Book Club sheds chick flick conventions for original story
Chick flicks are a dime in a dozen. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, have some complications and live happily ever after.
As the newest addition to this genre, the independent film The Jane Austen Book Club brings a twist to the typical plot by adding an intellectual aspect through the element of literature and a unique focus on women and friendship rather than the usual boy-girl relationship.
The Jane Austen Book Club follows the lives of a teacher (The Devil Wears Prada’s Emily Blunt), a housewife (The Last Will’s Amy Brenneman), a dog breeder (Flicka’s Maria Bello) and an eccentric divorcee (All the King’s Men’s Kathy Baker). Joining this cast are a young adventurer (The Fog’s Maggie Grace) and a tech assistant (Blood and Chocolate’s Hugh Dancy) who is also the only male in the book club. They form friendships by reading Jane’s Austen’s six books in six months, and, as the premise of the film plays out, each of their lives mirror a facet of Austen’s books in some way.
The film provides a breath of fresh air from Hollywood conventions. Unlike most chick flicks, it is not always happy, but when it is sad, it is not the end of the world. And, the film dismisses the modern popular conception of groups of women as cliquish, crude and catty. The friends in The Jane Austen Book Club support and encourage each other — earning the film originality points.
In tribute to Austen’s style, The Jane Austen Book Club addresses controversial issues. Just as Austen touches society’s scorn for extra-marital affairs in Mansfield Park and underage marriages in Pride and Prejudice, the film also looks at a teacher contemplating an affair with a student and a lesbian experiencing heartbreak — minus society’s derision.
This reinvention within the film stays true to the treatment of Austen’s stories as well, which are left open to interpretation as they pertain to the lives of the characters. The film succeeds in capturing the spirit of the novels without limiting itself to the novels’ plots. In this way, the movie manages to be original, even though it draws from an overused source.
Knowledge of Austen’s plots is not absolutely necessary to enjoy the film, but an audience will not be able to fully appreciate the art and irony without reading or at least knowing about the novels first.
Despite being a chick flick, The Jane Austen Book Club feels like a truly fresh film. Its focus on literature, its deep exploration of characters and its artful presentation push the movie to a level of quality that few films achieve. And this is a good thing because it challenges the audience to think beyond the happily-ever-after tale that is usually emphasized even in Austen’s novels.
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