A romantic dramedy that wobbles between self-indulgent references and genuinely affecting moments of pathos, The Jane Austen Book Club seems to cheekily capitalize upon the recent surge in popularity the English author has enjoyed at the multiplex. Adapted from Karen Joy Fowler's 2004 novel of the same name, writer/director Robin Swicord (making her directorial debut)'s elegant, diffuse look at the lives and loves of a clutch of Austen-loving women (and one fella) has its pleasures, but they are maddeningly few and far between.

Armed with a truckload of talent -- Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Marc Blucas, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, Hugh Dancy, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Kevin Zegers and Lynn Redgrave comprise the main cast -- and a loose, episodic structure (the club reads all six of Austen's novels over a six-month period), The Jane Austen Book Club has a breezy feel from its opening moments, a mood occasionally darkened by life changes such as divorce, injury or heartbreak. Unsurprisingly, the main thrust of the film is just how Austen's timeless works mirror the turbulent lives of those turning the pages.

The myriad plots don't go anywhere too unexpected -- although I will say the Blunt/Blucas/Redgrave thread had a few surprising tweaks; it's arguably the strongest of all plotlines in the film -- but the journey's the thing here, not the destination. Dancy and Bello enjoy some low-key chemistry and only Baker seems strangely miscast, floating above it all like a ditzy den mother.

Granted, I'm not really the target audience for The Jane Austen Book Club, but it's to Swicord's credit that the few shots she takes at the male species are either justified by Austen's point of view or are surprisingly well-observed. If only all of the film packed the punch of Blunt and Blucas's work or the funny-sad dynamic shared by Bello and Dancy, it would be a far more successful, compelling work. As it is, this Club is almost not worth joining.

The Video:

This 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is spot-on, with no glaring defects to detract from the lovely visages of Bello, Blunt or Grace. Color saturation is vivid, the black levels are solid and the level of detail is great (check out Redgrave's loopy threads), befitting a recently filmed production.

Plenty of sobbing and modern pop songs make up the soundtrack, so the Dolby Digital 5.1 track doesn't get too many opportunities to really rattle the walls. However, dialogue is conveyed clearly, with no distortion or drop-out and the few surround effects are handled nicely. An optional French Dolby Digital 5.1 track is on hand, as are optional English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Swicord oversees a commentary track that includes appearances from Hugh Dancy, Maggie Grace, film editor Maryann Brandon and producer Julie Lynn (all recorded together); it's a fun, informative listen that reveals production tidbits and the genesis of the project. The 18 minute, 47 second featurette "Behind the Scenes of The Jane Austen Book Club" (presented in fullscreen) is standard-issue stuff, while a trio of featurettes (all presented in fullscreen) -- the 21 minute, 36 second "The Life of Jane," the 11 minute, 42 second "The Book Club: Deconstructed" and the two minute, 43 second "Walking the Red Carpet: Los Angeles Premiere" -- further explores the making of the film. Seven deleted scenes (presented in fullscreen) are playable separately or all together for an aggregate of six minutes, 49 seconds. Trailers for My Kid Could Paint That, Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains, Across the Universe, Blonde Ambition, Comanche Moon, Little Women, My Mom's New Boyfriend, Persepolis and Saawariya complete the disc.

A romantic dramedy that wobbles between self-indulgent references and genuinely affecting moments of pathos, The Jane Austen Book Club seems to cheekily capitalize upon the recent surge in popularity the English author has enjoyed at the multiplex. Adapted from Karen Joy Fowler's 2004 novel of the same name, writer/director Robin Swicord's elegant, diffuse look at the lives and loves of a clutch of Austen-loving women (and one fella) has its pleasures, but they are maddeningly few and far between. Rent it.