2007, UK/USA/Ireland
Biography, Drama, Romance
If the best stories are based on experience, then surely Jane Austen led a headstrong life filled with passionate quarrels resolved through fairy tale endings. Well, almost.
As Austen’s big three (Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility) have been produced for the screen innumerable times in all of their empire-waisted glory, director Julian Jarrold thought better and tapped into the legend behind these willful heroines -- Austen herself.
The film finds Jane with an engaged sister and smitten brother; everyone is set on paths for love except our author. True to her characters, Jane is stubborn and desiring of true affection rather than monetary prospects. With a family anxious for better provisions than her preaching father can provide, Jane is often pushed towards the dependability of undesired suitors.
Enter Mr. Darcy, er, Tom Lefroy. A rogue from fast paced London, he is training to become a lawyer under his uncle’s fortune and tutelage yet making a name only by scandalous reputation. When sent to the country as a wakeup call, Jane initially finds him boorish and rude. How soon quick-witted insults turn to a passionate exchange of ideas -- the heart of every good Austen romance.
Anne Hathaway proves herself a capable actress worthy of the titular role. Her solid portrayal fits neatly into the pantheon of Austenites and will surely inspire the next generation of smart, young girls who secretly want to get swept off their feet. James McAvoy is appropriately impudent yet dashing as Lefroy, in turns crude and charismatic.
Becoming Jane contains many staples of any Austen-inspired adaptation. The film opens with beautiful views of a misty countryside, there is a requisite ball for lovers in denial and a rainy day full of forlorn emotions. Yet the filmmakers ensure a fresh take by infusing the dialogue with a few more innuendos than would be found in Austen’s text and hints at saucier contexts than might be read on her pages.
The inclusions do not feel blasphemous nor too modern. This is a fictionalized account of her life based upon loose facts, but the writers maintain a respectful tone while spicing up the humor. The dialogue is less polished than her writing, adding a realism that does not feel rehearsed.
Jane’s stubborn actions have real consequences. Her choices cannot be resolved with a witty remark -- her family’s future depends on her decisions. Fate and desire have little to do with the cold, hard facts of an inheritance that will support a large family, and hard won independence comes with a hefty price that extends beyond her person.
Tackling the life of a beloved author is no easy task, but Jarrold infuses Jane evenly with impressions of her characters and the reality of her position. Though influences for her popular tales are reflected, Jane’s life is bitterly distinct from her fiction, yet equally as engaging.