Quirky dog-lover Jocelyn (Maria Bello) and many-time married Bernadette (Kathy Baker) decide to start a book club exclusively dedicated to Jane Austen, primarily to help distract their friend Sylvia (Amy Brenneman) from the fact her no-good hubby has just dumped her.
Frustrated French teacher Prudie (Emily Blunt) and Sylvia's Sapphic daughter Allegra (Maggie Grace) join up as well, and handsome sci-fi geek Grigg (Hugh Dancy) makes up the numbers. As they study each of Austen's six classic novels, they learn lessons about love, and even start to parallel the characters in each book.
Writer and director Robin Swicord is no stranger to literary adaptations, having previously been the screenwriter for Memoirs Of A Geisha and Little Women, and this version of Karen Joy Fowler's bestselling book is her first experience of directing.
The result is an unashamedly glossy guilty pleasure that is sure to enchant Austen fans with its knowing references.
The Jane Austen Book Club is a Film programme that first aired in 2007 and has been classified a 12 certificate.
