August 8-10

This week, MotherTalk goes to the movies! Becoming Jane is the story of the great, untold romance that inspired a young Jane Austen, played by Anne Hathaway. Willful and spirited, Jane is not ready to be tied down to anything but her writing. That is, until she meets Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), a charming rogue from London who spends more time drinking and socializing than poring over his law studies. Jane finds herself more and more attracted to this poor but keenly intelligent man, but — surprise! — her ideas about love and marriage don’t mesh with the conventions of her culture.

Socal Mom launches our tour with moon eyes for James McAvoy. She also says “Hathaway makes a surprisingly credible Jane … The rest of the cast was also first-rate, beginning with James Cromwell and Julie Walters as Jane’s father and mother (and including the great Maggie Smith and Ian Richardson in small - but important - roles).”

Wet Feet agrees. She says “In my own fantasy of the life and loves of Jane Austen, this is how I would have wanted it to go. No, she never married, but she loved as deeply as any intelligent, rebellious, constrained woman could love. But the number one reason to see this movie? Tom LeFroy is sexy as hell.”

Margalit at What Was I Reviewing? says “[Hathaway's] accent was almost flawless, her manner of speech precisely how Jane presented herself in her novels, and her facial expressions and subtle mannerisms spoke volumes about her inner feelings. Hathaway was terrific as Jane Austen, delivering the sparkling dialog with just the right nuances.”

Stirrup Queens says “The story, fiction or not, still maintains a core fact of Jane Austen’s life–she gave up marriage to ‘live by the pen.’ Watching the film made me truly appreciate the difficulties embedded in this choice, the repercussions of this monumental decision–what it meant for her parents, what it meant for her later in life. What she gave up for whatever she gained.”

Everyday Treats writes “Certain things were exaggerated for effect, and a lot of it had to be imagined by the writers. And why not? Precious little is known about the everyday details of Austen’s life. What we do have through her novels and letters is a wealth of knowledge about her view of the world she lived in, and in my opinion this movie does a great job in imagining what situations compelled Jane to create the characters in her works.”

The Adventures of Leelo says “But you know what always makes my heart grow three sizes? A nice dose of righteous indignation. And Becoming Jane has oh-so-many sweet jolts of it. Oh, the carefully worded slights to our smart, kind Jane! Oh, her sharply courteous retorts! No one in her world understands her, except her father and the man she can’t have! It’s soooooo unfaaaair! And so utterly enjoyable.”

liberating omoni says “I tend to have fairly rigorous standards (having a B.A. in Film Studies). The film held my interest throughout. The bottom line - an entertained thumbs up.”

The Snarky Squab was impressed with the cast. She says “Speaking of the cast, it’s excellent - from James Cromwell and Julie Walters as Austen’s parents to Maggie Smith and Ian Richardson in key supporting roles … James McAvoy, as Jane’s love interest, is surprisingly compelling, and gets better as the movie goes on.”

Mommy Needs a Cocktail writes “Anne Hathaway’s performance was fabulous … Her portrayal contained the exact amount of spunk I imagined a young Jane Austen to have. As Austen’s love interest in the film, James McAvoy’s Tom Lefroy made me want to climb up and lick the screen. The chemistry between Jane and Tom was just that good.”

cause of our joy says “Rapturous music, dreamlike shots of the countryside, delightful acting by Julie Walters as Mrs. Austen, and natural lighting coupled with well delivered 19th century dialogue.”

Actual Unretouched Photo says “I was swept into the story–what glorious scenery (shot in Ireland, I understand) and amazing costumes … Anne Hathaway is really beautiful and the lead actor, James McAvoy, had the most amazingly blue eyes. If you like period dramas, complete with corsets and waltzes, you’ll like this movie.”

Ask Moxie says “I definitely enjoyed the movie. It was lushly shot, and had the same atmosphere as most movies made from actual Austen novels in the last 20 years. The casting was excellent … and I thought Anne Hathaway was remarkably understated.”

A Daily Dose of Zen Sarcasm says “If you have two X chromosomes, and if you like a movie that will make you swoon and period costumes and Regency-dress balls all that good stuff, you should DEFINITELY go see this movie.”

Elizabeth Curtis, guest blogging at Girl With Pen, starts a great discussion about the mixed messages of career vs. marriage. She also says “I was pleasantly surprised by Becoming Jane. Sure, I’m a sucker for period pieces – seeing them is a hobby bordering on obsession for me. But I think most Jane Austen fans will be tickled by the clever blending of her fictional characters with the personalities of her real-life companions in the film.”

The Debroff Debrief says “The movie provides the avid Jane Austen follower with just the right amount of mist and English fog in order to whimsically carry us off to another time.”

One Hand Typing writes “Anne Hathaway surprised me in this role. Not only did she produce a credible British accent, but she inhabited the role with a sort of edgy intelligence — exactly the way we all imagine Jane Austen would have behaved, especially at an idealistic twenty.”

Against All Heresies says “Though a little bit surprised at some of the bawdy humor and a rather suggestive discussion, I have to say the costumes, the storyline- which was exciting, the fine acting of Jane and her parents, and the strong support for duty won me over. Naturally it is a must see for any Jane Austen fan but I would recommend it for young adults and up.

Mom on a Wire says “Anticipation, passion, heartbreak, and tragedy; a roller-coaster of emotions gives the audience some insight into the mind of the great author, and where she drew the inspiration for some of her most famous characters … The movie was fantastic folks. Grab some tissues and a girlfriend and go check it out. If you like Jane Austen, you’ll enjoy the film. And if you’ve never been exposed to any of her work before, this is a great introduction for you.”

Conseula Francis and Alison Piepmeier teamed up for a sense-and-sensibility review on Girl With Pen. Speaking for the sensible among us, Conseula says ““Becoming Jane” is ultimately about passion—passion for work, passion for life, passion for other people. And it is also about the sacrifices and responsibilities that often make a living a passionate life impossible.” Going straight for the senses, Alison writes “This film did a great job of letting the audience experience the sexual tension in very subtle interactions—the unexpected meeting at a ball, a conversation ostensibly about literature in a private library. In fact, Jane and Tom’s first kiss, and what Conseula calls their “sneaky hand touches” are far sexier than many explicit scenes I’ve seen in other, less carefully controlled films.”

Mommy Needs Coffee says “A romance with humor. Best combination ever. Combine that with the amazing period costumes and settings, and I was sucked in and became the total romance sap that I am!  A wonderful piece of work for the eyes, the ears and the heart.  I highly recommend seeing this movie.  Grab a box of Kleenex and a good girlfriend and go see it.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2007 at 1:33 am and is filed under Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.