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Jane Austen in Love
Set in the formative early years of author Jane Austen’s life, Becoming Jane is like Miramax’s B-side of Shakespeare in Love. Less jokey than that earlier film, Becoming Jane is based on a real-life flirtation of Austen’s, albeit a minor one, rather than the whimsical relationship dreamed up for Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love. Becoming Jane aspires to model itself on Austen’s own plots, but it’s difficult and maybe unfair to compare this movie with the wit and elegance of Emma or Sense & Sensibility. Anne Hathaway plays the young Austen who eventually becomes enchanted by aspiring lawyer Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), after being initially turned off by his arrogant and crude mannerisms and love of the saucy novel Tom Jones. Her writing skills and desire to “live by her pen” set her apart from other women of her time. That, and her ability to play a mean game of cricket, if we’re to take the movie at its word. Jane is also being courted by the dull Mr. Wisley, nephew of Lady Gresham. But Jane sees none of Wisley’s charms, if any exist. Lady Gresham, meanwhile, tries to find a way to drive a wedge between Tom and Jane, and our heroine finds inspiration in the whole affair to begin writing a novel that would eventually become Pride and Prejudice, upon which Becoming Jane bears some similarity. In fact, there are quite a few references to Austen’s works throughout the film, whether through character or plot, and the film’s director, writer, and producer point these out throughout the film in a very entertaining and informative audio commentary track that’s included on the DVD of Becoming Jane. Other special features include a short featurette about the real Jane Austen, deleted scenes, and a “Pop-Up Fact” feature that unfortunately includes too many irrelevant facts. Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy work well on-screen, but there’s a curious dryness to the overall production. The movie is good enough, but lacks the spark that comes with the best Jane Austen film adaptations, like the aforementioned Sense and Sensibility (directed by Ang Lee) or even a modern take like Gurinder Chada’s Bollywood-style Bride & Prejudice. But fans of Austen’s work may find Becoming Jane an interesting, if fanciful look into the author’s early life and possible sources of inspiration.03/27/08 Back to the main Cinema Tuesdays Reviews page More about the Cinema Tuesdays series  |
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