This film is based on a Jane Austin novel and also a novel written by Karen Joy Fowler. It explores Austen's adage that general incivility is at love's essence. Sylvia's husband dumps her for another woman!! Bernadette (she's about 60, divorced six times) and Jocelyn organize a book club to distract Sylvia from her relationship woes. They recruit Sylvia's daughter Allegra (she is experiencing a romantic crisis) to join along with Prudie (a young high school French teacher) whose marriage may be on the rocks. Also in the mix is Grigg (he is a sci-fi fan) and he joins because of his attraction to Jocelyn. The group reads and they discuss one Austen novel per month. Jocelyn tries to interest Grigg in Sylvia and Allegra falls in love with a woman she meets skydiving. Prudie contemplates an affair with a student. Sylvia's also ex-husband keeps popping up? In the discussions, characters reveal themselves and their personalities in their comments about the novels. By the end, are the truths of the novels universally acknowledged by the group or are they set aside?
Jane Austen wrote six novels and they are delightful, wise, warm and beloved. This film centers on a group that meets over six months to discuss the novels. Unusually, the novels seem to have an uncanny relevance to their own lives? This would be like a newspaper horoscope seeming to always be about you and what you are experiencing? It isn’t necessary to have read the novels or seen the Jane Austen movie adaptations. But, this could add another dimension to your appreciation of this film.
Austen loving teen girls might be interested in this film but infidelity, betrayal, teen dating his teacher are on the more mature side. Some minor language, social drinking and a supporting character is a heavy marijuana user. On the plus side, this film is heartwarming and the discussions about the books are good. At times, the different personalities of the participants get in the way but they still persist. 4* (I liked this movie)
106 min, Comedy directed and written by Robin Swicord, also written by Karen Joy Fowler with Kathy Baker, Hugh Dancy, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Ed Brigadier, Kevin Zegers, Marc Blucas, Catherine Schreiber, Ned Hosford, Mess Stench, Chris Burke.
Note: Imdb 6.8* out of 10* with 25,960 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 66% with 116 critics 67% with 26,998 audience scores, empire online 3* out of 5* Angie Errigo, reel views.net 2 1/2* James Berardinelli, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 808 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 1/2* out of 4*, Metacritic 61 out of 100 with 28 critics 6.4 out of 10 with 31 ratings, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, 3* out of 5*, age 15+, 3* sex, language, consumerism, drinking, drugs & smoking, Letterboxd 3.1* out of 5*.
Special Note: Each cast member was required to read the book they were to discuss in this movie. Although they play teacher and student, Emily Blunt is only a year older than Kevin Zegers. The real volumes of the complete works of Jane Austen were more expensive than the production could afford to buy. Instead, a volume of plays by Shakespeare with a fake cover was used. Hugh Dancy was reading the novels and he says in the DVD commentary that he completed the histories and tragedies during the shoot. The website address www.laughing-allegra.com written on Allegra's jewelry-kit-box (which she brought to the first meeting of the book club at Starbucks) actually links to the official site of the film.
Mistakes: When Allegra is separating eggs for the flan, she puts the first couple of yolks in the bowl with the whites and this defeats the purpose of separating them? She is then seen taking the yolks out with the egg shell as she does this. (The actors had a limited number of takes available and Maggie Grace was forced to do this so she would not waste a take.) When Prudie confronts her flirting husband in the hotel room, his shirt is unbuttoned but closed as he puts his hands on his hips. In a split second, it flies open, exposing his full uncovered chest.
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