Becoming Jane Austen

As a new member of Film Independent, the organizations that includes filmmakers and film lovers and is comprised of the voting body of the Spirit Awards, I'm invited to preview screenings throughout the year (amongst other perks). I attended my first screening (sponsored by the Sundance Channel and InStyle) this past Monday.

They screened the upcoming Miramax pic "Becoming Jane". It is a sweeping narrative that chronicles the supposed love affair between Jane Austen and a young Irish lawyer named Tom Lefroy. It’s set to come out next month. It is documented that these two knew each other and engaged in a mild flirtation, but the story here is a work of fiction to entice Jane Austen fans and admirers alike.

---Just a word of ‘caution’ – this blog posting gets deep in “Pride and Prejudice” territory. So, read on if you know your stuff, otherwise you may be confused by the mention of several characters from the book. (by the way, why haven’t you read it?!) ----

Obviously, I was excited to see the film. And I took my aunt – the one-time owner of the 1984 BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice", which I co-opted, made my own, and saw about 20 times. It was especially enjoyable during long cleaning and packing episodes.

A film about Jane Austen is a great idea. There's definitely an interested market out there. And the star of the film is Anne Hathaway, one of the few young actresses today who isn't always in the tabloids.

The film has lots of good points. The supporting actors are excellent. James Cromwell and Julie Walters, who portray Austen’s father and mother respectively, are a joy to watch. Maggie Smith, who's character, I gather, is meant to provide the inspiration for Austen's "Lady Catherine", is top-notch. I wish all these actors had bigger roles. In fact, most of the supporting actors are good. Everyone except maybe Anne Hathaway.

Anne Hathaway's Austen isn't sympathetic. She’s more strong-willed and immature than a witty trailblazer. By this depiction, I cannot see how Jane Austen could have produced Elizabeth Bennett, one of my favorite literary heroines. If Elizabeth is witty, than the film’s Jane is precocious and obnoxious. One scene in particular with James Cromwell is particularly painful to watch - it made me wonder whether Anne is only suitable for the Disney, or chicklit-turned-maintream movie roles she is famous for. Her best performances were at the end of at least 3 scenes where she delivers a great line and promptly storms out. In fact, she is best at storming out.

As far as story goes, I initially found it hard to believe why Jane Austen would fall in love with a man like Tom LeFroy. In the movie, he has a bad reputation, is always tardy, frequents prostitutes and engages in basement boxing matches. He is depicted as careless and thoughtless. Plainly, he is the bad boy. Short, Irish, and bad. He is even blatantly rude towards Jane and tells her brother she’s too full of herself (We’re guessing this is created to mimic the similar scenario between Darcy and Lizzy) This causes Jane to fly into hysterics and question herself as a writer. Did Jane Austen really lack so muck confidence in her talent?

But like all bad boys, LeFroy has something none of the other men in Hampshire have – Charisma. It becomes clear that Jane falls in love with him for this reason – All the other men are effeminate, quiet and uninteresting. This Irish braggart is the only one who sparks any desire in her.

The film attempts to correlate their relationship with that of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in “Pride and Prejudice”. And in parts, I can see it to be true. But LeFroy is much more of a Mr. Wickham than a Mr. Darcy. Who knows, maybe he was the inspiration for both characters. Although I think that the Darcy comparison is really pushing it.

I would have been more interested in a story that closely examined Austen's evolution as a writer more so than her evolution as a lover. I just don’t feel for these two as a couple. It doesn’t ring true. Also, the director’s choice of shortchanging scenes involving Austen’s writing are really irritating. There are instances where a grand musical score overwhelms Hathaway’s readings of Austen’s work. There are also too many montages. How many dissolves can one person take?

Although the film as a whole wasn't moving for me, the end provided some satisfaction. It actually left me, well, depressed. Jane's only hope for love is Tom LeFroy. When she turns him down (not because she wanted to, but, well you'll see, she actually wanted to marry him), she closes the door to anyone else. A woman's reputation was much more fragile back in those days and her options were few. I wonder, did Jane think someone better would come along?

At the end of the film, Jane Austen is "Jane Austen", a popular and well-respected author. But she seems so lonely and depressed that I wonder if it was all worth it. It made me think - In today's world, are a woman's options really that much more abundant than women in the past? Aren’t a lot of us just waiting for someone better to come along when this may be as good as it gets?

Despite these resonating qualities, I’m not sure if I would recommend the film on the whole. It just goes to show that no fictionalized movie about Jane Austen will ever be as witty, smart, well-crafted and memorable as the stories she herself created.