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

The Jane Austen Book Club - starring Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Jimmi Smits, Emily Blunt, Maria Bello, and Hugh Dancy and based on a book written by Kay Fowler. Let me say this up front, I really enjoyed the book. Loved it, made me want to start a book club which I sort of did. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen - therefore this was a film made just for me!

The movie follows, mostly, the plot of the book. Jocelyn and Sylvia have been friends since high school. Jocelyn even introduced Sylvia to her husband. He ends up leaving her and in order to help her through the pain of divorce the women start a book club. Bernadette is friends with Jocelyn and Sylvia, and is a mother hen and she draws Prudie into the club through their mutual detest of the movie version of Mansfield Park. Jocelyn brings a male member to the club Grigg, the youngest child in a family of girls. Jocelyn hopes he will be a match for the newly dumped Sylvia. And Sylvia’s lesbian daughter rounds off the group. Each month a member hosts the club and discusses an Austen book.

The actors selected for each character were spot on. Emily Blunt was perfect as Prudie - a young married high school French teacher. So condescending and delusional, she was exactly as I pictured her in my head. The same was true for every character. Maria was cold, oblivious, and a little self centered. But my favorite of favorites was Grigg. I loved him in the book but I adored Hugh Dancy's portrayal of Grigg the fish out of water, science fiction adoring, sweet and just so delicious man. You should watch the movie just to see him, but stay to enjoy everyone else.

Would it be rude of me to inquire if there is any insanity in your family?

You were Never Lovelier - starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. An delightful old black and white flick.

Fred Astaire is a dancer who has lost his money gambling in Bues Aires. He heads to the local talent agency and runs into an old friend who warns him about his boss. His boss, Mr. Acuna, is a cranky father of four girls. He has informed his family that the daughters must marry in order - from oldest to youngest. His youngest two daughters have boyfriends who want to propose but Rita Hayworth (Maria) is refusing to fall in love and be courted.

Fred Astaire's friend sneaks Fred (Robert) into the wedding of Mr. Acuna's oldest daughter allowing him to perform at the wedding. Mr. Acuna ignores and doesn't care for Robert. Maria and Robert also meet but do not hit it off - he flirts and she is icy. Maria's standoffish behavior is brought to her father's attention by his youngest daughters and their fear that they will never marry because Maria is incapable of love. Mr. Acuna decides to take matters into his own hands and starts writing anonymous love notes accompanied by orchids to Maria. Of course, misunderstandings ensue and of course, love wins out.

This is an interesting and funny film. It leaves the viewer wanting to dance. It also shows how ethnicity is treated or ignored in the Hollywood day's of yore. Still it is a treat to watch the dancing and the singing in context. I liked it. Watch it sometime.