About the film

THIS IS BOOK CLUB is a darkly funny look at anxiety, self-doubt, and the relentless urge to belong — even (or especially) in middle age. It urges us to trust that inner voice whispering: get out while you can.

When lonely, socially anxious Jane (Robyn Okrant) joins a book club to make friends, she soon discovers that middle-aged women in sweater sets can be savage. At the center of it all is the club’s unnervingly perfect leader — the hostess with the mostess — Marilyn (Laura Jane Young). She makes everything seem effortless. Jane is drawn to Marilyn and the possibility of being adopted into her gaggle of gal pals. However, as the night draws on, Jane begins to suspect that, in this cul-de-sac kingdom, fitting in might be the most dangerous thing of all.

From the writer/director:

I have struggled with debilitating social anxiety since my teens. Over the decades, I’ve turned down hundreds — possibly thousands — of invitations, opting to stay home on my very safe, non-judgmental couch. Avoiding uncomfortable situations is my modus operandi. (I can’t even shop at Trader Joe’s lest the cashier ask me about my day or what I plan to do with a block of vegan feta cheese.) And while I make light of this issue, my inability to overcome anxiety has left me scarred with regret.

When I became a parent seven years ago, I made a concerted effort to change. I wanted to model healthy behavior for my daughter or, at the very least, create the illusion that she has a stable mother. I began work with a therapist who specializes in Exposure Therapy. The experience was equal parts helpful and horrendous.

During one difficult appointment, after I said NO to every social challenge the therapist laid out for me, she asked, “Robyn, what’s the worst thing that could happen if you chose yes instead of no?” In response, I sat down at my desk that night and wrote This Is Book Club.

This Is Book Club is a satirical look at the anxieties I face as a woman in middle age. (But I want to be crystal clear: just because I’m paranoid, doesn't mean that suburban women in sweater sets aren’t out to get me.) The film has allowed me to explore my fears and laugh at them. It’s an invitation for others to do the same — use humor as a stepping stone to hike up and over a seemingly insurmountable mountain of fear.

-Robyn Okrant