“Austenland” (2013)

Austenland

Grade: B-

Austenland is a cute, sweet and funny rom-com with a ridiculous plot (offering next to nothing in terms of backstory) and a reliance on predictable genre clichés (right down to the running-through-the-airport climax). But when it comes to rom-coms, those first three adjectives are all that matter, right? In other words, Austenland is enjoyable so long as it isn’t taken too seriously: this Shannon Hale adaptation is only a few steps above Hallmark made-for-TV territory.

Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge deliver fun, lovable performances (the latter is the film’s highlight in her comic-relief role, though that may say something about Austenland‘s overall quality); the film moves fast, with familiar beats; and the premise is simple, tame, inoffensive — there are certainly worse ways to waste 90 minutes.