Crosswalk.com

Boynton Beach Club

compiled by Jeffrey Overstreet
from Film Forum, 08/31/06

When a community of the divorced and the widowed gather in a bereavement group, they suddenly learn that their lives are far from over. Before you know it, the members of The Boynton Beach Club are acting like a bunch of reckless teenagers.

A critic for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops praises director Susan Seidelman's film as "a touching story . … For the most part, Seidelman has avoided hackneyed treatment, and the film conveys worthy messages about recovery from grief, finding unexpected love, and rebuilding self-esteem. … Unfortunately, as with most films these days, the implied permissiveness that comes with looking for love—even at an advanced age—usually translates into a physical relationship."

You'll find mixed reviews in mainstream publications, most of them finding it somewhere between mildly enjoyable to "bland."