Jennifer Garner’s ‘Five-Star Weekend’ explores evolving friendships

“I went to the whaling museum three times,” she admits. “Nantucket embraced us, and we embraced it. We got a month in Nantucket, and it was almost like this little vacation.”

Based on the book by Elin Hilderbrand, the eight-part limited series follows Hollis, a food blogger who invites friends from various times in her life to help her deal with the death of her husband. As they remember good — and bad — times, the five women learn plenty about themselves.

Gemma Chan, who plays Gigi, an online friend, says it’s important to give friends a bit of grace, even if time has passed.

“There’s never a wrong time to pick up the phone and just give them a call and be like, ‘I’ve missed you and I’m thinking of you.’ That’s the beauty of those friendships. You can pick up where you left off,” Chan says.

While the friends are curious about the makeup of the weekend, they understand the need to reconnect. Garner plays the blogger who knows how to pull together a sumptuous spread and engage her friends.

“We ate a lot of food that made us happy,” says D’Arcy Carden, the friend from Hollis’ “mother” years. Garner was just as one might expect — a textbook host.

“When Gemma and I came to L.A., she made us lunch,” Carden says. “For me, that would be like ordering from your favorite taco place. No, she whipped up a gorgeous chicken salad, and she was casually chatting all the way through. I would be super stressed.”

In the miniseries, gorgeous meals filled the table. Stunning clothes made the actors look like celebrities. And Hollis’ home was so well appointed, “you felt like you were having this super-elite experience,” Garner says. “But at the same time, you’re still human: ‘Why am I not perfect?’ None of us are. We’re all kind of a mess, and we’re constantly getting through whatever we’re messy about.”

Chloe Sevigny, who plays the friend from childhood, says she could relate to all the characters. Thanks to the series, she says, “I have to prioritize my friendships because you have to make time to maintain.”

The five (including Regina Hall, who plays Hollis’ friend from her college years) weren’t certain how the shoot would go, considering they hadn’t worked together before “Five-Star Weekend.”

“Everyone was quick to say, ‘Oh, five women. What’s that going to be like?’” Garner says. “We played Pictionary with our beautiful director on Day One, and that was it.” When the grips and electricians were setting up the shots, “we were back there spilling the tea, getting deep, getting personal right away,” she says.

The friendships grew — and prompted talk of a second season of “Five-Star Weekend.”

At the end, “everybody is in a new chapter and they’ve opened a door,” Carden says. “It feels like the world is our oyster.” A second season? “Let’s go somewhere. Greece sounds good. Italy sounds great. Mexico. South of France? That sounds like Season 234 to me."

And the one who brought them all together?

“Hollis is in a place where she’s ready to grow,” Garner says. “She’s had herself reflected at her from her friends from different decades of her life. I would love to see where her romantic life goes.”