Becoming Jane (2007)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Julian Jarrold

Writers:

Jane Austen (letters)
Kevin Hood (writer)

Release Date:

10 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

"A woman especially if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can." -Jane Austen

Plot:

A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.

Plot Keywords:

Fictional Biography | Cricket | 1790s | Poverty | Austen

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Anne Hathaway	...	Jane Austen
James McAvoy	...	Tom Lefroy
Julie Walters	...	Mrs. Austen
James Cromwell	...	Rev Austen
Maggie Smith	...	Lady Gresham
Anna Maxwell Martin	...	Cassandra 'Cassie' Austen
Lucy Cohu	...	Eliza De Feuillide
Laurence Fox	...	Mr. Wisley
Ian Richardson	...	Judge Langlois
Joe Anderson	...	Henry Austen
Leo Bill	...	John Warren
Jessica Ashworth	...	Lucy Lefroy
Eleanor Methven	...	Mrs. Lefroy
Michael James Ford	...	Mr. Lefroy
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor	...	Robert Fowle

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief nudity and mild language. (edited for re-rating; was PG-13)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG | UK:PG | Ireland:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | Netherlands:6 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:Btl | Germany:o.Al. | South Korea:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Taiwan:GP | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

2 Entertain

Trivia:

The final film role of Ian Richardson.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Throughout the film, Jane wears costumes almost 20 years ahead of the other characters. At the ball scene, she is the only one in short sleeves and an empire waist- all the others are dressed as fits the period, which is 1795. Presumably, this was to make Jane more recognizable to popular audiences more familiar with the empire style dresses her later characters wore.

Quotes:

Henry Austen: What do you make of Mr. Lefroy?
Jane Austen: We're honoured by his presence.
Eliza De Feuillide: You think?
Jane Austen: He does, with his preening, prancing, Irish-cum-Bond-Street airs.
Henry Austen: Jane.
Jane Austen: Well, I call it very high indeed, refusing to dance when there are so few gentleman. Henry, are all your friends so disagreeable?
Henry Austen: Jane.
Jane Austen: Where exactly in Ireland does he come from, anyway?
Tom Lefroy: [coming up behind Jane] Limerick, Miss Austen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Anne Hathaway/The Killers (#34.4)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Why Tarries My Love?

Loved It

I thought it was a great story and very well cast. I didn't enter the theatre with expectations of learning the truth about Jane Austen's world, who was in it and what made her tick. I understood the movie was loosely based on the life of Jane Austen. The writers have simply devised a beautiful and clever story from only a small shred of evidence that there was a true love in her life. From what I gather the movie was really meant to be an fictional intervention in her life devised from what was known of her. I thought Becoming Jane was funny, beautifully shot and it made me giddy with lust over McEvoy. I loved the sexual energy and meeting of the minds between the love interests. I saw quite a few parallels between this story and Jane's novels. I really believe that Jane would absolutely adore this version, if not find it amusing how it was crafted. I do agree that to create a story about a much loved female author is risky territory, as there are devoted fans of Austen's who are looking for a representation that they personally feel fits their idea of what motivated her as a writer.