The Jane Austen Book Club 2007

The Jane Austen Book Club

Well my recent posts on Hugh Dancy and Emily Blunt gave me a hankering for The Jane Austen Book Club. I know it is not high art. It obviously did not win any Oscars. And yet, what a great film to spend an evening with! So that is what I did this past weekend. I always feel that if my husband and my teenaged son sit down and watch a film with me, it can't be all that bad!

The film mingles tidbits of all six novels with six different main characters who read all of Jane Austen's novels again together (or for the first time in the case of the adorable Grigg) and meet once a month to discuss. The two Brits in the cast play Americans with wonderful accents. Intertwining bits of Austen's novels into the modern character's lives and personalities really works for me. And the fact that 5 women can take for granted that they have all read Jane Austen's books is awesome for a geek like me!!!

"Our world is an English village." 

Prudie

Prudie Drummond: He looks at me like he's the spoon, and I'm the dish of ice cream.

Jocelyn

Grigg Harris: Women never go for the nice guys.
Jocelyn: Please, men say that, but when you get to know some of these men who complain the most, you find out they're not as nice as they think they are.

Bernadette

Bernadette: All Jane Austen, all the time. It's the perfect antidote.
Prudie Drummond: To what?
Bernadette: To life.

Sylvia and Daniel

Jocelyn: Do you think he has a brain tumor?
Sylvia Avila: I think he fell in love.
Jocelyn: Well, I'm rooting for the brain tumor.

Allegra

Daniel Avila: Can we at least agree that human beings need human connection. You know... companionship, conversation, sex.
Allegra: You get those things from mom, Jocelyn gets those things from her dogs.

Grigg!!!!

Jocelyn: You know what I'm wondering before I go? How do you feel about older women?
Grigg Harris: Ah, great. I have three older sisters, so I like all women. 

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I still say Grigg is my fave part of this film, and apparently I have mellowed to the film over the last few years. I think I could easily watch it once a year, ad infinitum.

By the way, I still haven't read The Mysteries of Udolpho. And I actually screamed out loud when Grigg's phone rang with an R2D2 ringtone. Squee!!!!

And I am totally going to check out Ursula le Guin!

"Let us never underestimate the power of a well-written letter."

Emily Blunt- Actor of the Week

Emily Blunt's career has been taking off in the last few years. First known to most of us as the scene stealing receptionist from The Devil Wears Prada, Emily has done many recent films, both period and modern.

Emily Blunt as Emily in The Devil Wears Prada

Emily: Andrea, my God! You look so chic.
Andy Sachs: Oh, thanks. You look so thin.
Emily: Really? It's for Paris, I'm on this new diet. Well, I don't eat anything and when I feel like I'm about to faint I eat a cube of cheese. I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight.

Emily Blunt as Prudie in The Jane Austen Book Club

As Prudie, the uptight French teacher who has never been to France, Emily gave emotional depth to the role of an unsatisfied married woman toying with having an affair with a student in The Jane Austen Book Club.

Prudie: Being the only child of a woman who gave birth in a commune after changing her name to Skygirl, I've come to loath hippie-handie crafts.

Emily Blunt as The Young Victoria

In The Young Victoria,  Emily Blunt is luminous as Queen Victoria at the beginning of her reign. As the young and headstrong monarch, we can forgive Emily for being so much taller and good looking than the real Queen Vicky. This is an incredibly well done film and the costumes and locations are to die for.

Queen Victoria: I am young, but I am willing to learn, and I mean to devote my life to the service of my country and my people. I look for your help in this. I know I shall not be disappointed. Thank you.

Jason Segal and Emily Blunt in Gulliver's Travels

I didn't see Gulliver's Travels which was released in 2010. A modern take on the classic tale, it stars Jack Black as Gulliver and Emily plays Princess Mary. It didn't get very good reviews which is too bad as with a cast like that it could have been really wonderful. Anybody else see this one? Is it a good one to see with the kids?

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in The Adjustment Bureau

I found The Adjustment Bureau pretty edge-of-the-seat exciting. Emily Blunt plays Elise, a ballet dancer who is not supposed to meet or fall in love with Matt Damon's character David Norris, a politician. Of course, this is exactly what she does. And "The Adjustment Bureau" wants to fix that. Uh-oh!

Elise Sellas: Were you just looking at my legs while I slept?
David Norris: I was helpless against the dress.
Elise Sellas: It's a skirt.
David Norris: It's a belt! 

Emily Blunt with Ewan McGregor in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is one of my favourite flicks this year so far. I may have to purchase this one as I look forward to seeing it again with some DVD extras. Great chemistry between Emily and Ewan!

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We will see even more of Emily in the next little while. She has a film with Colin Firth coming out next year called Arthur Newman, Golf Pro. I wonder whether they will be donning American accents for that one! Any other films you have enjoyed Emily Blunt in? I loved her cameo in The Muppets as Miss Piggy's receptionist. Adorable! Here's to more films from the girl with the "sly eyes". Perhaps with her new hubby John Krasinski from The Office ???

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen with Amr Waked and Ewan McGregor

OK, not a period drama but it's my blog and I loved Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. And I just wanted to get the word out to all of you with similar taste in film so that you can enjoy it too. Wasn't that nice of me? (wide grin) And don't get put off by the title. It's a RomCom and it's funny!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen with Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor

It's rare that I exit a movie theatre with a big smile on my face, but that is the kind of feel-good film this is. Will it win any Oscars? Possibly not. Would it be a great film to take your spouse, friend or even parent to see? Absolutely. All ages were loving this one! And there is something about Ewan McGregor that just makes you happy. I think it's that big goofy grin of his. And Emily Blunt is charming.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen with Kristin Scott Thomas and Amr Waked

Kristin Scott Thomas is even funnier in this one than she was in Four Weddings and a Funeral. She is just a hoot! I have to see this one again just to see the interaction between her character and her teenaged son. Hilarious!

Amr Waked as Sheikh Muhhamed is a wonderful talent, and actually from Egypt but then the actress who plays Dr. Jones's Scottish wife is actually English, so there you go.

Ewan McGregor as Dr. Fred Jones and Emily Blunt as Harriet Chetwode-Talbot

There were two familiar actors with smaller parts in this one. Tom Mison (Mr. Bingley from Lost in Austen) plays Harriet's boyfriend and military man Capt. Robert Mayers and Hugh Simon (Malcolm Wynn-Jones from Spooks/MI5) plays a Cabinet Minister who can sort of fish. Both are brilliant especially Hugh, or "Malcolm the tech guy from MI5" as he's known in our house.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

The scenery and cinematography is gorgeous. So if you need an uplifting fun film this month, go and see this one. It's a keeper!   I'm off to buy the book (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday) as I've heard it is pretty amazing too.