Product: Becoming Jane [Blu-ray] (2007)
Rating: 3.0
Expected to Hate It, But Didn't
I'm a high school English teacher and huge Austen fan, so I expected to really hate this movie, but I couldn't quite bring myself to do so, and I'm not sure why. I expected a cut-and-paste job that played fast and loose with the facts of Austen's life, and though it had its share of fictions (Wisley is not a realy person, for example) it seemed true to the spirit of Austen's life if not the letter. I was offended by the movie's suggestion that most of Jane Austen's great lines were things that other people made up. Jane is always jotting down clever things other people say, and I choose to believe that she was much more of a creative genius than that. However, the overall tone was respectful and even loving towards Austen, and James McAvoy is just an awesome actor. Despite the fact that he lacks typical movie star looks, he pulls off a total charm job, smoldering his way through the 18th century sets to win Jane's heart, and the audience's as well. And the cast is amazing. Hathaway, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith, this is a who's who of great actors. So while this isn't exactly a brilliant masterpiece, it didn't offend this Austen buff but instead proved entertaining and mildly thought-provoking. For $14.99 you may want to add it to your library.