"The Jane Austen Book Club" (Sony Classics), based on the novel by Karen Joy Fowler, is a genteel "chick flick" about three Sacramento friends -- the oft-married Bernadette (Kathy Baker), loner Jocelyn (Maria Bello), and neurotic Prudie (Emily Blunt) -- who start a book discussion group on Jane Austen as a catharsis for their friend, Sylvia (Amy Brenneman), whose lawyer-husband Daniel (Jimmy Smits), has announced he's leaving her after 25 years for a woman at work.

When Jocelyn encounters a good-looking young man, Grigg (Hugh Dancy), in an elevator, she invites him to join their group, hoping Sylvia will fall for him. It's clear that Grigg is actually attracted to Jocelyn, but the latter has closed herself off to emotion, and keeps pushing him toward Sylvia while channeling her own emotions into her beloved dogs.

Sylvia's openly lesbian daughter, Allegra (Maggie Grace), also joins the group to support her mom, and her ever-changing love life is interwoven throughout.

High school French teacher Prudie feels her husband, Dean (Marc Blucas), has drifted from her, and is tempted to succumb to the charms of her handsome, self-assured student, Trey (Kevin Zegers). Prudie's mother, Sky (Lynn Redgrave in an amusing cameo), is a drug-addled ex-hippie.

Writer-director Robin Swicord directs at rather too leisurely a pace, and familiarity with the Austen plotlines is a definite help, though some rather wordy exposition attempts to fill in the uninitiated.

There are some poignant moments, and the performances are predictably fine across the board. Ultimately, the story is for the most part resolved on moral lines -- with most of the characters doing the "right" thing, thanks to the lessons they've learned in their study of the six Austen novels.

But overall the premise seems contrived, and that relatively minor lesbian subplot is morally questionable.

The film contains casual acceptance of premarital sex and divorce, nongraphic sexual encounters, an inappropriate teacher-student flirtation, same-sex attraction, adultery theme, some rough and crude words, and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

The following movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.