The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships -- both old and new -- begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels.

Director:

Robin Swicord

Writers:

Robin Swicord (screenplay), Karen Joy Fowler (book)

Stars:

Kathy Baker, Hugh Dancy, Amy Brenneman

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maria Bello	...	Jocelyn
Emily Blunt	...	Prudie
Kathy Baker	...	Bernadette
Amy Brenneman	...	Sylvia
Maggie Grace	...	Allegra
Jimmy Smits	...	Daniel
Ed Brigadier	...	Pastor
Kevin Zegers	...	Trey
Marc Blucas	...	Dean
Catherine Schreiber	...	Academic Woman
Ned Hosford	...	Waiter
Hugh Dancy	...	Grigg
Messy Stench	...	Girl with Dog Collar
Chris Burket	...	Skydive Instructor
Parisa Fitz-Henley	...	Corinne

Storyline

Explores Austen's adage that general incivility is at love's essence. Sylvia's husband dumps her for another woman, so Bernadette and Jocelyn organize a book club to distract her. They recruit Sylvia's daughter Allegra; Prudie, a young teacher whose marriage may be on the rocks; and Grigg, a sci-fi fan who joins out of attraction to Jocelyn. The six read and discuss one Austen novel per month. Jocelyn tries to interest Grigg in Sylvia; Allegra falls in love with a woman she meets skydiving; Prudie contemplates an affair with a student; Sylvia's ex keeps popping up. In the discussions, characters reveal themselves in their comments. By the end, are truths universally acknowledged?

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Plot Keywords:

book club | infidelity | based on novel | title written by female | reference to jane austen | 

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Taglines:

You don't have to know the books to be in the club.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content, brief strong language and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Jane Austen Book Club

Filming Locations:

La Traviata, 301 Cedar N. Ave, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$148,549, 23 September 2007

Gross USA:

$3,575,227

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,163,566

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mockingbird Pictures, John Calley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The real volume of the complete works of Jane Austen was more expensive than the production could afford to buy. Instead, a volume of Shakespeare plays with a fake cover was used. Hugh Dancy was reading these and he says in the DVD commentary that he got all the way through the histories and tragedies during the shoot.

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Goofs

In the opening titles montage, the $1 bill being rejected from the vending machine has a picture of someone other than George Washington.

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Quotes

Prudie Drummond: I'm in love with one of my students. I mean, nothing's happened, much. It could if I let it... I fantasize about him constantly.
Bernadette: Sweetie, your mother died. This is grief.
Prudie Drummond: He looks at me like he's the spoon, and I'm this dish of ice cream.

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Crazy Credits

The credits are displayed next to behind-the-scenes stills of the cast and crew during the production process.

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Connections

References Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

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Soundtracks

Who's the Man
Written by Paul Lenart and Billy Novick (as Bill Novick)
Courtesy of APM Music

User Reviews

Delicious

I like movies with spaceships in, preferably exploding at some point. Also shooting, sword fighting and violent death. Oh, and car chases. And if I can't have the above, then can there at least be some explicit sex please?

And yet I loved this movie.

I loved the nerdiness, I loved the intimacy, I loved watching it unfold exactly as you know it's going to. And the chemistry between Hugh Dancy and the gorgeous Maria Bello crackles off the screen.

I know, I know, you could level this movie without much effort. You wouldn't even need that big of a stick. But you find yourself not caring.

This film is pure pleasure, start to finish. I gladly relinquish one of my Man cards for saying that. I'm off to watch something with guns in to compensate, though.