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Movies / On DVD / The Jane Austen Book Club
The Jane Austen Book Club

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The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

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Reviews Counted:110

Fresh:72

Rotten:38

Average Rating:6.1/10

Consensus: Though at times formulaic and sentimental, Jane Austen Book Club succeeds on the strength of its likable ensemble cast. Even those not familiar with Jane Austen's work may find much to enjoy this lighthearted romance.

Rated: 12A

Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins

Genre: Romance, Women, Based On A Novel, Theatrical Release

Theatrical Release:16-11-2007

Synopsis: Life imitates art in this adaptation of Karen Joy Fowler's bestselling novel about a book group reading the work of Jane Austen. Each of the people in the group is at a different stage of life:... Life imitates art in this adaptation of Karen Joy Fowler's bestselling novel about a book group reading the work of Jane Austen. Each of the people in the group is at a different stage of life: there's Sylvia (Amy Brenneman), whose husband has just left her for another woman, and her daughter Allegra (Maggie Grace), who's looking for a woman herself. Bernadette (Kathy Baker) has six marriages under her belt, while Jocelyn's (Maria Bello) most significant relationship is with her dog. New to the group of friends are Prudie (Emily Blunt), a teacher who is unhappy with her marriage, and Grigg (Hugh Dancy), the group's only man--a sci-fi fan invited by Jocelyn to take Sylvia's mind off her failed marriage. As they make their way through Austen's novels, they discover that the writer's work is just as relevant in the 21st century as it was in the 19th. The group has its own Emma, and a sparring would-be couple bears striking resemblance to Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB succeeds largely thanks to the strength of its cast. Bello is better known for dramatic roles in films such as THE COOLER and THE HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, but she does an excellent job with this film's lighter tone. As know-it-all Prudie, Blunt steals just as many scenes as she did in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Though it might seem like a clubhouse with a "No Boys Allowed" sign, the men in the movie hold their own with the female cast. Jimmy Smits, Marc Blucas, and Kevin Zegers play supporting roles, but it's Dancy who deserves the most praise. As Griggs struggles to woo one of the women in the group, Dancy easily wins the heart of the audience with his geeky charm. [More]

Starring: Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Marc Blucas, Emily Blunt

Starring: Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Marc Blucas, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, Hugh Dancy, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Kevin Zegers, Lynn Redgrave, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Gwendoline Yeo, Nancy Travis

Director: Robin Swicord

Director: Robin Swicord
Screenwriter: Robin Swicord
Producer: John Calley, Julie Lynn, Diana Napper
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Reviews for The Jane Austen Book Club

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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These ladies have too much time on their hands if the only thing they worry about is finishing their reading assignment in time for their next bout of well-heeled lusting.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
11/16/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
thelondonpaper

The contrivance is horrible, the schmaltz unpardonable.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
11/16/07
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

THIS beautifully acted story is, underneath it all, a fairly formulaic chick flick.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
11/16/07
Sun Online

Positively marinated in oestrogen, this is aimed at middle-aged females – the more unhappily married the better – with the cardiganed cast spending much of the running time drinking tea on verandas and moaning about men over their knitting.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
11/16/07
Daily Mirror [UK]

The Jane Austen Book Club, based on Karen Joy Fowler's bestseller, offers a distinctive vision of hell - a plane of being where there are only six novels that matter, and they're consulted like all-purpose agony aunts.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
11/16/07
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is a rom-com that tries to be sassy and true but ends up ridiculously unlike any kind of reality at all.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
11/15/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

A twittering soap opera about five Californian women using Jane as an agony aunt for their love problems.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
11/15/07
Nigel Andrews
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times

Comfortable if unchallenging, watching this gentle, female-oriented film is a bit like curling up in bed with a book whose ending you already know. No alarms and no surprises.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/15/07
Hannah Forbes Black
Hannah Forbes Black
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The women are so seemingly at ease in their roles that the movie drifts towards its happy-ever-after finale without a missed beat.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
11/15/07
Kevin Maher
Kevin Maher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Average romantic drama that stays watchable thanks to its excellent cast, though it's neither as emotionally engaging nor as clever as it thinks it is.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
11/15/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Quite a nice little relationship comedy-drama, but essentially for an audience of what the French charmingly call ‘women of a certain age’. Totally not the Superbad set, then.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
11/14/07
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A drippy chick-flick about six Sacramentans who find their lives mirroring the English novelist’s fictions.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
11/14/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Total Film

Just fine in a sentimental, mainstream kind of way. Although by constantly referencing Austen’s sharp wit and characterisation, this can only ever come up short in comparison.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
11/14/07
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Beyond the premise, there's nothing too surprising about this film from writer/director Robin Swicord, but it is perfectly agreeable.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/06/07
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
10/06/07
Screen International

There's the germ of an interesting idea here, plus a terrific ensemble cast, but it's reduced down to a predictable story, simplistic script and only adequate direction.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
09/20/07
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Jeffrey Gantz
Jeffrey Gantz
Boston Phoenix

...not a genre film but...deserves mention for portraying a character who is a fan of science-fiction but is not characterized as a hopeless geek...

Full Review Source: Cinefantastique | comment Comment
03/10/09
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
Cinefantastique
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
Bob Mondello
NPR.org

A surprisingly successful, un-Hallmark-ified take on the traditional chick flick.

Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | comment Comment
08/27/08
Heather Huntington
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for The Jane Austen Book Club

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September 12, 2007: Maria Bello Talks Mummy 3
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