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Jennifer Garner, 54, Opens Up on ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ & Thriving
The Five-Star Weekend: A Simple Guide to Jennifer Garner’s New Show
What Is The Five-Star Weekend?
Jennifer Garner is a movie star who loves a fun trip with her girl friends. She likes to wear soft pants (sweatpants), eat pizza, and dance like nobody is watching.
Now she has a new TV show called The Five-Star Weekend. It started being available to watch on a service called Peacock on July 9.
The show is like a super fancy version of a girls’ sleepover trip. Here is what happens:
- It is based on a book from 2023 written by Elin Hilderbrand. (You can buy that book on Amazon for about $10!)
- Jennifer plays a woman named Hollis Shaw. Hollis is a famous food blogger (a person who writes about cooking on the internet).
- Something very sad happens to Hollis (a life-changing loss), and she feels a lot of grief (deep sadness).
- To feel better, she plans a weekend by the ocean and invites four friends from different times of her life (like childhood, her 20s, 30s, and a surprise fifth friend).
- She gives each friend a basket of gifts when they arrive.
- The friends in the story had never met each other before the trip!
- Of course, not everything goes smoothly: they argue, they tell secrets, and they become new friends over the show’s eight episodes (each about 45 minutes long).
Important Point: The show shows real life for women as they get older, including tough stuff like body changes (doctors call them perimenopause and menopause) and hard marriages, but in a normal, not boring or annoying way. It’s just part of life: talking about kids, success, failure, and marriage being hard.
The Cast and How They Became Friends
The show has a group of very famous actresses:
- Jennifer Garner
- Chloë Sevigny
- Gemma Chan
- Regina Hall
- D’Arcy Carden
Fun fact: These real-life ladies had never met before they filmed the show!
Jennifer said she was shy to meet Chloë because she looked up to her (like she was on a pedestal). Gemma said Chloë is the "ultimate cool girl." But they quickly became pals. Here are the steps they did together that made them bond:
- They played a game called "Never Have I Ever" (a game where you say things you haven’t done).
- They ran into the ocean.
- They had a pajama dance party in the cold (no real alcohol, but it looked like they had some!).
After that, they were best friends on set. There is even a photo of all five women together in the show (from Peacock/Sky).
Why This Show Is Special
On TV, it is still not common to see stories about women being friends when they are grown-ups (like in their 30s, 40s, 50s) with real depth. Jennifer is also an executive producer (a person who helps make big decisions for the show) and wants this to change.
She says: “I hope people watch this and have a blast. You see women talking about kid stuff, success, failure, and body changes just as a normal part of life.”
Jennifer also says this honesty is refreshing because we often think life must follow a strict timeline. She is 54 and was told she would never work after 40, but (knock on wood, meaning hopefully) she is still here acting!
Jennifer’s Advice and Other Thoughts
If Jennifer could talk to her younger self at the start of her career, she would say:
- Don’t stop learning other things.
- Don’t make acting your whole world.
- Stay open to the rest of the world (even if it’s hard sometimes).
She practices this by cooking a lot (like her character Hollis) and even has a fun "pretend cooking show" on Instagram. She also spends time with her three kids, whose dad is her ex-husband Ben Affleck.
Also, about 20 years ago she was in a movie called 13 Going on 30. There is a new version (reboot) coming on Netflix, and she is helping make it as an executive producer. But now she enjoys this new chapter with The Five-Star Weekend, which asks: what happens to women’s friendships and who they are as they grow older?
When asked how to keep old friendships, Gemma Chan said: “Don’t judge and forgive a bit.” Jennifer added: “As you get older, don’t let silly things block real friendship. Even if you haven’t talked in ages, just continue like before. Don’t let life hurt your feelings.”
Jennifer says working with these women is “heaven” and she never wants to go back to not doing it.
How to Watch
You can watch The Five-Star Weekend on Peacock (a streaming service). It’s available now!
Also, the book it’s based on is by Elin Hilderbrand and can be found on Amazon for around $10.
Summary
To sum up:
- The Five-Star Weekend is a new show on Peacock with Jennifer Garner.
- It’s about a food blogger who gathers old friends for a beach weekend after a sad loss, giving them gift baskets.
- The characters (and the real cast) had never met before, but both groups bond over fun and honest moments.
- The show talks openly about growing older, friendship, and life’s ups and downs without being preachy.
- Jennifer Garner hopes it shows that women’s friendships at any age are worth watching.
- You can stream it now and also read the book!
FAQ
Q1: What is The Five-Star Weekend about?
A: It’s a show where Jennifer Garner’s character, a food blogger named Hollis, invites four friends from different life stages to a coastal weekend after a sad loss. They clash, share secrets, and bond over eight 45-minute episodes.
Q2: Who is in the cast?
A: Jennifer Garner, Chloë Sevigny, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, and D’Arcy Carden. They had never met before filming but became friends through games, ocean runs, and a cold pajama dance party.
Q3: Where can I watch it?
A: It streams on Peacock as of July 9. You can also read the original 2023 book by Elin Hilderbrand on Amazon for about $10.
Q4: Is the show based on a book?
A: Yes! It’s adapted from the novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand.
Q5: What is the main message about friendship?
A: Real friendship needs no judgment, a little forgiveness, and the ability to pick up where you left off despite life’s hurdles. The show celebrates women’s bonds as they age.
