Most Romantic Moment #11
Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
So I did not enjoy this film, I have watched it twice and still don’t like it. But like Bridget Jones’ Diary, just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean there isn’t a moment or two that you do. I plan to do a full review of the film later, but for now:
So the film is about five woman and one man starting a book club, a Jane Austen Book Club. Four of the women are very close, the other two members being strangers they ask to join…and they treat them pretty badly actually. Who asks someone that they just met to join their book club and then makes fun of them…like seriously? Oh no, no I said I would continue the full review later. Better take a breath.
So most of the women are going through things-Jocelyn is a dog trainer and one of her dogs passed away; Sylvia’s husband has been cheating on her for months and is divorcing her, and Pru and her husband are having a series of miscommunications, Pru is feeling neglected, and she is considering having an affair. Bernadette decides that that the perfect antidote to everything is to read Jane Austen.
They round out their group with Sylvia’s daughter Allegra and a random guy, Grigg, who Jocelyn thinks will be the perfect rebound for Sylvia-even though it is clear Grigg is into Jocelyn.
Jocelyn sure is
The film continues to show this group as they face their issues and read Jane Austen.
*Spoiler Alert*
So this moment comes at the end of the film. Pru’s husband has been gone physically (although to her it has been a lot longer emotionally), her mother died, she has been contemplating having an affair, and she is completely unraveling. She goes off to rendezvous with her soon-to-be lover, but changes her mind and returns home.
At home her husband Dean is playing video games. She comes to him, ready to try again and brings her book Persuasion. Forgetting her temptation, blowing off book club, and letting down her pretense & pride-she pleads with him to read Persuasion with her.
Dean is not into it as he is more of a magazine guy, but Pru is so persistent and he can tell it is important to her, as she just starts reading it aloud, that he agrees to one page.
Prudie Drummond: [showing Dean a copy of Persuasion] Will you do me a favor? Will you read this?
Dean Drummond: Isn’t that what you’re special little book club’s for?
Prudie Drummond: I really want you to read it. Please Dean.
Dean Drummond: Prudie, I feel like you want me to be something I’m not. I just walk around being me. I don’t pretend to be anything else. You just set me up for a test, you don’t want me to pass.
Prudie Drummond: No, no. This isn’t a test. This is something to share.
Dean Drummond: Why don’t you just tell me what it’s about?
Prudie Drummond: It’s about these two people who used to love each other. And they don’t any more. And it’s about how they persuade themselves to give it another try… Look I can get you started off. Okay? [she begins to read the first page]
Dean Drummond: Prudie… Come on, you’re not really going to read this all aloud… Alright, one page…
But it doesn’t turn out to be just one page, as we see they have moved to the bed and are continuing the story, and then later we see Pru fast asleep and Dean keeps reading, finishing the whole book.
The Jane Austen Book Club
I find this so romantic as each had to give a little of themselves to move forward-Pru had to open herself up and not talk down to her husband, while Dean had to make Pru his top priority and open himself up to trying something new and not shoot it down right away.
And also because we see that even when Pru has fallen asleep, he keeps reading. He could have stopped-as he gave it a try. He could have just read it when Pru was watching-but no he continues reading and taking part in something that is so important to her.
And it doesn’t stop there. At the end we see a year has gone by and Dean has read all of Jane Austen books-talking about them, calling Bernadette’s fiance Mr. Darcy, and squealing over how the fiance Señor Obando hasn’t read Jane Austen and they will have to introduce him to it.
How romantic!
For more on Persuasion, go to Holiday Mix Tape
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