It's hard to pick between Fonda and Tomlin which one to take a whack at because they're both emulating the various elements of MacLaine's Ouiser Boudreaux from "Steel Magnolias". Both cranky and filled with anger (towards the recently widowed Malcolm McDowall), they have plans for revenge, one plotting his murder and the other outing the dead woman for lesbian feelings. Fonda, a two time divorcee, is reunited with a husband from a brief interracial marriage years ago (the recently widowed Richard Roundtree), while lesbian cello player Tomlin is mentor to a pre-teenager confronting gender identity issues.
This one's going to get mixed reactions for the obvious agendas, although as I got to know both Fonda and Tomlin's characters, the more I began to like them for their refusal to be traditional octogenarians and obviously non-conformists who've kept their age of aquarius liberal values. Fortunately, they are middle of the road liberal so the issues aren't far too extreme and it doesn't end up being preachy. The revenge plot is underplayed as Fonda is like an ancient female version of the coyote with McDowall the road runner who's going to get his, but not by the way Fonda intends. I laughed more at the ecerbic attitude of the characters and their determination to remain in control even if their intentions are questionable.
This one's going to get mixed reactions for the obvious agendas, although as I got to know both Fonda and Tomlin's characters, the more I began to like them for their refusal to be traditional octogenarians and obviously non-conformists who've kept their age of aquarius liberal values. Fortunately, they are middle of the road liberal so the issues aren't far too extreme and it doesn't end up being preachy. The revenge plot is underplayed as Fonda is like an ancient female version of the coyote with McDowall the road runner who's going to get his, but not by the way Fonda intends. I laughed more at the ecerbic attitude of the characters and their determination to remain in control even if their intentions are questionable.