The Jane Austen Book Club

Chick flick alert! Of course this is a Chick Flick...what else did you expect?! With that in mind, the cast includes women we can relate to, not too gorgeous, but believable and attractive, and men we wouldn't mind spending a cozy evening with...reading Jane Austen, naturally!

First of all, they have assembled a terrific cast: Maria Bello ("A History of Violence," "Thank You for Smoking" and "Flicka") plays Jocelyn, who is concerned about her good friend's looming separation and divorce. The friend, Sylvia, played by Amy Brennaman (primarily TV work) has been dumped by her husband Daniel, played by Jimmy Smits (mostly TV series). The many-times-divorced Bernadette, played by Kathy Baker ("13 Going on 30" and "Cold Mountain") talks them into having a book club, particularly focused on the books of Jane Austen. Prudie, a frustrated schoolteacher, played by Emily Blunt ("Gideon's Daughter" and "The Devil Wears Prada") is pulled into the mix. By the time they recruit their sixth member, the only male, they start to wade into each book. The aforementioned male, Grigg, played by up-and-coming British hunk Hugh Dancy ("Ella Enchanted" and "Elizabeth I"), is willing to hang out with a gang of women because he was raised with a bunch of sisters in an all-women household.

In my opinion, something this contrived should have delivered more oomph. There were many things to recommend it, but all in all, I found it somewhat of a letdown. Watch Masterpiece Theatre's "Pride and Prejudice" with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth if you want oomph!