There’s lots of reports and reviews coming from the Toronto International Film Festival on The Jane Austen Book Club. The reviews range from good to so-so, and not a few of them are of the variety of “it’s the ultimate chick-flick, men will have to have a testosterone transplant after they go, blah blah blah.” Fortunately for the men who are secure in their Janeiteism, Dennis Harvey at Variety disagrees:

One character in “The Jane Austen Book Club” describes the author’s novels as chick-lit that most men would enjoy if they gave it a chance; similarly, the film is a “chick flick” guys might well grok if they could be roped in. Sure, there are no CGI or explosions, but it’s hard not to become engrossed in the seriocomic relationship tangles writer-director Robin Swicord deftly adapts from Karen Joy Fowler’s bestselling 2004 novel. Lacking major drawing-card thesps, this polished charmer could become a sleeper hit if allowed to slowly build word of mouth and screen count.

“phileysmiley” also found his manhood shockingly unthreatened by the film–and even managed to enjoy it.

As far as the film is concerned, I’ll post a lot more about it when I can, but I have to tell you how surprised I was. I expected a “chick flick,” as well as one where you’d have to have read Jane Austen in order to really appreciate it. Well, I am most definitely not a chick and I never read Jane Austen but I was pleasantly surprised. The film is very funny and touching and I loved it, as did the audience. It comes out on September 21 and I highly recommend it.

So there! TJABC was described to us by someone who had attended an early screening as the only recent Jane Austen movie made for grownups (rather than being directed toward the crowd that likes pirate and princess movies). This gives us great hope.

Don’t worry, ladies, we didn’t forget about you. Have some Jimmy Smits (sort of) talking about Persuasion. Be still our heart. And Hugh Dancy on Page Six!

the baby-faced British actor - after noting the recent Jane Austen renaissance, with “Becoming Jane” and several film adaptations in the works - told Page Six, “I wonder if she’d be pleased. She might be horrified, spinning in her grave.”

We think she would have a sense of humor about it, at least.

Thanks to Alert Janeites Lisa and Diane for sending in some of these links!

AustenBlog Reader Tony A. has an extra ticket to the September 20, 8 p.m. performance of Paul Gordon’s musical adaptation of Emma at TheatreWorks–front and center, he tells us, the best seats in the house. Tony has already seen the play once and liked it so much he bought a ticket to a second performance, but the person who was to accompany him cannot attend. Tony would like to offer the extra ticket, for free, to a Janeite in the Bay Area (or who is willing to travel to the Bay Area) who would like to see the show. His only stipulations are that the winner must be a Jane Austen fan and must not previously have seen the show.

The first e-mail to editor@austenblog.com takes it! Only serious inquiries, please.

ETA: The ticket has been claimed. Thanks for your interest!

Broadway Bullet has a podcast (that’s a direct download link) with one of the composers and one of the actors from Austentatious, being staged as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival this month. The podcast includes a few songs from the show, so if you’re interested in a preview, do check it out. There also is a transcription of the interview on the Broadway Bullet website.

Here’s a short article about the musical adaptation of Emma that will be staged as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival in October. You can listen to a song from the show on the NYMTF site.

The Stage has a review of the stage production of Northanger Abbey currently running at the Salibury Playhouse, adapted and directed by Tim Luscombe (misidentified in the article as Christopher Luscombe).

Northanger Abbey is early, girlie Jane Austen with a teenage heroine hooked on Gothic romance and an imagination in overdrive.

Yeah, okay. *rolls eyes*

If anyone gets to see it, we would love to have your report!