Edie and Pen are two women who came to Reno to divorce their husbands. Young and cheerful Edie had spent only two weeks with a spouse who left her five years ago; more mature and high-strung Penelope (a.k.a. Pen) had been married for more than nine years. Five minutes of formalities - and both women are free. Free to do what? Edie has "plan B" - her fiancee is waiting, tomorrow she's going to marry him in Acapulco. And Pen... she has nothing but freedom now - freedom to get drunk in bars, take pills and wake up in bed with local dude who seems even more miserable than herself. Yet life is beautiful and full of surprises - both women will appreciate the slyness of fate in final sequences. "Edie and Pen" is "The First Wives' Club" from the feminine point of view. Unlike "Club", this movie boasts neither flashy wittisisms courtesy of Paul Rudnick nor gorgeous female movie stars in their early fifties who look their late twenties. Yet the pic's amusing, sad, funny, sometimes tragic, sometimes comedic (Pen's first "big night" with a man turns out to be such a global disaster!) and irresistibly charming. "Edie and Pen" is a very rare exhibit of moviemaking where laughter is intertwined with tears as romantic hopes are constantly crashed by life's absurdity. Because everything in this world is deceptive. The man you once married for pity turns out to be cold liar. Good-natured guys who invited you for a ride, can leave you alone on desert freeway at the night. A man who looks like weathered cowboy turns out to be pharmacist. And the girl who wants to be your friend... well, enough spoilers! All it should be said here - that pic's scribe Victoria Tennant wrote clever and memorable tale with twisted bittersweet ending. Tennant's script and Matthew Irmas' even direction allow all the actors to show their best. There are many nice cameos in the movie - including Louise Fletcher as judge in court, Beverly D'Angelo as barmaid and Stuart Wilson as Pen's ex-husband who gets asleep every time he hears the word "sex". Jennifer Tilly is very touching as silly, funny and optimistic Edie. Scott Glenn finds a rare opportunity to show his gift for physical and verbal comedy as Harry, ageing seducer who had slept with all women in Reno and now has to pay for his past sins. Glenn's role in "Edie and Pen" shows that his acting range is much wider than his traditional action guy image - his irresponsible and restless Harry stirs up laughter, pity, anger and, at the end, deep sympathy. But, of course, movie belongs to Stockard Channing who proves here that her character in "The First Wives' Club" had an option - not extremely romantic, but... Maybe Pen's new boyfriend will prove to be capable of loving a woman almost as much as he loves his dog.
Review of Edie & Pen
