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Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Maggie Smith, Dan Hedaya ... see more see more... , Bronson Pinchot , Marcia Gay Harden , Elizabeth Berkley , Philip Bosco , Stockard Channing , Stephen Collins , Jennifer Dundas , Victor Garber , Eileen Heckart , James Naughton , Sarah Jessica Parker , Rob Reiner , Ari Greenberg , Ivana Trump , Heather Locklear

Three women plot revenge on their two-timing husbands in this comedy. Brenda (Bette Midler), Elise (Goldie Hawn), and Annie (Diane Keaton) were close friends in college, but 27 years after graduation ... read more read more...they've lost touch with each other, and it's not until a mutual friend of the three commits suicide that they meet at the funeral for the first time in years. It seems that their friend grew despondent after her husband left her for a younger woman, and all three find themselves in similar situations. Elise is an actress who finds herself out of work now that she's seen the shady side of 40, and her husband and producer Bill (Victor Garber) is demanding a divorce (and half of her fortune). Brenda helped her husband Morton (Dan Hedaya) open a profitable chain of discount electronics stores, but now that his commercials have made him a minor celebrity, he's taken up with a much younger (and thinner) woman. Annie has allowed her husband Aaron (Stephen Collins) to use her as a doormat throughout their marriage, and she's at a loss now that he's leaving her. After comparing notes, Brenda, Elise, and Annie decide that it's time to do something about their problems, and they hatch an elaborate blackmail scheme that will win them control of their ex-husband's businesses and allow them to do something positive with the money they helped earn. Heather Locklear and Ivana Trump both make cameo appearances. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

66% liked it

60,774 ratings

Critics

39% liked it

33 critics

PG, 1 hr. 42 min.

Directed by: Hugh Wilson

Release Date: September 20, 1996

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DVD Release Date: December 1, 1998

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Stats: 2,507 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,507)

  • BEACHBUNNI
    April 9, 2011
    BEACHBUNNI
    loved this chick flick! is revenge sweet? hell yeah these chicks kick ass!!!!
  • SirPant
    October 2, 2009
    SirPant
    It feels really dated now, it probably did then too, it?s was easily made 7 years too late! Still, Goldie Hawn is sexy and...well, that's about it. Its predictable and schmaltzy, very Jewish but, like I said, a bit late. Keaton looks uncomfortable in the role, Midler has been in ... read moreworse I suppose and Jennifer Annison owes a lot to Hawn big time! It had a few funny moments but overall its forgettable (and ends in a song, *ugh*)
  • JennifairyW
    October 5, 2008
    JennifairyW
    "Ladies, you have to be strong and independent, and remember, don't get mad, get everything."
  • mwilliams078
    January 27, 2008
    mwilliams078
    I absolutely love this movie....I love all three ladies in this movie; Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler...they are all hilarious in this movie. This film shows when these three women get together and there men leave them that they can be strong and get even.....wish al... read morel of these ladies would star in another movie.
  • thmtsang
    July 14, 2007
    thmtsang
    Funny comedy about how first wives get their own back on their husbands when their friend dies.
  • jjnxn
    April 4, 2007
    jjnxn
    okay, but I must have missed something
  • superclerk25
    February 26, 2007
    superclerk25
    Funny. The cast worked well together and made the movie work.
  • mjgildea
    November 27, 2006
    mjgildea
    i remember liking it at the time but that was a long time ago.
  • dreamfaeries
    November 7, 2006
    dreamfaeries
    Hilarious.
  • crazydannielle16
    January 24, 2012
    crazydannielle16
    A powerfully girl powered chick flick that is full of laughs and feel-good moments. Feminists will love this one because it's all about three women who plot revenge on their two-timing husbands. The three characters are very well developed and I felt like they could almost be re... read moreal people going through real problems. I felt their pain and cheered for them all the way!

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Critic Reviews

January 1, 2000
USA Today

Diane Keaton is at her best here, Goldie Hawn has never been this good, and we know going in that Bette Midler is virtually tailored to a raucous farce about the sweet revenge of spurned spouses.

Michael A. Smith
November 2, 2005
Michael A. Smith, Nolan's Pop Culture Review

Funny film with the three leads in top form.

Fred Topel
July 14, 2003
Fred Topel, About.com

Suprisingly funny lighthearted comedy dealing with divorce. Lackluster conclusion, but good "feel good" tone.

James Sanford
July 29, 2002
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette

"glossy fluff, impeccably cast and performed"

Jeffrey Westhoff
June 18, 2002
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

More entertaining than it ought to be, considering how sloppily it was put together.

Michael Dequina
January 1, 2000
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

Trite, labored, and much too nice. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
September 7, 2011
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

Leonard Klady
March 26, 2009
Leonard Klady, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Edward Guthmann
June 18, 2002
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

Click to read the article Full Review

April 12, 2002
Globe and Mail

Click to read the article Full Review

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The First Wives Club Trivia

  • Sarah Jessica Parker stars along side Bette Midler in The First Wives Club, what other movie do they star together?   Answer »
  • name the movie that stars Goldie Hawn, Dianne Keaton, and Bette Midler?  Answer »
  • Combine the missing words to make a new movie. Dawn of _____ Dead _____ Daughter The Stepford _____ Fight _____  Answer »
  • In what film is the tag line: "Don't get mad, get everything"?  Answer »
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