Movie Review: Becoming Jane
MotherTalk is hosting a blog tour of the movie “Becoming Jane,” and lucky me, I’m participating! Easy, right? See a movie, write a review.
Well, it would be easy, but the movie is opened in limited release right now, so I had to drive a bit to find a theater showing “Becoming Jane.” And my son has football practice every night, so I had to wait until he and my husband got home at 8:15 p.m. to leave. Knowing all this, I did what any blogger would do and invited a blogging-friend to join me in this wild adventure. I emailed Kathryn from Daring Young Mom and asked if she could meet me at the movies at 10 p.m.
Of course, Kathryn, being a well-known party animal, immediately emailed back: “I’m IN!” she said.
Within a couple of hours, however, my husband suggested that he go with me, that we have an actual “date,” and I said, “What is this thing called ‘date’ you speak of?”
So I had to tell Kathryn, uh, sorry, I’m a loser and I take back my invitation. Seriously, I lack class.
My husband and I left our house at 8:30 p.m., managed to park at Lincoln Square Cinemas in Bellevue and then emerged from the underground parking garage blinking and circling like a couple of moles who lost their way and popped up on Bill Gates’ lawn. We eventually stumbled into the mall and escalated up three stories to the movie theater. (What a beautiful entry way it had . . . what looked like Chiuly glass hung from the ceiling, down several stories.)
Anyway, the movie.
I admit, that for the first half hour, I hardly understood a word of dialogue. This movie is a fictional depiction of Jane Austen’s romantic life and the English accents were just beyond me. Perhaps that’s because the movie started at 10:05 p.m. and my brain had already started to shut down. But after that, I was swept into the story–what glorious scenery (shot in Ireland, I understand) and amazing costumes. I thought the pace of the film picked up and the second half was an improvement over the first. (Probably because I had grown accustomed to the accents and could understand what they were saying!)
Anne Hathaway is really beautiful and the lead actor, James McAvoy, had the most amazingly blue eyes. All in all, I thought the acting was good, the movie was gorgeous and the experience was fun. If you like period dramas, complete with corsets and waltzes, you’ll like this movie.
I worried that my husband next to me would fall asleep from boredom, but he claimed afterward to have enjoyed it. (I can’t say the same for some man behind us who snored during the second half.) And by 1:30 a.m., I was back in bed, asleep, but too tired to dream. (And up at 6:15 a.m. for my morning walk.)
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I was compensated for this review with an Amazon gift card, but my opinion is entirely my own.
Thanks for the review. I think this would be a very interesting movie to see. I’ve watched any number of British programs, so maybe I stand a good chance with the accents.
As I absolutely love the movie Pride and Prejudice, how would this movie rank in comparison? And I hope they won’t take away your Amazon gift card if you give it a thumbs down…but then again, I suppose not everyone loves P & P like, um, me, so perhaps this isn’t a fair question to pose?!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
I saw Becoming Jane on Friday too (and, living closer to the center of civilization, did not have to drive too far to find it). I’m a Jane Austen admirer (though not quite a “Janeite”), and a big Anglophile, so I had to see it as soon as possible. I don’t think anything could compare to Pride and Prejudice (I’ve only seen the Colin Firth version, though), and certainly not to Sense and Sensibility, which I think is one of the loveliest films ever. But I liked this movie and enjoyed how the very fictionalized story suggested Jane’s inspiration for Pride and Prejudice, and perhaps her other novels as well. I didn’t have any problem with the accents, but my mother said she had a hard time following what they were saying sometimes. I think that was more due to the quick manner of speaking than the accents per se. I didn’t think anyone had a particularly obscure accent. Anne Hathaway’s accent sounded quite acceptable to me, although I’m sure a true English person would be quick to point out that it was fake. (I wonder what the English think of an American playing their beloved Jane? They have accepted Renee Zellweger and Gwyneth Paltrow as Englishwomen…) (And speaking of Renee, I heartily recommend Miss Potter, where she plays another notable English spinster authoress.) One thing I thought was particularly subtly clever was Anne Hathaway’s costumes. While the other women characters wore elaborate period gowns, Jane’s dresses, though traditional, were much simpler and in that way rather contemporary… I would happily wear any one of them if shortened to a modern length.
As a guy, I must say this movie looks pretty boring. I question you’re husbands sincerity.
)
Great review … I hope will get leisure time soon
I love compensation for reviews myself…
And I liked the review. There are few movies I actually think “Hmmm, I wouldn’t mind seeing that one.” and perhaps this is one of them.
a date!! yay for you!! we had a movie date, too. when Bourne Ultimatum opened! I just saw the trailer for Becoming Jane! I do want to see it!
James McAvoy is the guy who played the faun in that Narnia movie. He does have gorgeous eyes! I can’t wait for this movie to come out on DVD. I love any movie based on Jane Austen’s books. Sadly I’ve tried to read them, but my child-birth induced ADD has prevented me from actually finishing any of them.
I think I would enjoy this movie. I love Jane Austen, and can’t count the number of times I’ve read “Pride and Prejudice.”
The movie is getting good reviews, and I was glad to read that the director avoided anachronistic, contemporary talk and behavior. I heard that’s one of the things that ruined the most recent film version of “Pride and Prejudice.”
And kudos to your husband for actually watching this movie with you!
Well now I’ll have to go see it. You up for round two?