MOVING ON -- Another Fun Pairing of Fonda and Tomlin

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Jane Fonda in MOVING ON. Photo Credit Aaron Epstein. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have been good friends for many years, ever since they did 9 to 5  in 1980. Recently, they reteamed together in 80 for Brady as two of four women whose dream is to go to the Super Bowl, starring alongside Sally Field and Rita Moreno. Now they pair up again in Moving On.

The film starts at the funeral of a woman. Two women who attend the funeral are Claire and Evelyne (Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin). They were friends of the deceased. They both blame her husband Howard (Malcolm McDowell) for the death. Even though they aren't close anymore, they team up to try to get rid of the deceased woman's husband for what they believe he did to her.

These two legends of the big and small screen are fantastic together in whatever film they do. They just know the ins and outs of each other's personalities regarding their acting ability. This comes easy for them. The comedy flows because they are enjoying working together at this point in their lives. Even though there are some heavy themes in Moving On, they make them seem light and not as serious. It's their charm together that does that.

Lily Tomlin in MOVING ON. Photo Credit Aaron Epstein. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

Despite the main plot of the two women seeking revenge for their friend's death, there are a few subplots. Fonda has a fling with another older gentleman who attends the funeral played by Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree. Together, these two realize how much life they have left, and that they have to make the most of it. Also, Tomlin's character has this resentment, and she needs to figure out how to deal with it in her life. 

Reuniting with her friends helps her.Films regarding death can be a mixed bag, but Moving On handles these topics nicely. The film doesn't dwell too much on death, even though a funeral is at the center of it, and the women are looking to kill the husband. It's more focused on how they can make the most of the time they have left. At an hour and twenty-five minutes, it goes by quickly and doesn't drag too much.

Moving On is a film that deals with some difficult subject matter by mostly making light of it. The relationships past and present are the focal point, and the collaboration between Fonda and Tomlin is the best part of the movie. They seem so good together in recent and past films they've done together. The brisk pace makes this a movie worth seeing. You don't have to dwell on it for too long.

Moving On hits theaters on March 17.

Rating: 3/5