Moving On

The on-screen chemistry of real-life pals Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin ensures that Moving On doesn’t settle for another cinematic victory lap about spunky seniors making the most of their golden years.

Examining familiar themes of aging, grief, mortality, and the value of enduring friendships, this bittersweet dark comedy coasts on the rapport of its legendary stars trading barbs and tears.

The result is slight but quietly affecting, with heartfelt performances keeping it grounded whenever it shifts tones too abruptly or veers into heavy-handed sentimentality.

The film opens with a funeral for a mutual acquaintance, attended by Claire (Fonda) and Evelyn (Tomlin) with ulterior motives. They’re estranged, too, with Claire placing the blame squarely on the overbearing widower, Howard (Malcolm McDowell).

Evelyn is a misanthropic cellist who enjoys awkwardly causing a ruckus with her sarcasm, which stems from years of being burdened by grudges and rancor. “People think I’m being funny, but I’m really just talking,” she reasons while stirring up another scene.

While Evelyn’s endgame is a bit cloudier, Claire makes it clear that she wants revenge for Howard’s past wrongs. But she’s not clear how to execute her mischievous malevolence, so she proposes a partnership. If Evelyn can find a gun, Claire will pull the trigger, for example.

Meanwhile, the septuagenarian schemers are each dealing with issues in their respective personal lives. Evelyn is bitter over her recent move into assisted living, and Claire rekindles the spark with an old flame (Richard Roundtree). As secrets are revealed about the ladies’ shared past, does it justify Claire’s vengeful rage?

Moving On is another playful vehicle for the pair — who have developed an amusing Lemmon-and-Matthau vibe in recent projects together, with a sassy female twist — that might fit equally well on stage.

Evelyn’s acerbic wit gives Tomlin many of the best one-liners, while Fonda finds compassion in a character who likewise is stubborn and strong-willed yet also sensitive and vulnerable.

Along the way, the screenplay by director Paul Weitz (Grandma) promotes messages of reconciliation and not dwelling on the past, while emphasizing that you’re never too old to repair relationships.

The modest relevance of those easily digestible nuggets, like the film itself, isn’t subject to generational boundaries.

Rated R, 85 minutes.