"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
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Director: Robin Swicord Screenplay: Robin Swicord Book: Karen Joy Fowler Genre: Drama - Romance Country: USA Certification: 12+ Language: English Released: 17th March, 2008 (DVD)
MAIN CAST:
Maria Bello (Jocelyn) Hugh Dancy (Grigg Harris) Emily Blunt (Prudie Drummond) Kathy Baker (Bernadette) Amy Brenneman (Sylvia Avila) Maggie Grace (Allegra Avila) Jimmy Smits (Daniel Avila)
When Sylvia's husband leaves her for a younger woman, she is devastated. In an attempt to distract her from her marital problems, Sylvia's friends, Jocelyn and Bernadette, decide to organise a book club. A book club can hardly be called a book club with only three members, therefore Jocelyn recruits Sylvia's daughter, Allegra, who is in love with a woman she met while skydiving, Prudie, who is an emotionally scarred French teacher who is battling an attraction to one of her students while her marriage slowly falls apart, and Grigg, a science fiction enthusiast who is attracted
to Jocelyn and accepts to join the club in order to get to know her better. Unfortunately for Grigg, Jocelyn recruited him into the club in an attempt to hook him up with Sylvia, who, incidentally, is still in love with her ex-husband.
Deciding that the club will be concentrating their efforts on Jane Austen's classic novels, the group meet up once a month in order to discuss one of the novels. During these discussions, the comments of the members begin to reveal their true natures, and friendships solidify and spill out into the 'real' world - a world devoid of Jane Austen.
In between the book club meetings, life goes on as usual with Sylvia's ex husband constantly popping in to see her - Allegra's love interest keeps secrets from her - Grigg attempts to win Jocelyn's heart - Jocelyn remains steadfastly distant towards Grigg regardless that she is attracted to him - and Prudie's marriage goes straight downhill as her attraction to one of her students gets out of hand.
'The Jane Austen Book Club' is an incredibly delightful and insightful film that has more to do with modern relationships than it has to do with Jane Austen's novels. So don't let the title of the movie fool you into believing otherwise.
This is a beautifully acted movie with characters that are incredibly realistic and possess a depth to them that is touching, inspiring, and sometimes extremely frustrating. The dialogue is clever, oftentimes tinged with humour, and never detracts from the true purpose of the film which is a lesson, in itself, in humanity, and delves into the turmoil of human emotions. 'The Jane Austen Book Club' is a complex study in simplicity! There is just so much going on all at once, so many characters to keep track of, yet each scene is so masterfully woven that the complexities are magically erased and the viewer knows exactly who all the characters are and what they are feeling, thinking and aspiring towards. There is never any confusion as to what's going on regardless of all the characters in the film - and there is never any doubt that they are all necessary to the development of the story.
The acting is impeccable - I could not find a single fault with any of the actors. Maria Bello, who plays Jocelyn, has managed a truly spectacular performance by creating a façade for Jocelyn that is tough, steadfast, loyal and independent while allowing the viewer to glimpse a side to her that is gentle and sensitive.
Emily Blunt, who plays Prudie, has excelled in her role as the distraught and emotionally scarred teacher. Prudie is a complex character whose relationship with her alcoholic mother is destructive. Unable to come to terms with much of her childhood, she has, in a way, created a world for herself that revolves around the characters in Jane Austen's novels. Prudie can dissect each fictional character and understand, perfectly, what they are feeling, what their needs are and why they do the things they do - probably because she can't do that with her own feelings. Regardless of Prudie's snobbish façade, she is so incredibly naïve and innocent at times that the viewer can't help but sink into her world and love her regardless of all her flaws.
For those who are expecting 'period' costumes, characters who resemble those in Jane Austen's books or settings reminiscent of a Victorian English countryside… you will find none of these in this movie. The only thing that this movie has in common with Jane Austen's novels is that they delve into human emotions and relationships.
'The Jane Austen Book Club' is such a beautiful and touching movie, so compelling and fascinating that the 106 minutes are up long before you're ready for them to end.
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You don't have to know the books to be in the club. As five women and one enigmatic man ... more
meet to discuss the works of Jane Austen they find their love lives playing out in a 21st century version of her novels. Sylvia (Amy Brenneman) is shocked when h...
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