THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB film is cast
This is very exciting news at AustenBlog World Headquarters. Cast members have been announced for a film version of Karen Joy Fowler’s novel The Jane Austen Book Club (which we knew was optioned but not that it was going forward).
Maria Bello, Jimmy Smits, Emily Blunt, Josh Lucas and Ellen Burstyn will star in Robin Swicord’s (Little Women, Memoirs of a Geisha) adaptation Joy Fowlers bestselling novel “The Jane Austen Book Club.”
The story centers on six Californians who join to discuss Jane Austen’s novels. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens.
Swicord is also set to direct the film in Los Angeles, which begins filming early November.
Who the heck is Jimmy Smits playing in that film, we wonder? Daniel, perhaps? Hmmm….it would be nice to think he is playing Grigg, because we would have to be carried out of the theater feet-first when he started nattering on about Northanger Abbey, but we suspect that Our Lady of the Fangirls doesn’t love us quite that much. Josh Lucas will most likely be playing Grigg. (The Editrix lobbied Ms. Fowler herself to get her Sweet Babboo in the role. We figured it was our only shot the fulfillment of a dearly-held dream: hearing the Adge utter Austen dialogue. Ms. Fowler kindly agreed that he would be delightful in the role, but she might just have been humoring the scary fangirl.) Maria Bello will probably play Prudie, and Emily Blunt will probably play Allegra, and Ellen Burstyn will likely play Bernadette. Who will play Jocelyn and Sylvia? Hmmm.
We are a little concerned about the involvement of Robin Swicord. LITTLE WOMEN and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA were not what we would call faithful adaptations.
September 21st, 2006 at 5:37 am
They’re making a fim out of it?
Maybe I should take it from the shelf and finish it after all, then.
September 21st, 2006 at 8:16 am
I never read this book, because I heard it wasn’t very good and didn’t have much to do with Jane Austen, except for the fact that it’s about a book club discussing her books.
But now I hear about this movie I think I might want to read it after all, or is it really bad?
September 21st, 2006 at 9:13 am
It hasn’t much to do with Austen, in my view. A clever way to sell a book, though…
I was quite affronted by the lack of depth, character development, not to mention lack of story on the whole: A book that tries to attract sensible, intelligent readers by putting “Jane Austen” on the title page should do better. As a rule.
The appendix was a slap in the face, too.
Making a probably even weaker movie of a weak book doesn’t sound like something to look forward to.
September 21st, 2006 at 9:37 am
I loved the book. (Would I be so excited about the movie if I didn’t?) I’m a member of two Jane Austen Book Clubs myself so I guess I identified with it. It reminded me of Northanger Abbey in that while one of the themes of NA is reading, why we read and how we read, one of the themes of JABC is why and how we read Jane Austen.
I did find some of the characters annoying but I loved the many, many sly allusions to JA. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found nothing wrong with tying it to Jane Austen, and I think everyone knows how fierce I am about protecting the Jane Austen™ Brand.
About the casting: upon further thought, I wonder if Emily Blunt is not playing Sylvia or Jocelyn as a young woman in a flashback scene? She might be a little young for Allegra. I thought Allegra was the youngest member of the club, but I checked the book last night and Prudie is the youngest at 28. I guess Allegra seemed the youngest because she was an immature spoiled brat. (Yep, one of the characters I did NOT like.)
September 21st, 2006 at 12:57 pm
My! Janeites are going to be busy once all these films/miniseries start coming…
I really liked The Jane Austen Book Club so i’m quite curious to see how the film turns out
September 21st, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Wow! I can’t believe the amount of Jane media we are getting!!
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:48 am
Thanks for giving your opinions about the book! Well, I think I’ll give it a try and when I don’t like it I can always put it away, can’t I?
September 23rd, 2006 at 7:56 pm
No opinion on this one. Shocking, I know.
Maybe the movie will perk up the plot a bit. Or not.
I’ll probably see the movie. Haven’t read the book. LOL at “Sweet Babboo” Mags. Do you by any chance have a brother named Charles?