''Boynton Beach Club'' is a 2005 American

romantic comedy film Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

directed by Susan Seidelman, produced by her and her mother Florence. Based on experiences of Florence and her widowed friend David Cramer at an adult enclave in Boynton Beach (a city in

Palm Beach County, Florida Palm Beach County is a county located in the southeastern part of Florida and lies directly north of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. The county had a population of 1,492,191 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous county ...

), the film was scripted by Susan Seidelman and

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...

writer Shelly Gitlow.

Plot

Marilyn (

Brenda Vaccaro Brenda is a feminine given name in the English language. Origin The overall accepted origin for the female name Brenda is the Old Nordic male name ''Brandr'' meaning both ''torch'' and ''sword'': evidently the male name Brandr took root in areas ...

) is a woman unexpectedly plunged into grief when her otherwise healthy husband is killed by Anita Stern (

Renée Taylor Renée Adorée Taylor (née Wexler; born March 19, 1933) is an American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director.Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing the screenplay for the film ''Lovers and Other Strangers'' ...

), who was talking on her cell phone while backing her car out of a driveway. Marilyn is introduced to the Boynton Beach Bereavement Club by Lois (

Dyan Cannon Dyan Cannon (born Samille Diane Friesen; January 4, 1937) is an American actress, director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. Her accolades include a Saturn Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Academy Award nominations, and a star on the Ho ...

), a talkative and flirtatious decorator who also serves as the club's unofficial social director. Meanwhile, Harry (

Joseph Bologna Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 – August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films ''My Favorite Year'', ''Blame It on Rio'' and ''Transylvania 6-5000 (1985 film), Transylvania ...

) tutors the newly widowed Jack (

Len Cariou Leonard Joseph Cariou (; born September 30, 1939) is a Canadian actor and Theatre director, stage director, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'', for which he wo ...

) in the related skills of cooking and courtship, while Jack comes to terms with secret wishes he never knew his late wife had. Harry considers himself a ladies' man, but his confidence is temporarily shaken when an Internet "dream date" turns out to be a prostitute ( Janice Hamilton). Jack eventually gives in to the interest from Sandy (

Sally Kellerman Sally Clare Kellerman (June 2, 1937 – February 24, 2022) was an American actress and singer whose acting career spanned 60 years. Her role as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in Robert Altman's film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970) earned her an Oscar no ...

), with whom he re-discovers his sexuality and capacity to love, but they have to overcome Sally's discomfort with being divorced and not widowed. Lois herself begins dating Donald (

Michael Nouri Michael Nouri (born December 9, 1945) is an American screen and stage actor. He is best known for his television roles, including Dr. Neil Roberts on ''The O.C.'', Phil Grey on ''Damages'', Caleb Cortlandt on ''All My Children'', Eli David in ...

), who fears his real profession as an exterminator may turn off Lois who thinks he's a real estate developer, while she fears letting him know her real age. After Marilyn faces Anita down over her loss, the other issues come to a head at the club's New Year's Eve party, modeled after the sock hops they all enjoyed in their youths.

Cast

— Harry *

— Lois *

— Jack *

— Sandy *

— Donald *

— Anita Stern *

— Marilyn * Mal Z. Lawrence — Marty

Release

Shot in 2005, ''Boynton Beach Club'' premiered in the

Hamptons International Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October a ...

East Hampton, New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a total ...

. It was then released to theaters in South Florida on March 17, 2006 and wider on August 4, playing in six states:

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The film's working title was ''The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club''.

References

Holden, Stephen. ''The New York Times'' (August 4, 2006), p. B10: "Crazy Mixed-Up Teenagers Who Are All Well Past 60"Lovece, Frank. ''Film Journal International'' (review)

External links

* * {{Susan Seidelman 2005 films 2005 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films Boynton Beach, Florida Films scored by Marcelo Zarvos Films directed by Susan Seidelman Films set in Florida Roadside Attractions films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films