Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mature murder tale is more dark than comic; language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Moving On
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In MOVING ON, old college buddies Claire (Jane Fonda) and Evelyn (Lily Tomlin) reunite at the funeral of their mutual friend Joyce. With Joyce no longer in danger of being hurt, the friends set out to settle the score with her widower, Howard (Malcolm McDowell), whose cruelty set their friendship adrift decades earlier.
Is It Any Good?
While this dark comedy may not excel at comedic entertainment, it effectively sears the impact of sexual violence into viewers' minds. Let's just say that Fonda and Tomlin have never been afraid to take risks to make a statement through their craft. Comedies in which characters plot to kill a bad person aren't new, and maybe the fact that we can laugh at this idea says something about society/humanity. What's tonally challenging for a comedy is the realism of why these women want to kill their friend's husband: violent sexual assault. But that discomfort is what makes the scene in which the victim confronts her attacker 45 years later all the more memorable, not only because of her approach to recounting the incident, but also due to his self-protecting denial. Weitz takes a light approach in shining his spotlight on something so harsh, and perhaps that will help the dynamic of believability among victims and attackers continue to change.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how comedy can be a way to shed light on difficult topics or subject matter. Does Moving On accomplish that successfully?
How do we see that the secrets Claire and Evelyn were holding to protect Joyce were actually damaging to them? Might there have been a better way for them to manage the information they were holding?
Weitz says he wrote Moving On as a kind of Western, "with a gunslinger coming to town to get revenge on a man who wronged her, and saddling up with an old friend to help her." What similarities do you see? Take a movie you like and envision it in a different genre: What would it look like?
Talk about Evelyn's drinking: Why do we see her drink from a flask and pour straight vodka as a way to socialize? What's the message of this behavior?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 17, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : May 16, 2023
- Cast : Jane Fonda , Lily Tomlin , Malcolm McDowell
- Director : Paul Weitz
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Roadside Attractions
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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