The Jane Austen Book Club

8 October 2018

The Jane Austen Book Club 2007

• Director: Robin Swicord
• Based on the novel by Karen Jay Fowler
• Cast: Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Kevin Zegers, Mark Blucas, Hugh Dancy, Lynn Redgrave
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Maria Bello – The Fifth Wave, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, A History of Violence, Secret Window
• Emily Blunt – The Girl on the Train, The Huntsman Winter’s War, Into the Woods, Edge of Tomorrow, Looper, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Young Victoria, Sunshine Cleaning, Dan in Real Life, Gideon’s Daughter, My Summer of Love
• Kathy Baker – Take Shelter, Last Chance Harvey, Cold Mountain, The Glass House, Cider House Rules, To Gillian on her 37^th Birthday, Edward Scissorhands
• Jimmy Smits – Star Wars, Hill Street Blues
• Marc Blucas – Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pleasantville
• Hugh Dancy – Ella Enchanted, Daniel Deronda, David Copperfield
• Lynn Redgrave – How to Kill Your Neighbour’s Dog, Shine, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Georgy Girl, The Girl with Green Eyes, Tom Jones
• Why? Enjoyed it the first time
• Seen: Once before. Now 7 October 2018      

       Jane Austen and book clubs, a natural combination.

       This book club lives in California. They don’t start out as a book circle. They start out really needing something good in their lives because they’re all losers having very bad luck.

       ‘Jane Austen is the antidote to life,’ says one of them, and voila, the Jane Austen Book Club. A group of women and one cute guy who is a sci fi expert who somehow becomes a member.

       Hal and I are in a couple of book circles and I’m proud to say that we’re all a bit weird but this gang outdoes us by miles. Maybe there’s as much drama behind the scenes in our circles but somehow I doubt it. Thank goodness. But it makes a very enjoyable film. Contrived and too feel-good but then again, that’s the point. The cast are excellent, especially Blunt and Baker. And besides, Jane Austen and sci fi – can’t be beat.

4 * of 5