The Unexpected Movie

Often on the weekend, my wife and I will head to the movies. This weekend, the selection seemed particularly thin and we almost selected a drama just because we wanted to go to something. Normally we select the romantic comedies or something which isn't too violent or sexual in content.

Then my wife suggested going to The Jane Austen Book Club which is a small independent film, which has been out for several weeks. I know Jane Austen has a huge fan base in the market yet I'll admit that I've not read anything from this author. The film has an unexpected delight to it. A group of people (some friends, some family and some strangers) come together to form The Jane Austen Book Club. A number of members in the group are intimately familiar with the books yet re-read them so they can participate in the book club meetings. With six novels, they tackle one a month. You don't have to know anything about Jane Austen to enjoy this movie. Unspoken yet a predominate theme of the movie is whether art (the creation of novels) imitates life or whether life imitates art (the novel creation and the life of Jane Austen).

Many contemporary novelists feel like they have to end with a lack of resolution to reflect the unresolved nature of our real lives--but this film wraps in a delightful and upbeat way. It is a terrific way to spend a few hours and I recommend it.