Lamar Reviews - "The Five-Star Weekend" (Airdate 7/17/2026)

Sheri and I were discussing what I was going to
review, and there was nothing coming out at the
theater that was really interesting me. She
happened to mention a book that her book club
had just finished reading, The Five-Star Weekend,
by Elin Hilderbrand, that had been adapted as an
eight-episode series on Peacock. She said it
starred Jennifer Garner. I’m not familiar with the
book, but I love Jennifer Garner. She is one of the
most versatile actors on the planet. Action,
romantic comedy, drama, sci-fi, she honestly can
do it all. If you are not a fan, you either haven’t
seen her in anything, or you need to be in therapy.
Now, I’m the first to admit someone can be a great
actor and be a terrible person. There are plenty of
those running around in the entertainment
business. When you pay attention to Jennifer
Garner’s personal life, the way she worked
through the Ben Affleck relationship, and the way
she raises her children, this woman is a good
person on top of everything else.

So, I immediately started watching The Five-Star
Weekend.
Jennifer Garner plays Hollis Shaw, a food
influencer who suffers the loss of her husband. Six
months after the loss she is stuck in a cycle of
grief and can’t move forward. Her business
manager suggests she should get a group of her
closest friends together for a “girls’ weekend” so
that maybe they can get her out of her funk.
This sounds like a great idea, so she invites these
friends to her summer house in Nantucket. The
group includes Tatum, played by Chloe Sevigny,
her childhood best friend. Dru-Ann, played by
Regina Hall, her very successful college friend
Brooke, played by D’Arcy Carden. And Gigi, an
internet follower who comforted her after her
husband’s death, played by Gemma Chan. Also
floating in and out of the weekend group is Hollis’s
daughter, Caroline, played by Harlow Jane.
The show does not just concentrate on Hollis’
grief. Each one of the women have their own lives
and their own problems that they are facing while

they are trying their best to support Hollis. This is
what gives the series that “real life” feel.
Everybody has something going on.
The series is 8 episodes between 36 and 48
minutes, Rated-TVMA for language.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that there are some men in
this show. Tatum’s husband Kyle, played by Davi
Denman and Jack, Hollis’ first love, that she never
got completely over, played by Timothy Olyphant.
Yes, there is tension among the group as you
would suspect. Dru-Ann and Tatum, as Hollis’ two
best friends compete with each other. Tatum and
Hollis grew up together but lost touch as Hollis
became successful and famous, and Tatum got
left behind. Plus, one person in the group is hiding
a really dark secret.
Oh, I really want to tell you more, but that would
require some dark chocolate, a few pieces of
pound cake sautéed in Irish butter, and some
glasses of wine.
My Score: 5 Ice Cold Budweisers