“The First Wives Club,” Olivia Goldsmith’s 1992 debut novel, made such a big impression on readers that it stayed on the NYT bestseller list for over 15 weeks. It predates the phenomenon of “Chick Lit” by a few years, but had all of the elements that made the genre successful—humor, romance and a little edge.

Paramount swept in and acquired the rights and in 1996, superstars Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton were cast as the stars. On Sept. 20, the film will be 30 years old. 

The story centers on the three women whose husbands trade them in for younger versions. The women are all old friends. They reunite at their friend, Cynthia’s (Stockard Channing) funeral and learn that Cynthia killed herself after her husband cheated on her. The friends get to talking and reveal that their own marriages are also falling apart.

Famous actress Elise (Hawn) is going through a divorce from her husband Bill (Victor Garber)—who moves on with a much younger woman (Elizabeth Berkley)—drinking too much and stressing about being an aging star; Brenda (Midler) is devastated by her husband’s betrayal, as she was behind her husband Morty’s (Dan Hedaya) business success and he leaves her for their employee Shelly (Sarah Jessica Parker); and Annie (Keaton), the film’s very anxious narrator, is heartbroken that her husband Aaron (Stephen Collins) is giving her mixed signals but is also romantically involved with their therapist (Marcia Gay Harden).  

The trio forms “The First Wives Club” to support each other, gather intel and retaliate against their cruel exes.

Lots of guest stars also appeared in the film, including Rob Reiner, Gloria Steinem, Ed Koch, Kathie Lee Gifford and Ivana Trump, who famously advises the ladies: “Don’t get mad, get everything.”

The film was a box office smash. It earned $181 million worldwide.

Like most adaptations, there were changes. The women each had more detailed backstories in the book, which had a much darker and more cynical tone. The movie was more lighthearted in its humor—it even had a song and dance sequence as the ladies sang “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore together in a popular scene. The husbands were also not as nasty in the film as they were in the book. 

The book inspired a few other adaptations as well. In 2009, there was a short-lived musical version and in 2019, BET adapted the property into a streaming series, which lasted for three seasons. Like the film, the series attracted a famous cast including singer-songwriter and actress Jill Scott, comedian and writer Michelle Buteau (“Survival of the Thickest”) and Ryan Michelle Bathe (“Boston Legal”). It starred an all-Black cast and took place in New York City. The show is available to stream on Paramount+.

Thirty years later, the film remains the best-known version of Goldsmith’s story. The details may have changed from page to screen, but the appeal stayed the same: three women getting even with their ex-husbands and the joy of finding yourself and reuniting with the people who know you best.