bohemian sidekick — Evelyn is a retired cellist — is less flaky than Frankie, and not quite as steely as Elle in “Grandma.” “People think I’m being funny when I’m just talking,” Evelyn observes, which is a pretty good summary of Tomlin’s own comic genius.

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Maggie smith, two-time oscar winner and ‘downton abbey’ star, dies at 89, ‘moving on’ review: jane fonda and lily tomlin flaunt their crack comic timing in a tonally awkward paul weitz film.

The revenge comedy, which had its world premiere at TIFF, pairs the seasoned pros as estranged friends who reunite to settle an old score.

By Michael Rechtshaffen

Michael Rechtshaffen

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After spending seven seasons together effortlessly lobbing one-liners as Grace and Frankie , Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin were well primed to bring their finely honed comic chemistry to a larger canvas, such as the one offered by the new Paul Weitz feature, Moving On .

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On its surface, the set-up — a pair of old friends reunite to permanently (as in, fatally) settle an old score against the recently-widowed bullying husband of a mutual friend — can’t help but hold some undeniable 9 to 5 allure. But when the impetus for that drastic action is finally revealed late in the film, it lands with such a seismic jolt that it effectively stops the proceedings cold to the extent that the movie is never able to convincingly regain its comic footing.

As a result, despite the audience-pleasing presence of its two leads, it could be a challenge for the indie title, arriving at TIFF looking for distribution, to find a suitable home — especially when its target demographic has been more resistant to the idea of leaving the comfort of their streaming devices and venturing back into theaters.

Hiding behind a mousy pair of large glasses and a mane of snowy-white hair, Fonda’s Claire doesn’t exactly look like somebody with a vendetta. But when she shows up at the funeral of a dear friend, she wastes little time greeting the deceased’s cad of a husband (Malcolm McDowell) with a coldly executed, “Howard, I’m going to kill you!”

Evvie, a musician who has lived her life filter-free when it comes to telling it like it is, hasn’t exactly been forthcoming about her own personal situation: She’s had to give up her home and move into an assisted-living facility. But she does manage to upstage Howard’s eulogy, proclaiming herself to be his late wife’s lesbian lover.

In the midst of all the audacity, Claire manages to reconnect with ex-husband, Ralph (a suave Richard Roundtree in a lovely performance), and their ensuing renewed romance lends the film its tender center. But while one would be perfectly happy to spend more time with the two of them, Claire still has unfinished business to conduct with the defiantly unrepentant Howard. And when the gravity of his transgression is finally revealed, the sheer weightiness of it simply feels out of sorts with the misplaced black comedy that both precedes and follows the dramatic showdown.

Although Tomlin (for whom Weitz wrote 2015’s Grandma ) and Fonda are thoroughly capable of taking their characters in any direction required of them, Moving On ultimately strands the actors — and the audience — at an awkward impasse.

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Moving On Reviews

It’s fun to see both women bickering away again.

Full Review | Sep 20, 2024

Moving On is a star vehicle with two leads who drive it like Formula One champions.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 30, 2024

Moving On is not groundbreaking cinema, but it doesn’t need to be. Honestly, it’s the better for it.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 29, 2023

Fans of Netflix’s Grace & Frankie should definitely check out this black comedy which reunites the two female stars of that series -- Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 12, 2023

While the film stumbles from time to time with its pacing and design, Moving On stays with you—thanks to its winning all-star cast.

Full Review | Jul 5, 2023

Just when we thought we were in, it pushes us back out.

Full Review | May 4, 2023

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are obviously NOT Moving On. They’re back on the big screen again, co-starring in a rated R for revenge comedy that’s more Grace and Frankie than 80 for Brady.

Full Review | Apr 10, 2023

Full Review | Apr 7, 2023

A ragged, tonally awkward dramedy redeemed to a considerable extent by the stars’ rapport...more a cinematic morsel than a full meal, but thanks to Tomlin and Fonda the sweet-and-sour mix goes down pretty easily.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 5, 2023

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are worth the watch, but this film doesn't do their talent justice.

Full Review | Apr 3, 2023

Even as the promising puzzle pieces don’t quite gel together, the experience still provides a refreshingly morbid comedy bolstered by the radiant talents of its remarkable stars.

Full Review | Mar 31, 2023

An amusingly edgy geriatric comedy that provides that late career comic duo Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin with their best star vehicle since “Nine to Five.”

Full Review | Mar 30, 2023

Though grounded in the appealing performances by Fonda and Tomlin, the slight film can become too sentimental and overbearing.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Mar 28, 2023

Neither terrible nor great, Moving On will mainly appeal to viewers who like seeing Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin work together on screen. This comedy/drama with a deadly revenge plot is really a harmless story about appreciating true friendships.

Full Review | Mar 27, 2023

I give it a B for its fun nature and easy watch.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Mar 26, 2023

Lily Tomlin provides good comic relief and both she and Jane Fonda are terrific to watch. The film has some secrets to reveal, and everything is carried out in a clever and thoroughly believable manner.

Full Review | Mar 26, 2023

Its flaws as a tragi-comedy are visible, but its stars, script, and especially its purposes make it worthy.

Full Review | Mar 23, 2023

Fonda and Tomlin fit together like a hand in glove, their timing and wit deliver the dark comedy. This is an unusual story calling out how the past can haunt a person well to near the end of their lives and it's a testament to two legendary performers.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 23, 2023

It’s obviously a benefit to this film that Fonda and Tomlin are excellent in their scenes with each other. Still, I’ll go further out on a limb and note how strong their work is when hitting the various dramatic beats throughout this offbeat comedy.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Mar 22, 2023

The “Moving On” cast of Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Malcolm McDowell is a winning combination--you will laugh out loud one minute and tear up the next while viewing the serious scenes.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Mar 22, 2023

‘Moving On’ Review: Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda Stick It to the Man in Irreverent Reunion

'Grandma' director Paul Weitz tries to get in on some of that 'Grace and Frankie' chemistry in a fairly benign comedy with a #MeToo twist.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

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Can you imagine anything more delightful than Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin co-starring in a movie with Richard Roundtree and Malcolm McDowell … in 1972? That was the year Fonda won an Oscar for “Klute” and daffy “Laugh-In” star Tomlin released her first comedy album. The two men were riding high with “Shaft” and “A Clockwork Orange,” respectively. Just think what an ensemble film that played to each of their strengths might have yielded 50 years ago.

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These days, it’s not such a surprise to see the two female actors together. Fonda and Tomlin and seven seasons into “Grace and Frankie,” and they have such good comedic chemistry that their first feature collaboration comes as more of a comfort than a surprise: a “grumpy old broads” comedy, in the tradition of Matthau and Lemmon, where they play Claire (Fonda) and Evelyn (Tomlin), two college roommates reunited for the funeral of a friend. We expect them to act out, and they don’t waste much time doing so.

Claire really does intend to kill Howard — for reasons far tougher than a Paul Weitz movie might suggest — and the next 70-odd minutes are spent alternating between that plan (it’s harder than Second Amendment advocates might like to buy a murder weapon in the state of California) and dealing with unfinished business, like patching things up with ex-husband Ralph (Roundtree), whom she divorced without explanation all those years ago.

Tomlin is here mostly as emotional support and comedic relief: to ask the main character whether she really wants to murder someone and to support her decision, whatever that might be. That was essentially Tomlin’s role in “Grandma” as well, without making any moral equivalencies between abortion and manslaughter. She’s a modern-minded lesbian who does what she wants and supports others’ right to do the same — a mentality that extends to the visiting boy she meets in the halls of her retirement home, encouraging this effeminate kid’s desire to play dress-up and telling him how beautiful he is.

Tomlin’s terrific in this mode. The script is as bland as the “cardboard” they serve in her rest-home cafeteria, but she manages to inject it with vinegar and attitude, while embracing the realities of aging. Getting older doesn’t mean giving up, Evelyn reminds; it means finding a fresh way to laugh off life’s litany of disappointments. Evelyn may roll her eyes and call Claire names — like “cuckoo” and “crazy” — but she was the only person Claire told about what happened with Howard.

The assault destabilized Claire’s life, destroyed her marriage, and went unreported all these years. That’s a hell of a thing to play — not the borderline-slapstick business of buying a gun and aiming it at a man who’s been living with a different memory of the same incident for decades, but the trauma shared by so many women who’ve had to “move on” without justice. Here, it’s Claire’s word against Howard’s, though no one in the audience will have trouble distinguishing the truth.

Fonda doesn’t overplay it. This is not an Oscar movie, and she has no interest in trying to outdo Jodie Foster’s big Charles Bronson turn in “The Brave One.” It’s just a question of what she chooses to do about it. Laughter can be just as cathartic as violence. You’ll never believe the weapon Claire winds up with. When that fails, she’s willing to resort to smothering him with a pillow or running him over with a car. Her desperation starts to look pathetic, which is kind of the point: It’s not about getting even so much as recognizing the deep, lasting damage Howard did to her life.

Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Gala Presentations), Sept. 9, 2022. Running time: 85 MIN.

• Production: Producers: Andrew Miano, Stephanie Meurer, Paul Weitz, Chris Parker, Dylan Sellers. Executive producers: Zach Schiller, David Boies, Tyler Zacharia, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings.
• Crew: Director, writer: Paul Weitz. Camera: Tobias Datum. Editor: Hilda Rasula. Music: Amanda Jones.
• With: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Malcolm McDowell, Richard Roundtree, Sarah Burns.

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Two old friends reconnect at a funeral and decide to get revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before. Two old friends reconnect at a funeral and decide to get revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before. Two old friends reconnect at a funeral and decide to get revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before.

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• Trivia Evelyn paraphrases a line from William Shakespeare 's Richard III. It is from his opening soliloquy, which begins "Now is the winter of our discontent," and continues to "And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover; To entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain; And hate the idle pleasures of these days."

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As far as we know, Grace and Frankie never planned to kill any boarish, horrid men in Grace and Frankie , but if four decades ago you found that 9 to 5 whet your appetite to witness Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin live out that particular fantasy— Moving On delivers.

While Claire (Fonda) and Evelyn (Tomlin) may start out the film as estranged former friends, it’s hard to ignore what a dynamic duo Fonda and Tomlin are, even when they’re at odds with each other. They gravitate towards each other naturally and, no matter who else they have to play off of, their best work exists when they’re together. To a certain extent, Moving On allows Fonda to play against type-casting: she’s still straight-laced and put-together, but she’s also coming unglued and taking high-stakes risks in the name of well-earned revenge.

If Death at a Funeral taught me anything, it’s that funerals make the perfect backdrop for threats of murder and romantic revelations. Moving On may not be a comedy of errors , in the same way as either Death at a Funeral , but it does share similar tonal qualities with the dry, black humor, familial drama, and heightened emotions. All of which are elevated by the wry, irreverent catharsis built into the script and delivered so eloquently by Fonda and Tomlin.

RELATED: 'Moving On': Release Date, Cast, Filming Details, and Everything You Need to Know About Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin's Next Comedy

Decades ago, Claire was assaulted by her college roommate Joyce’s husband, Howard ( Malcolm McDowell ), which was a secret that she was prepared to take to her grave, despite it permanently traumatizing her and wrecking her relationship with Ralph ( Richard Roundtree ), but when Joyce dies, she realizes it’s time to move on by killing him. Naturally, Evelyn has her own motivations to rid the world of Howard, which threaten to paint Joyce in a brand-new light in her family’s eyes, much to his chagrin.

Moving On ’s director-screenwriter Paul Weitz crafts a very straightforward plot, which allows the weight and gravity of the story to settle squarely on the shoulders of viewers. Some critics and audiences may be quick to brand Moving On as a byproduct of a post-#MeToo world , but the motivations built into the script are a tale as old as time. Look at 9 to 5 —women seeking revenge on scumbag men is the kind of power fantasy that puts butts in movie seats.

In the midst of the chaos to rid the world of another creepy man, Claire doesn’t lose sight of the fact that there are still good ones out there, like Ralph, and that sometimes letting go and moving on helps put things in perspective. The film gives equal weight to the idea of rekindling old love as it does the notion of rekindling an old friendship. Both are vital in the pursuit of moving on, and it helps to anchor the dark tint of the emotional baggage Claire has been saddled with.

With its title, Moving On telegraphs what its central theme is: the act of moving on. While Claire’s plot is fairly straightforward, in that she’s trying to move past this horrific trauma she endured, each of the film’s characters is “moving on” in some way, whether it’s moving beyond old fields, moving on to the next stage in life, or moving on to greener pastures. It’s the sort of timeless plot that can be found in any film, but it is made even more poignant when you have a cast comprised of more mature actors. The tragedy isn’t just that Claire endured this horrific assault, but that it has left a mark on her life up into her 80s. She can’t just move on without getting closure.

Moving On is yet another tour de force for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who once again prove that they are a force to be reckoned with. To their credit, Fonda and Tomlin continue to be trailblazers for women (of all ages) as they surround themselves with projects that remind the world that women in their 80s are still funny, determined, sexy, and powerful—and it’s thrilling to see them reclaim these tropes that are often ascribed to much younger actresses. While the storyline doesn’t deliver anything new or revolutionary, it stands as a testament that this specific brand of revenge fantasy appeals at any stage of life.

Moving On is in theaters on March 17, 2023. Check out our interview with some of the cast back at TIFF last year down below:

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Moving On review: For Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, revenge is a dish served lukewarm

Fonda and tomlin have great chemistry but paul weitz's latest film is not the biting dark comedy its deadly premise would suggest.

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda make for great scene partners. This we’ve known for decades. Even if you’d somehow missed their crackling chemistry in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5 , Netflix’s Grace A nd Frankie is a great primer on how much these two legendary actresses love working together. With Moving On , coming shortly after the release of 80 For Brady , where they starred alongside Sally Field and Rita Moreno, it’s clear the two show no signs of stopping their comedic pas de deux. Only, this Paul Weitz project may be a reminder that good chemistry and stellar leading ladies can only get you so far.

Claire (Fonda) and Evelyn (Tomlin) have just lost their treasured best friend, Joyce. When they meet at her funeral, Clair reveals the one reason she’s come all the way from Ohio to California: she’s intent on killing Joyce’s widower, Howard (Malcolm McDowell). Upping the ante, Claire makes this known to her victim: “Now that it can’t hurt her, I’m going to kill you.” And while Evelyn is initially amused if unconvinced, she eventually agrees to help Claire out, for reasons that become clearer the more we learn about her own relationship with Joyce.

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The premise suggests Weitz’s latest pairing with Tomlin (they last worked together in the delightful 2015 film, Grandma ) is a black comedy, one interested in exploring the lengths people will go to redress and address the trauma they’ve endured (often in secret) for decades. After all, conversations between Claire and Evelyn suggest that the driving reason why Claire would buy a gun to shoot a widower has to do with a scarring incident that she has yet to properly grapple with: “I told you to go to the police,” Evelyn reminds her friend, only to be met with that age-old chestnut: “They never would have believed me.” One need not hear more to gather what happened between Claire and Howard all those years ago, so the film saves its most jaw-dropping reveal for Evelyn. And that is best left unspoiled—mostly because Tomlin’s emotionally grizzled performance deserves to be experienced in full.

That’s unsurprising given that Moving On ’s most touching scenes come courtesy of its central comedic duo showing why they have amassed shelves worth of award statuettes over the decades. Such moments, alas, are few and far between, which speaks to the script’s uneven tone. For every affecting scene where Fonda captures what it felt like for Claire to keep a painful secret for years, there’s another that feels written like an SNL sketch (“Two Old Ladies Try To Buy a Gun”).

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Moving On ’s tonal whiplash is what keeps it from handily taking on the serious and complex issues it sketches for its characters. Especially as it tries to argue that maybe the more things change, the more they stay the same. Weitz (2002’s About A Boy ) excels at the sweet-natured exchanges between Claire and Evelyn (and even between Claire and her ex-husband) but falters when he corners his characters into ethically murky territory that gets undercut by slapstick comedy, as if the film needed to constantly reassure its audience that, no, women like Claire and Evelyn couldn’t actually go through with such a harebrained scheme. Nor should they.

The project as a whole can be best enjoyed as yet another chance to visit with these two treasured friends. And that may well be enough. Tomlin and Fonda are in fine form here, even if true to their star personas, they are again playing variations of their on-screen characters. Where Claire is slightly wound up (she frets over leaving her dog with her daughter), Evelyn careens through life with a carefree attitude that allows her dry-witted delivery to often be mistaken for candor. “People think I’m being funny,” she tells Howard, “but I’m just really talking.” To be fair, when it’s Lily Tomlin who’s just “talking,” you can’t help but laugh. Her entrance in the film is enough to make Moving On worth watching.

Ultimately, though, for all the dark humor its plot gestures towards, Moving On is quite a toothless endeavor. Its title is the tell. Murder may be on Claire’s mind but atonement and forgiveness are more of what Weitz has in store for these two old friends. You almost wish Weitz would let himself go to darker places and not sand down the edges of his characters. Instead, we’re left with the pat earnestness of a film whose message boils down to letting the past stay buried and, yes, “moving on” with one’s life.

( Moving On premieres in theaters on March 17)

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Summary Two estranged friends, Claire (Jane Fonda) and Evelyn (Lily Tomlin), reunite to seek revenge on the petulant widower (Malcolm McDowell) of their recently deceased best friend. Along the way, Claire reconnects with her great love (Richard Roundtree) as each woman learns to make peace with the past and each other.

Directed By : Paul Weitz

Written By : Paul Weitz

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Review: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are once again perfectly matched in ‘Moving On’

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If “lovely” is not the first word you’d think would be used to describe a movie about attempted murder, then you haven’t seen “Moving On,” an amusing and bittersweet little tale of love, friendship and, yes, retribution.

Jane Fonda , in one of her best, most resonant film performances since she returned to the screen in 2005, stars as Claire, a twice-divorced grandmother and dog lover who travels from Ohio to L.A. for the funeral of her old college roommate, Joyce. (The film was shot largely in Pasadena, Altadena and Burbank.) But Claire has an agenda beyond just honoring the memory of her departed pal: Now that Joyce is gone, Claire wants to kill Joyce’s husband, Howard (Malcolm McDowell), for vengeful reasons that will unfold as we go.

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But her mission is, admittedly, rather harebrained — in contrast to the seemingly circumspect Claire’s general demeanor. All she knows is that she wants to bump off the hostile, remorse-free Howard. How and when she’ll accomplish that will, she hopes, present itself.

To that end, Claire enlists another college friend, Evelyn (Fonda’s “Grace and Frankie,” “80 for Brady” and “9 to 5” co-star, Lily Tomlin ), who makes a brash entrance at Joyce’s funeral — and is even more unfiltered at her memorial gathering. Though Evelyn, a former orchestra cellist and Joyce’s college-era lover, hasn’t seen Claire in forever, she’s resourceful, crafty and maybe just bored enough with her current life to jump into Claire’s scheme. And the misadventures follow.

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At times, the more audacious Evelyn proves an unexpected voice of reason. But that doesn’t stop her from accompanying Claire to check out a friendly gun shop or bartering with a fellow resident in her senior-living facility for the pistol he supposedly has stashed away (a transaction that offers a nice, twisty payoff).

Howard’s potential killing may be the springboard here, but this compact tale is about so much more than that. Writer-director Paul Weitz, a force behind such other fine character dramedies as “About a Boy,” “In Good Company,” “Admission” and the 2015 Tomlin-starrer, “Grandma,” fleshes out his well-observed script with a wistful array of grace notes for both Claire and Evelyn that play out in unfussy and heartfelt ways.

Whether it’s Claire’s tender reunion with her gentle and equitable ex-husband, Ralph (a wonderful Richard Roundtree), Evelyn’s protective kindness for a tween boy (Marcel Nahapetian) exploring gender expression or Evelyn’s wonder at learning from Joyce and Howard’s devoted daughter (Sarah Burns) that Joyce had kept Evelyn’s age-old love letters, the film beautifully touches on aging, individuality, regret and the bracing freedom of no longer giving a fig.

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Fonda and Tomlin, who’ve become a kind of latter-day female version of Matthau and Lemmon, not only enjoyably display their lived-in chemistry but bring expert nuance and pathos to their characters’ many emotional turns — big and small. If that’s no great shock, given the length, breadth and caliber of their careers, it’s still stirring and impressive to behold.

The murder thread picks up again in earnest in the film’s third act and manages to resolve itself in a series of surprising and satisfying if perhaps slightly convenient moves. But by then we’re so invested in Claire and her deep-rooted cause that, whatever happens, we just want to see her happy. Evelyn too.

In the end, “Moving On” emerges as a feel-good movie by way of some feel-bad events, mainly that heinous slice of history between Claire and Howard. It’s a bit of a tightrope act for sure, but the film engagingly shows that, whatever one’s age, if you can find a way to reconcile the past, the future may prove brighter than you ever imagined.

'Moving On'

Rating: R, for language Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes Playing: Starts March 17 in general release

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‘Moving On’ Review: Jane Fonda And Lily Tomlin Out For The Kill In Paul Weitz’s Rich Dark Comedy

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Writer-irector Paul Weitz wrote the sublime road comedy Grandma for Lily Tomlin , and now at the suggestion of Tomlin, he wrote a new film for both Lily and Jane Fonda , one with characters unrecognizable from the pair they played for seven years on the Netflix sitcom, Grace And Frankie,  in a story tinged with a dark side, as well as some pungent commentary on the effect of sexual trauma, even nearly a half-century later. This is the kind of movie I love, independently made, using great actors in unexpected kinds of roles, running a tight no-fat 85 minutes, and being thoroughly entertaining with something to say as well.

Fonda plays Claire who is attending the funeral of her old college roommate, Joyce. She meets again with another college friend Evie (Tomlin) and confesses her plans don’t include just attending a funeral to pay respects, but also to kill Joyce’s husband Howard (a creepy Malcolm McDowell ) who on a drunken night decades ago, and unbeknownst to his wife, inflicted sexual trauma on Claire, a horrendous experience she never told Joyce about, but like so many victims of sexual abuse has kept it pent up, in her case for 46 years. She has her mind set to carry out her murder plans, and the film actually gets quite a few nervous laughs out of her raw and decided determination. Fonda plays her alternately fragile and confident in her mission, someone confronting finally a past she had hidden away but not afraid to act on it in graphically violent terms. A kitchen knife at the reception will do, or a trip to a gun shop to buy a gun to shoot Howard or a deal made with a friend who might have another kind of gun that will do the trick, or how about just smothering him with a pillow?

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Tomlin’s caustic Evie has her own showcase moments at the funeral and then a reception with revelations of her own that are guaranteed to shock the gathered mourners. Together she and Claire team up to wreak revenge, but this is not broadly played like say the first film in which they co-starred, 1980’s 9 To 5  in which they also teamed to take out revenge on their horrible boss, but here in more deliberate, even quiet ways where you thoroughly believe the damage that has been caused on one night decades ago that was quickly forgotten by the man, but a source of forever pain for the woman.

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In a subplot, Fonda is reunited as well with an old boyfriend (Richard Roundtree) with whom she abruptly broke things off, without explanation. They pick up, now years wiser, where they left off with poignant results.

The title says it all, these are all characters who are “moving on”, but have to erase the wounds of the past before they can do that. Weitz ( About A Boy, Admission, In Good Company, American Pie)  is a writer who can take an outrageous idea and somehow make it plausible which is exactly what he does here. Who hasn’t wanted to kill someone at one point in our lives, but of course would never act on it? Claire convinces you she means business, but this is no over-the-top movie character but a believable older woman out to right a wrong. Fonda goes deep on this one.

No one can deliver a zinger like Tomlin and Weitz has given her some choice material. By the way, their 2014 movie Grandma  which details Tomlin driving her granddaughter played by Julia Garner in order to get an abortion would be ripe for re-release in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade. McDowell, with long ago memories of If…. and  A Clockwork Orange  can play a creep with the best of them and socks this insufferable guy home. Roundtree looks great and has some warm and touching scenes opposite Fonda in a bittersweet reunion between their characters.

Producers are Stephanie Meurer, Andrew Miano, Chris Parker, Dylan Sellers, and Weitz.  Moving On  had its World Premiere tonight at the Toronto International Film Festival and is looking for distribution. UTA is handling sales.

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Review: Tomlin, Fonda anchor darkly comedic ‘Moving On’

This image released by Roadside Attractions shows Lily Tomlin, left, and Jane Fonda in a scene from “Moving On.” (Glen Wilson/Roadside Attractions via AP)

This image released by Roadside Attractions shows Richard Roundtree, left, and Jane Fonda in a scene from “Moving On.” (Glen Wilson/Roadside Attractions via AP)

This image released by Roadside Attractions shows Jane Fonda in a scene from “Moving On.” (Glen Wilson/Roadside Attractions via AP)

This image released by Roadside Attractions shows Lily Tomlin in a scene from “Moving On.” (Glen Wilson/Roadside Attractions via AP)

This image released by Roadside Attractions shows Malcolm McDowell in a scene from “Moving On.” (Glen Wilson/Roadside Attractions via AP)

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The on-screen pairing of Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin is not exactly a novelty at the moment. Seven seasons of “Grace and Frankie” and the movie “80 for Brady” has, perhaps, spoiled us a little lately. And, unfortunately, second-act movies with Hollywood legends have a very hit or miss track record (sorry “Queen Bees” and “Poms”).

But don’t let either of those facts dissuade you from trying out “ Moving On ,” which was written and directed by Paul Weitz (“Grandma,” “About a Boy”) and opens in theaters this weekend. This is one of those rare films that balances a darkly comedic conceit with authentic, emotional resonance, allowing Fonda, Tomlin and co-stars Malcolm McDowell and Richard Roundtree to actually act rather than be demeaned by cheap caricatures of senior citizens.

It begins with a funeral. We never meet the deceased, but it brings the main characters back together again for the first time in a long time. Fonda is Claire, a devoted dog mom and grandmother to uninterested teens, who travels from Ohio to California to purportedly say goodbye to her college friend. But she has something else cooking. When she arrives and greets the new widower (McDowell), she doesn’t offer sympathies, but instead says, “Howard, I’m going to kill you. I’m going to do it this weekend.”

Something happened many years ago with Howard and Claire, while his wife was out of town. It’s not explicitly spelled out until an emotional scene near the end, but you know what it is long before then. She only ever told Evvie (Tomlin). The police, she knew, would have just wondered why she was alone with her best friend’s husband in his house. And she knew that telling her friend would have ruined her marriage and possibly her life. So, she did nothing.

Tomlin, as ever, spins gold out of every line — whether it’s cheesy, throwaway or well-written (and this pic has them all). Her entrance, more memorable, involves stumbling into the chapel, directly onto the stage where Howard is delivering a eulogy for his wife of 51 years.

“Everyone, this is Evelyn. Evelyn was Joyce’s college roommate, believe it or not,” he says.

“Why wouldn’t they believe it,” Tomlin deadpans.

Everyone is lying to themselves and each other a little bit and the death of someone they were close to has given way to ancient secrets and truths bubbling up to the surface. Evvie has her own confession to make, but maybe one that’s better saved for her to reveal. Regardless of what it is, everyone’s suppressed and repressed trauma is coming back with a vengeance.

There is a natural queasiness to any film that tries to mine laughs out of revenge murders but “Moving On” handles this better than many. It’s never too arch or silly and it is, ultimately, about an event that effectively ruined Claire’s life. Roundtree (a lovely presence) plays her ex-husband Ralph – the incident brought down their marriage, too.

Also, and perhaps this is a flaw, but you never really believe that Claire is going to do it even when she’s kind of doing it (there are several attempts). McDowell is great as this grouchy, unrepentant jerk who has deluded himself into thinking that none of these things that either Evelyn or Claire is telling him could possibly have any truth to them. It would be easy to play Howard as simply evil, but McDowell keeps his feet on the ground and allows for some humanity, in spite of everything.

“Moving On” is certainly not perfect, but it’s sincerely trying to be something more than your standard octogenarian farce. You might even be surprised by your own emotional investment in this rather trim film.

Hopefully performances like these will remind screenwriters, directors and those who make the decision about what gets made to give our living legends good roles while we still have them. The actors are still game, and hopefully audiences are too.

“Moving On,” a Roadside Attractions release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “language.” Running time: 85 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

MPA Definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr .

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‘Moving On’ Review: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin Serve Revenge Lukewarm

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Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Roadside Attractions releases the film in theaters on Friday, March 17.

First things first: the marquee attraction of Paul Weitz’s “Moving On” — well, the dual marquee attraction, in the form of perennial co-stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin — is in full effect. The former “9 to 5” compatriots and current “Grace and Frankie” besties are very much the stars of Weitz’s latest, which unfortunately seems to rely mostly on their decades-long partnership to sell a whisper-thin story with major tonal challenges. And while that might be enough to delight some audiences — Jane and Lily! Lily and Jane! — that Weitz so very much admires his stars and so deeply doesn’t know what to do with them ultimately stings.

The quick pitch is a good one, though. Decades after they enjoyed a close friendship with another college pal, Claire (Fonda) and Evelyn (Tomlin) reunite at said pal’s funeral, both with their own big bones to pick. Wacky Evelyn literally enters the solemn affair stage left, interrupting a particularly dry eulogy delivered by the bereaved’s widower Howard (Malcolm McDowell). It’s not just the death of Joyce that has left Howard a bit shaken, it’s also the very recent admission from Claire that she’s going to kill him. This weekend. Ah, decades-long friendship!

While Claire’s reasons for wanting to kill Howard are clear from the start, Evelyn has her own issues with the guy. Both are revealed over the course of the weekend and, in keeping with the confused natured of the film, are unveiled in very different ways, and with  very  different payoffs. Weitz, who also wrote the script, seems to want to dance around just why Claire is so righteously worked up, but that only prolongs the inevitable and obvious, and makes for some hammy lines to boot. At least Evelyn makes off with a genuine shocker, delivered during an awkward wake sequence that could have been stretched out to film for more time, “Shiva Baby” style.

Needless to say, both Claire and Evelyn have stewed on their resentments for decades, and are finally ready to do something about them…maybe. In keeping with the film’s title, the concept of “moving on” is different to each of the film’s primary characters: Claire wants to deliver finality, Evelyn wants to conceal the truth, and Howard just wants away from the drama he’s instigated. (The only character who seems to have any healthy regard for the vagaries of life: Richard Roundtree as Claire’s ex-husband Ralph, randomly called up to the wake by Howard, presumably to distract Claire but really to give the entire nutty situation an added complication.)

As Claire and Evelyn stumble through a botched revenge plot (the need to secure a weapon is picked up and dropped at random, and then mostly involves the acquisition of bacon), Weitz attempts to round out a shaky story with a series of seemingly disconnected subplots. Caustic Evelyn has a sweet side, which Weitz shows off through a well-meaning but wildly out of place subplot in which she helps a young stranger dealing with questions regarding their gender identity. Claire gets her own secondary story, too, as she and Ralph reconnect, which mostly serves as a way for Claire to further interrogate the pain that has driven her to attempted murder.

Other, even stranger elements continually pop up, like a seeming distaste for children (both Claire and Howard’s grandchildren are presented as badly behaved munchkins with little respect for their elders) and a running joke about Howard’s love for lattes. By the time Claire tries to smother the old guy with a pillow, you’ll be cheering for her to succeed, if only to make this frazzled, lukewarm outing end.

Oh, and it’s a comedy. Kind of? Despite being gifted with the formidable talents of both Fonda and Tomlin — an unimpeachable comedic duo — Weitz toggles between playing for laughs and going whole-hog on the darker elements of the story, not just scene to scene, but sometimes even minute to minute. A cloying score from Amanda Delores and Patricia Jones serves only to instruct the audience on how to feel (this is a sad scene, so let’s turn up the strings!; but this is fun, so let’s get boppy!).

How do you mess up a revenge comedy starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin? At least when it comes to that question, “Moving On” might prove to be instructive. Let’s move on from this one, and try again.

“Moving On” premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. 

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• Comedy , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

• March 17, 2023
• Jane Fonda as Claire; Lily Tomlin as Evelyn; Malcolm McDowell as Howard; Sarah Burns as Allie; Richard Roundtree as Ralph; Marcel Nahapetian as James

Home Release Date

• May 16, 2023

Distributor

• Roadside Attractions

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

When Claire walked into the memorial, she didn’t recognize anyone there but Howard. But Howard was pretty much the only person she came to see anyway.

Her best friend, Joyce, had just died, you see. They’d been friends for so many years; through so many seasons of life. But there was one thing Claire had kept from Joyce, one thing that had forced Claire to, well, keep her distance, relatively speaking. There is, however, no reason to keep her distance any longer. No reason to stay away. Nothing she says or does now will ever hurt her friend again.

And there are things to say. Things to do. So Claire waits patiently in a line of people. Slowly making her way to face Joyce’s husband, Howard.

When she finally stands in front of the once-handsome man—weren’t they all more attractive 40, 50 years ago?—she faces him quietly with a soft smile. He grins warmly, looking deeply into her eyes. Now is their time: Claire’s time. She takes a shaky breath and says:

“I’m going to kill you, Howard. I’ll kill you this weekend.”

Claire walks away then, leaving Howard stunned. It’s always good to make a dramatic exit. Now, all she needs to do is buy a gun somewhere. Or maybe a big knife. Poison? She’s never actually followed through on a murder before. But this time is the kicker.

Then Claire spots Evelyn. They had both been so close to Joyce. Though Evelyn had been closer to her in, well, some … more … physical ways. Evelyn was also the only person Claire had ever told about what Howard had done.

And when Claire sees Evelyn, she immediately thinks: Hmmm. A gun is good, but an accomplice might be better.

Many hands make light work they say.

Positive Elements

We also learn that Howard was once an alcoholic, and while kicking the habit he took the time to apologize to those he wronged. (Except for Claire.) Claire also apologizes to her ex-husband for hurting him years before.

Spiritual Elements

Joyce’s funeral service takes place in what appears to be a church, albeit one without any obvious religious symbols to verify that fact.

Sexual & Romantic Content

During a memorial service, Evelyn reveals that she and Joyce were roommates and lesbian lovers for several years. “This was who she was, but not who she wanted to be,” Evelyn laments publicly. Evelyn also notes that she was married to a different woman years later. And she retrieves steamy love letters she sent to Joyce.

Evelyn also makes friends with a young boy who is visiting his grandfather at their retirement home. She senses that this kid has an affinity for women’s fashion and she subtly encourages him in his gender explorations—giving him a pair of clip-on earrings. Later, when the boy’s parents force him to return the earrings, Evelyn confronts his parents and again encourages him to explore his effeminate feelings further.

Claire reunites with her ex-husband, Ralph. He invites her to dinner and the two rekindle past feelings. Claire and Ralph kiss, embrace and make sexual comments to one another. They spend the night together, though the camera cuts away soon after they climb into bed together (both dressed in night wear).

We hear of a time back in college when Claire planned to paint a vagina on the side of a student hall as a form of protest.

Violent Content

We eventually learn that Howard raped Claire 45 years ago. He believes it was a consensual “poor choice” on both of their parts, but Claire remembers it as a drunken and violent rage. (She describes the rape in graphic detail.) And much of the film explores how that alcoholic assault savaged Claire’s life in destructive, negative ways. (Though oddly, Moving On also wants to use that horrible event as fodder for its grim humor.)

In that light, the film winks and chuckles at Claire’s desire to find a way to kill Howard. She tries to buy a gun, pulls a large kitchen knife threateningly and eventually gets her hands on a flare gun that she thinks will get the job done.

Someone has an anxiety attack while screaming angrily, is almost killed when smothered by a pillow, then is killed by a truck. A dog jumps up on an elderly woman, causing her to fall and break her arm.

Crude or Profane Language

Seven f-words and three s-words are joined by one or two uses each of “d–n,” “b-stard” and “h—.”  God’s and Jesus’ names are abused more than a dozen times total (three of those exclamations combining God with “d–n”). Someone is called a “dyke.”

Drug & Alcohol Content

In spite of the horrible influence of alcoholism in the storyline, Moving On doesn’t flinch from showing a lot of heavy drinking. During Joyce’s memorial, for instance, nearly everyone present is drinking wine or some other kind of alcohol. Evelyn sips from a flask. Claire and Ralph have wine and after dinner drinks during their meal together. At one particularly low point, Evelyn pulls a bottle of vodka out of her fridge and offers some to the retirement community’s night watchman. When he refuses, she jokingly offers him pot, cocaine and heroin.

Other Noteworthy Elements

Two women take smiling selfies next to someone’s gravesite.

At first blush, Moving On has the feel of a comedy. Or at the very least it’s a dramedy about octogenarian ladies plotting a clumsy revenge murder.

However, with a bit of screen time, this pic grows a lot less sunny. Or funny. In fact, it turns downright dour as it wrestles with the life-crushing effects of alcoholism and rape. Then, through subplot messaging, it profanely unpacks society’s mistreatment of women, gays and people with gender dysphoria.

In the end, this pic is a poorly scripted, Jekyll-and-Hyde muddle that doesn’t really serve any of its hybrid sides very well.

My advice: Move on .

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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‘Moving On’ Review: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin Captivate In A Black Comedy With Heart

Fonda and tomlin have forgotten more about comedy than most actors will ever learn, and languishing in their rapport is a luxury..

The third feature-length chapter in the Jane Fonda - Lily Tomlin franchise (excluding their Netflix comedy series Grace and Frankie) , is called Moving On. Because it is directed and written by Paul Weitz , a more organized and humane artist than the oafs they usually choose, it is more memorable than the usual farces they’ve concocted in the past—maybe not as fresh and appealing as 9 to 5, but less imaginatively bankrupt than the abysmal 80 for Brady. It just sort of lies there in the middle of a sandwich, like day-old tuna. But the chemistry between two icons is irresistible.

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This time they play two life-long gal pals who reunite in California for the funeral of a beloved mutual third best friend. After the sad farewells, Claire (Fonda) confides in her friend Evvie (Tomlin) at the reception that her trip to Los Angeles has a dual purpose. In addition to honoring the memory of her old college buddy Joyce, she plans to murder Joyce’s husband Howard (welcome back, newly rotund but still lively Malcolm Mcdowell ). After 51 years of Claire and Howard’s marriage during which Claire kept her hatred of Howard hidden for fear of upsetting Joyce, the time has come to free herself of the memory of that fateful night when Howard raped her.

Evvie is shocked, but in a moment of candor, she confesses an even better reason of her own for getting even with Howard: in front of her deceased friend’s husband, friends and grandchildren she announces she and Joyce were passionate lovers and Howard broke up the affair, causing Evvie a lifetime of resentment and rage. After so many decades, Claire and Evvie decide to pool resources, become partners in crime, and eliminate the old bastard for good. The rest of the movie is about the many ways they try to do it and fail. In the process, Claire rediscovers her affection for the ex-husband ( Richard Roundtree , who used to play Shaft) she dumped because her parents disapproved of her marriage to a black man, Evvie comes to terms with her unfulfilled life as a lesbian cellist, and everyone benefits from the self-fulfilling satisfaction of sweet revenge before moving on.

Much of Moving On  defies logic when you hold the plot up to the light for anything resembling close analysis, but the focus shifts from black humor (Claire, ignorantly shopping for firearms) to moments of tenderness (Evvie’s kindness and compassion for a neglected child who comes to visit the retirement home where she lives) and two stars have forgotten nothing about captivating an audience with their skill and craft. I love the way they thrust and parry, upstaging each other without malice while they prove the value of growing old gracefully. They’ve had so much plastic surgery that the trademark wry humor has left Lily Tomlin’s expressions and an ugly white wig and horn-rimmed glasses make Jane Fonda look twice as old as she is, but who cares? They’ve forgotten more about comedy than most actors will ever learn, and languishing in their rapport is a luxury. The film moves too slowly to be consistently funny, but it lacks the dumb sight gags and labored  one-liners that bog most alleged comedies down in padding. Not a great film, but Moving On is a pleasurable enough way to kill an hour and a half without regret.

Observer Reviews are regular assessments of new and noteworthy cinema.

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‘Moving On’ Review: Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin Shine In A Modest, Messy Dramedy [TIFF]

Few things are as important to comedy as the element of surprise, so the first really big laugh in  Paul Weitz ’s  “Moving On”  comes fairly early. Claire ( Jane Fonda ) is going out of town for the weekend, back to her old home for the funeral of a dear friend from college. She arrives at the service, strolls up to her friend’s late husband Howard ( Malcolm McDowell ), and tells him, quietly and evenly, “I’m gonna kill you. Now that she’s gone, now that it can’t hurt her… I’m gonna kill you. I’m gonna do it this weekend.” And she walks into the church.

READ MORE: TIFF 2022: 16 Must-See Films To See At The Toronto Film Festival

Because Claire is soon joined on this little mission by a third college pal, Evelyn, and because Evelyn is played by  Lily Tomlin  (who memorably greets Claire by lowering her sunglasses and throwing her a knowing wink). We think we know what we’re in for; after all, Fonda and Tomlin were two-thirds of the above-the-title cast for  “9 to 5,”  much of which was about those women plotting to kill a man who wronged them. But “Moving On” is not “9 to 5,” which becomes clear when we discover the reason Claire wants to kill Howard: you see, 46 years earlier, while he was married to their friend, Howard raped her. That’s a pretty heavy inciting incident for an otherwise lightweight, sometimes downright mirthful little movie. So Weitz is threading a really delicate needle here, and he sometimes loses the thread.

He did something similar in his last collaboration with Tomlin, the 2015 comedy/drama  “Grandma,”  in which she starred as an aged hippie helping her granddaughter scrape together enough cash for an abortion. But it’s much easier to be light and abstract about abortion – or at least it was, back when it was still legal – than about a violent sexual assault, particularly when its victim describes it in graphic, brutal detail.

READ MORE: Fall 2022 Preview: 60+ Must-See Films To Watch

So that’s a tonal issue, and your mileage may vary on the degree to which it damages the otherwise frothy proceedings. But the reason to see “Moving On” is to see Fonda and Tomlin, a well-practiced two-act from not only “9 to 5” but their recent, long-running (especially for  Netflix ) sitcom  “Grace and Frankie.”  Their dynamic is well established by now: Tomlin is wryly cynical, Fonda sincere; Tomlin does the jokes, Fonda does the heavy dramatic lifting (though there is some overlap). It’s not difficult to buy them as old friends here, because we know they’re old friends off-screen.

The surprise is the lovely chemistry between Fonda and  Richard Roundtree  as her long-ago ex-husband, whom she bumps into, for the first time in years at the funeral. “It’s really nice to see you,” he says, and means it, and since they’re both single now (she’s divorced and he’s a widower) he invites her over for dinner. And when he asks, “May I kiss you,” it’s so sweet that you can’t help but grin. (And let’s not bury the lede here: this is a movie where Shaft and Bree Daniels make out.) What follows is a love scene between two older people that’s both charming and genuinely, honestly funny, and that’s a rare thing indeed. 

“Moving On” is sweet and modest, and also messy and slight, a picture that mostly just wants to hang out with its stars for 85 minutes and treats elements like plotting and characterization primarily as inconveniences. The grace and charisma of its performers, and the considerable goodwill they bring to it, help Spackle over the considerable holes in the script and the gaps in its tone – but just barely. [B-]

Follow along with all our coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Moving On’ on VOD, a Disappointing Lily Tomlin-Jane Fonda Revenge-Comedy Vehicle

Where to stream:.

• Lily Tomlin

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Stream it or skip it: ‘outstanding: a comedy revolution’ on netflix, a documentary about great strides forward for lgbtq+ comedians, 11 best new movies on netflix: june 2024’s freshest films to watch, r.i.p. dabney coleman: ‘9 to 5’ actor dead at 92.

Moving On ( now streaming on VOD services like Amazon Prime Video ) pairs apparent IRL besties Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, again. Their on-and-off-screen duohood began way back in 1980 with 9 to 5 , but hit a new peak in recent years with long-running Netflix series Grace and Frankie , dopey football comedy 80 for Brady and now this, an offbeat revenge dramedy from filmmaker Paul Weitz. The director’s previous film with Tomlin – 2015 gem Grandma , which he wrote specifically for the comedy legend – ended up being creatively bountiful and a career highlight for both, so here’s hoping adding Fonda to the mix resulted in something similarly inspired.   

MOVING ON : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Claire (Fonda) talks to her dog like she’s never gonna see him again: curious. She flies back to California for the funeral of an old friend with a grim sense of purpose. She approaches the widower (Malcolm McDowell) and tells him in a steely tone, “Howard, I’m going to kill you.” OK then! It seems outside the boundaries of appropriate funeral decorum, but she must have her reasons. And then Evelyn (Tomlin) wanders in smack In the middle of the memorial, nonchalantly disrupting Howard’s eulogy as his kids and grandkids look on. Claire, Evelyn and their late friend were tight, very tight, back in college. Something happened. Everyone’s a bit estranged these days. And now, Evelyn and Claire seem to be deep into their DGAF days. And this guy Howard? He’s a real shit. And real shits bring people back together as a united front against his shitness.

At first, the two women are prickly with each other. Evelyn’s a touch cynical, a barbed quip for every situation. She doesn’t want much to do with Claire until she blurts out, “I told him I was gonna kill him this weekend. I’m gonna kill the bastard.” Evelyn’s reply? “I could chat.” They go to the gun store together, but Claire can’t buy one with an out-of-state ID. So much for that? Nah. She’ll just have to stab him at the wake tomorrow. Problem solved.

So. WHAT exactly did Howard DO? It must’ve been awful, but we can only wonder for now, because the movie teases us with the reveal as it gives us some background on our two principals. At the funeral, Claire reconnects with her ex-husband Ralph (Richard Roundtree), who, after decades, still doesn’t understand why she left him; they both moved on, and had children and grandchildren and, at least on the surface, led happy lives. Evelyn, a former concert cellist, goes back to her independent-living apartment in a retirement home, arthritis hampering her ability to play music; her wife passed away and she struggles to fit in at this place, but she has a young friend, the grandson of a fellow resident, who’d rather play dress-up with her jewelry than play ball and shoot guns with his grandpa. The next day, Claire and Evelyn show up at the wake. Claire walks into the kitchen and grabs a big butcher knife, and Evelyn starts dropping nuclear truth-bombs. Old stuff is bubbling up, and apparently, this is how they’re dealing with it.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Well, 9 to 5 found our two enduring and endearing leads concocting a revenge scheme against a sexist pig. But otherwise, Moving On is like The Bucket List crossed with, um, Promising Young Woman ? Yeah, sure, Promising Young Woman .

Performance Worth Watching: Tomlin and Fonda, their chemistry as strong as ever, do one thing extraordinarily well here: it’s called “elevating the material,” and it gives you the sense that the movie wouldn’t work in the slightest with lesser talent.

Memorable Dialogue: Nobody can deliver the following line with as much honesty and credibility as Tomlin: “I don’t hate anybody. It’s too exhausting.” 

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: Moving On is better than you’d expect, especially if you gutted out the cinematic malfeasance that is 80 for Brady . But it’s still not up to the level of its stars, who Weitz leans on – heavily, very heavily – to smooth out the tonally rocky screenplay. It’s a gambit for the writer/director, who gamely attempts to find the sweet spot between the lighthearted and upbeat comedic goodwill Tomlin and Fonda bring to the table, and some dead-serious subject matter, which addresses indelible psychological trauma. (I won’t reveal what happened among these characters decades ago, but whatever you’re thinking it is, it’s probably in the ballpark.)

That isn’t to say this approach to the material could never work, especially considering the talent on the screen, but in this case, it’s a struggle. The screenplay is begging for another pass or two, to enliven the dialogue and smooth out its many inconsistencies – the subplots orbiting Tomlin’s character seem tossed in to fill time, to say the least, and the ungainly blend of slapstick (dog attacks!) and grueling confessionals (Claire confronting Howard for his past evils), to say the absolute most. It’s up to Fonda and Tomlin to sort through the bric-a-brac and find the truth and substance of their characters, and they do, because after all this time in Hollywood, being great is second nature for them. And just as we’re about to give Moving On a generous pass, it drops an infuriating, plausibility-destroying occurrence upon us, and it’s enough to make one want to kick the deus right in its ex machina . Just when we thought we were in, it pushes us back out.

Our Call: SKIP IT. Even two of the all-time greats can’t overcome Moving On ’s myriad problems.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Common Sense Media Review

Mature murder tale is more dark than comic; language.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star in Moving On, a dark, female-centered dramedy about two women who set out to murder their late friend's violent husband, Howard (Malcolm McDowell). Written and directed by Paul Weitz, the story dives into mature subject matter (spoiler alert): The…

Why Age 15+?

Story centers on a plot to assassinate someone. Detailed description of a rape.

Strong language includes "ass," "goddammit," "pain in the butt," "s--t," and sev

Joking offer of an assortment of drugs. Character drinks from a flask and later

Sex between former spouses (not shown). Kiss. References to romance.

Any Positive Content?

Female-centered plot focusing on two White women in their 80s, one of whom is a

We don't need to take the law into our own hands, because karma has its own laws

Claire and Evelyn were good friends to their late friend, Joyce, keeping informa

Violence & Scariness

Story centers on a plot to assassinate someone. Detailed description of a rape. Scene at gun store includes a long conversation about the pros and cons of certain guns and bullets. Attempted murder. Car strikes a person.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language includes "ass," "goddammit," "pain in the butt," "s--t," and several uses of "f--k." Insults include "d-ke" and "whores."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Joking offer of an assortment of drugs. Character drinks from a flask and later pours a couple of vodka shots in hopes of creating camaraderie. Descriptions of an alcoholic's behavior. Wine at an event.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Diverse Representations

Female-centered plot focusing on two White women in their 80s, one of whom is a lesbian; the story includes the struggles associated with their gender and sexuality. Characters of color are positively depicted in supporting roles. Romance between a White woman and a Black man. A boy who enjoys wearing women's clothing is encouraged to be himself. The actors playing his parents are Latino and one, disabled actress Santina Muha, is in a wheelchair.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Messages

We don't need to take the law into our own hands, because karma has its own laws. Deals with issues of identity, friendship, and accountability -- as well as a strong theme of revenge.

Positive Role Models

Claire and Evelyn were good friends to their late friend, Joyce, keeping information to themselves to protect her. But they're also on a mission of violence.

Parents need to know that Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star in Moving On, a dark, female-centered dramedy about two women who set out to murder their late friend's violent husband, Howard ( Malcolm McDowell ). Written and directed by Paul Weitz , the story dives into mature subject matter ( spoiler alert ): The women, now in their 80s, are seeking justice for a rape that occurred decades earlier. The assault is described in detail, and -- perhaps even more upsettingly, especially for victims of sexual trauma -- Howard insists that it was consensual, spouting words and phrases like "delusional," "wanted it," and "one of those women who are never satisfied." Identity is one of the film's themes, and a lesbian expresses the challenges that existed for her in the decades before her sexuality was more accepted. She tries to be a supportive friend for a 10-year-old boy who likes to dress in women's attire. Other diverse representations include the boy's mother, a Latina woman in a wheelchair (disabled actress Santina Muha) and an interracial relationship. Adult characters drink out of a flask and make a joke about drugs. Insults/swear words include "whores," "d-ke," "f--k," and more. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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What's the Story?

In MOVING ON, old college buddies Claire ( Jane Fonda ) and Evelyn ( Lily Tomlin ) reunite at the funeral of their mutual friend Joyce. With Joyce no longer in danger of being hurt, the friends set out to settle the score with her widower, Howard ( Malcolm McDowell ), whose cruelty set their friendship adrift decades earlier.

Is It Any Good?

While this dark comedy may not excel at comedic entertainment, it effectively sears the impact of sexual violence into viewers' minds. Let's just say that Fonda and Tomlin have never been afraid to take risks to make a statement through their craft. Comedies in which characters plot to kill a bad person aren't new, and maybe the fact that we can laugh at this idea says something about society/humanity. What's tonally challenging for a comedy is the realism of why these women want to kill their friend's husband: violent sexual assault. But that discomfort is what makes the scene in which the victim confronts her attacker 45 years later all the more memorable, not only because of her approach to recounting the incident, but also due to his self-protecting denial. Weitz takes a light approach in shining his spotlight on something so harsh, and perhaps that will help the dynamic of believability among victims and attackers continue to change.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how comedy can be a way to shed light on difficult topics or subject matter. Does Moving On accomplish that successfully?

How do we see that the secrets Claire and Evelyn were holding to protect Joyce were actually damaging to them? Might there have been a better way for them to manage the information they were holding?

Weitz says he wrote Moving On as a kind of Western, "with a gunslinger coming to town to get revenge on a man who wronged her, and saddling up with an old friend to help her." What similarities do you see? Take a movie you like and envision it in a different genre: What would it look like?

Talk about Evelyn's drinking: Why do we see her drink from a flask and pour straight vodka as a way to socialize? What's the message of this behavior?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 17, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : May 16, 2023
• Cast : Jane Fonda , Lily Tomlin , Malcolm McDowell
• Director : Paul Weitz
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Gay actors
• Studio : Roadside Attractions
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Friendship
• Run time : 85 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language
• Last updated : September 17, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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