Jane Austen Book Club

Perpetually making a comeback, all manner of Jane Austen stuff have been hitting the silverscreen these past couple of years with a Pride & Prejudice remake, Becoming Jane and now The Jane Austen’s Book Club.

Written and directed by Robin Swicord, the film is an adaptation of Karen Joy Fowler’s best-selling novel. The film starts with Sylvia (Amy Brenneman) who finds out her husband (Jimmy Smits) is leaving her for another woman. Bernadette (Kathy Baker) starts up the book club to distract Sylvia from her marriage problems. She recruits Sylvia’s daughter, Allegra (Maggie Grace), Prudie (Emily Blunt), Jocelyn (Maria Bello) and lone man, Grigg (Hugh Dancy) as its members.

Spanning several months, the film follows the six Austen groupies as they make their way through her classic novels such as Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. While Austen fans will appreciate the literary references, the film is careful not to alienate those who’ve never read Austen. Many who have seen the film would probably comment on some of the movie’s unrealistic aspects. Full credit can be given to the star-studded ensemble cast for making the film tolerable and even enjoyable despite the flat transition from novel to film.

Cast Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Hugh Dancy Director Robin Swicord Runtime 106 mins Opens 28 February

Text Didi Ramlan