The First Wives Club
Three savvy Manhattan divorcées team up to sabotage their former husbands' new, glamorous lives and reclaim the wealth they helped build, risking friendship and reputation in a high‑stakes battle of wit versus romance.
“Don't get mad. Get everything.”
Synopsis
After years of supporting their husbands' career advancements, three middle-aged women living in Manhattan find themselves abandoned for younger, more physically attractive partners. Rather than succumb to their disappointment, the trio resolves to transform their heartbreak into financial retribution. They devise a cunning and strategic scheme aimed at targeting their ex-partners' financial stability.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 240+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by John BloomShot by Donald E ThorinScored by Marc ShaimanDesigned by Peter S LarkinSound by Lee DichterCostumes by Theoni V AldredgeStunts by Jack Gill
Box Office
1996 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 4.5× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$116.4M
US & Canada: $105.5M — 91% of worldwide · International: $10.9M (9%)
Opening weekend: $18.9M — 18% of its US run.
Opening week (7-day): $26.5M — 25% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 1,922 theaters
Also known as
- Der Club der Teufelinnende
- Le Club des exfr
- Il club delle prime mogliit
- (French)Le club des ex
- (Bulgarian)Клуб Първа съпруга
Release dates around the world5 countries · showhide
- CanadaSep 20, 1996
- United StatesSep 20, 1996
- AustraliaOct 24, 1996
- ArgentinaNov 7, 1996
- United KingdomNov 7, 1996
Production & Distribution
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Cast & Crew
240 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Goldie Hawn
as Elise Elliot Atchison
Bette Midler
as Brenda Morelli Cushman
Diane Keaton
as Annie MacDuggan Paradis
Maggie Smith
as Gunilla Garson Goldberg
Maggie Smith Nm0001749
as Gunilla Garson Goldberg
Sarah Jessica Parker
as Shelly Stewart
Dan Hedaya
as Morton Cushman
Stockard Channing
as Cynthia Swann Griffin
Victor Garber
as Bill Atchison
Stephen Collins
as Aaron Paradis
Elizabeth Berkley
as Phoebe LaVelle
Marcia Gay Harden
as Dr. Leslie Rosen
Supporting cast
66Bronson Pinchot
as Duarto Feliz
Jennifer Dundas
as Chris Paradis
Eileen Heckart
as Catherine MacDuggan
Philip Bosco
as Uncle Carmine
Rob Reiner
as Dr. Morris Packman
James Naughton
as Gil Griffin
Ari Greenberg
as Jason Cushman
Aida Linares
as Theresa
Ivana Trump
as Ivana Trump
Kathie Lee Gifford
as Kathie Lee Gifford
Gloria Steinem
as Gloria Steinem
Ed Koch
as Edward I. Koch
Lea Delaria
as Elise's Fan
Debra Monk
as Jilted Lover
Jennfer Lam
as Chris' Friend
Christopher Burge
as Auctioneer
Stephen Pearlman
as Mr. Christian
J Smith Cameron
as Miss Sullivan
Walter Bobbie
as Man in Bed
Kate Burton
as Woman in Bed
Gregg Edelman
as Mark Loest
Mark Nelson
as Eric Loest
Harsh Nayyar
as Mohammed
Sue Simmons
as Newscaster
Timothy Olyphant
as Brett Artounian
Edward Hibbert
as Maurice
Teresa Depriest
as Hostess
Johnny Sanchez
as Busboy
J K Simmons
as Federal Marshal
Stephen Mendillo
as Federal Marshal
Robin Morse
as Karen
Peter Frechette
as Broadway Director
Mark Perman
as The Cantor
George Vlachos
as Waiter
Armand Dahan
as Contractor
Michele Brilliant
as Young Brenda
Dina Spybey Waters
as Young Elise
Adria Tennor
as Young Annie
Juliehera Destefano
as Youth Cynthia
Marla Sucharetza
as Exercising Woman
Paul Hecht
as A Certain Age' Cast Member
Anne Shropshire
as A Certain Age' Cast Member
Chelsea Altman
as A Certain Age' Cast Member
Eric Martin Brown
as A Certain Age' Cast Member
Nancy Ticotin
as Dancer
Roxane Barlow
as Dancer
Amy Heggins
as Dancer
Elizabeth Bracco
as Dancer
Jon Stewart
as Elise's Lover
Diana Brownstone
as Dancer
Richard Council
as Security Guard
Patrick Coleman Duncan
as Audience Member
Deanna Dys
as Auditioning Actress
Jeff Eigen
as Man Yelling 'Author
Patrick Ferraro
as Limo Driver
Olivia Goldsmith
as Cameo Appearance
Mark Robert Gordon
as Bike Rider
Robert Ierardi
as Burnisher
Mizan Kirby
as Dancer at Wives Club
Heather Locklear
as Gil Griffin's New Wife
John Romano
as Party Guest
Bonnie Rose
as Dancer
Andrew D Schwartz
as Event Photographer
Matilda Szydagis
as Graduating Student
Bebie Waller
as Restaurant goer
Hugh Wilson
as Commercial Director
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
8Other crew
157Francesca Paris
additional hair stylist
Felice Diamond
additional makeup artist
Rose Wells
additional wardrobe (as Rosalie A. Wells)
Kenton Jakub
adr editor
Earl Wiggins
aerial rigging coordinator (uncredited)
Steve Mcauliff
animal trainer (as Steven McAuliff)
Aladino V Debert
animator
Julia G Hickman
art department coordinator
Natalie N Dorset
art department production assistant, production assistant (as Natalie Dorset)
Charley Beal
as Charles Beal
Antonia Proscia
assistant accountant (uncredited)
Ed Barteski
assistant adr editor
Parents Guide
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