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Director Robin Swicord adapts Karen Joy Fowler’s bestselling novel into a smart romantic comedy that takes helpful cues from the literary master of love, Jane Austen. When so many rom-coms these days are about bickering shallow women or females who have problems saying on their feet (you know pratfall after pratfall), it’s quite refreshing to see a funny love story based around characters reading. Even better the comedy comes from the characters and their natures.

Jocelyn (Maria Bello, THE COOLER) is a successful single woman, who is content with being unchained from a man. Her best friend Sylvia Avila (Amy Brenneman, TV’s JUDGING AMY) is going through a tough divorce, after her husband Daniel (Jimmy Smits, TV’s L.A. LAW) springs on her that he has found another woman. Their daughter Allegra (Maggie Grace, TV’s LOST) is an adventurous lesbian who is impatient and rash with love. Bernadette (Kathy Baker, TV’s PICKET FENCES) is Jocelyn’s older free-spirited friend, who has been blissfully married several times. One night at the movies Bernadette meets the unhappily married Prudie Drummond (Emily Blunt, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA), whose snooty personality seems in complete conflict with her jocky husband Dean (Marc Blucas, TV’s BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER). Bernadette invites Prudie to join their Jane Austen book club, where each member leads the discussion on each of Austen’s novels. To fill out the group, Jocelyn ropes in sci-fi loving tech millionaire Grigg Harris (Hugh Dancy, BLACK HAWK DOWN) to the club as a possible romantic interest for Sylvia even when its clear that Grigg has eyes for her.

Like Austen, this story finds humor and heart in the opposing personalities of its characters. Jocelyn is cool and collected on the surface with a well of bubbling sentiment right underneath. She is a woman who likes to play people like chess pieces in a solo game. Maybe it’s a defense mechanism but she wants to affect others with her desires, but resists letting them affect her. This is the case with Grigg, a nerd who doesn’t know how much of a nerd he really is. Dancy plays him very well, even if the actor is bit too good looking for the role. This relationship forms the center of the story with Sylvia’s emotional recovery playing a supporting role in the conflict. Jocelyn is the film’s Emma for sure.

Swicord does a commendable job of balancing out the ensemble cast’s stories, while never skimping on the premise — a book club about Jane Austen. For Austen fans, the interesting points of view on the famed author’s characters will present insight and humor. Is PRIDE & PREJUDICE’s Charlotte gay and Austen doesn’t know it? Why is Mr. Darcy such a boorish snob? Yet the Austen novice will not be lost, because these discussions say as much about the characters in this story as they do about the characters in Austen’s tales.

Nothing is sexier than smart women, and this film has several. Bello’s Jocelyn, who reads EMMA, and Dancy’s Grigg, who reads NORTHANGER ABBEY, are the most charming characters. But I might be prejudice because I feel Bello is one of the most beautiful women in the world. However, with clear senses, I can say the best part of this film is that none of the other stories are any less compelling. A book club seems like the least cinematic premise, but Swicord should take pride in keeping the pacing crisp with light humor and quick wit. So let me persuade you to park yourself down for 106 minutes of not just sensible entertainment.

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