Tuesday Night Book Club, Episode 1: What Happens in Book Club Stays in Book Club

This show was shot in Scottsdale in spring, 2006. Seven friends let cameras document their relationships, and the narrator reminds us that they are not actors. You know, just in case you’ve never heard of reality TV. Each episode represents one week in their lives. The narrator tells us to “never judge a book by its cover.” We see quick clips of the seven women tearfully talking about their lives. The narrator also promises us that the secrets that will be revealed will “astonish everyone.”

We quickly meet each of the women. There’s Tina, the divorced mom, Kirin, the doctor’s wife, Cris, the loyal wife, Jenn, the trophy wife, Lynn, the newlywed, Sara, the party girl, and Jamie, the conflicted wife.

These women “may appear to lead dream lives,” but the narrator tells us things are more complicated. It’s Tuesday, and they all meet at Tina’s house for book club. She’s known some of the women for years, but others are new friends. Several of them admit that they haven’t read the book. Tina points out the title of the book – Good In Bed. That book, for anyone who hasn’t read it, is by Jennifer Weiner. I think that she is one of the finest writers saddled with the stigma of being “chick lit.” Also, her last name makes me giggle.

Tina is 46 and is the oldest woman in the book club. She may seem to be in control, the narrator says, but when she’s alone, she feels self-doubt. She cries about how hard it is to be a single parent. Lynn jokes that her sex life hasn’t kicked in yet, even though she’s only been married for six months. She argues with him about various things around the house. The narrator tells us that it drives her husband Eddie crazy that she makes more money than he does. She argues with him about whether or not she should loan him money. Eddie, by the way, is inexplicably shirtless in this scene. Lynn wonders if her marriage will stick. She tells the women that she comes home, finds out he hasn’t called the landscaper, so she’s less excited about sleeping with him.

Kirin says that she always used to be up for “on the table, anywhere!” She has a beautiful home and is married to a doctor, but she’s having a hard time holding things together. She says it’s hard to get him to have a quickie. Tina has some suggestions, but Kirin doesn’t think he’d like it if she straddled him in a short skirt. Really? Huh.

Jenn says her husband would love it. Jenn, the narrator tells us, is very rich. We see clips of her getting massages and shopping. But she has a secret. She says they have a lot of sex.

Sara is “young, single, and adventurous. She wants to start her own business, but she’s having a hard time getting serious. Jamie is her age, but her life is different. She got married when she was 19 and has trouble because she never sowed her wild oats. She is considering leaving her husband.

Jamie says that stress has taken its toll on her sex life. She looks sad. The other women look on with sympathy. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Tina asks about counseling. She thinks it’s worth a shot. Cris thinks Jamie should try it so she’ll know she’s done her best.

Cris is the most recent member of the club. She has a chaotic house full of kids and animals. She says that her husband has an addiction problem, and it’s been tough to put things back together. She says that her addiction is animals. Honey, that is not the same thing. She says she’s holding her breath to see what happens. He has enough good qualities that she wants to stick it out. The narrator says that the next few weeks will be difficult.

The narrator says that good friends, like good books, will entertain us and stick with us forever.

The next day, we’re at Lynn and Eddie’s house. They just bought a new house, but things aren’t going so well. Eddie tells her to be nice to him. They fight over who will carry a box. She says, “You love me,” and he says he doesn’t… kind of playfully. He says that she’s a pack rat. She says he could throw away his own stuff, but “nothing is yours.” That didn’t go over well. They argue over the right way to unpack the plates. She says that she’ll need his help before the housewarming party. There’s a toilet to be fixed, as well as a sliding glass door. He says he works, too. She’s frustrated – will he help her with something? She says that it needs to get done, and she can’t do it all. He thinks it was stupid to have a party the week they move in. He thinks she wants to show off.

She says that he needs to step up to the plate, and Eddie says Lynn sounds like her dad. This is apparently a sore subject. Eddie says that if he hadn’t brought up Lynn’s dad, “He would have snooped in somehow.” Lynn doesn’t appreciate that one bit. He tells her to go get something to eat. She’s not hungry and sends him to get something.

Meanwhile, Kirin is taking care of her kids. It’s her son’s first day of school, and she’s faced with an empty nest. She dabs at her eyes with a tissue and gets an extra long hug from her daughter. It must be her son’s first day of preschool, because he looks pretty young, not to mention that she’s carrying him everywhere. She leaves reluctantly, and the teacher assures her he’ll be fine. Aw, poor Kirin! She returns home and pets the dog, asking him to keep her company. Her house is freakishly clean, so I don’t know what she’s going to do with her time. She sits alone, staring off into the distance.

Cris is happy that her husband Matt is home with the family. She is still struggling with his betrayal, so she’s going to a support group for help. She reveals that he’s been gone for 9 months. She says that her kids are having a hard time. He relapsed, she recalls, and asked her for gas money. She drove with him and put the gas in the car. Her daughter was in the back seat. He kissed her, and she said, “You’re the best daddy I ever had,” through tears. He walked away, and remembering it breaks Cris’s heart. She can’t understand how his addiction could be more powerful than their daughter’s words. She says she can’t relate to what he’s going through at all. Cris adds that if he relapses, he’s gone. Does Matt know that? She says he does.

Cris is taking care of a horse and asks her husband to bring her some hay. She says that Lynn is having a housewarming party, but it’s a stock the bar party. He says he feels good and is ready to handle being around the booze. He says he’s not having cravings and it wont’ be a big deal. She’s not so sure. She can’t quite trust him yet. Matt says that if they’re uncomfortable, they’ll leave. He says he can’t hide from it all the time. She gives him a hug.

Jamie says that she has no experience other than being married. He says that with their schedules, they don’t get to spend much time together. She pauses a long time before answering and says that it’s been that way for a while. She cut her hours once, and he ended up working more. He says he’s sorry – it put a lot of stress on their marriage. She gives a long sigh and says that things seem incomplete. We get a long montage of them looking at each other meaningfully while a song with the words “set me free” plays repeatedly.

Cris and her family play on the bed with a bazillion animals, including a skunk, while Matt reads Daily Reflections. Cris says that the Humane Society called her to tell her about a dog. She must be on their Sucker List. He thinks they’d have to give up a kid. She swears it’s temporary, but he’s not buying it. Matt says he’d go lower down the totem pole.

Jamie walks to her minivan, suitcase in hand. A song helpfully tells us htat she feels alone and is better off that way. I’m so glad that we have the songs and the narrator so we don’t have to think for ourselves. She heads to Tina’s house.

They have wine and chocolate. Jamie says her husband asked if she loves him like a family member or passionately. Jamie says she loves him. It’s sad, because they’ve been married for six years. She says they’ve talked about divorce. Tina says she’ll help her if that’s what she wants to do.