Product: Becoming Jane [Blu-ray] (2007)
Rating: 3.0
Becoming Pride and Prejudice
Becoming Jane was pretty much what I expected. Unfortunately, my expectations were not that high. It definitely had some fun moments and some romantic moments, both essential to anything labeled with Miss Austen's name. But overall, this was a movie that just tried too hard. They forced quotes and snippets from Jane Austen's books into the movie in ways that seemed unnatural and most came from Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen wrote six equally splendid novels (plus some other works). This drama would have you believe that only the one that has become the most well known was inspired by real events and people. How convenient is that?The love story was also the weakest part of the script. Mr. Lefroy was clearly intended to be a real life Mr. Darcy. But while Mr. Darcy only seemed rude in the beginning, Mr. Lefroy actually was rude (among other things). There is a huge difference and it left me completely unable to root for the romance. Jane was also courted by the wealthy man who was described as very dull, but who uttered some of the more Austen-like dialogue in the movie.I felt the movie was likable, but not lovable. I'd suggest renting it as it's probably not something you'll want to watch over and over. And the bonus features on the DVD didn't seem like much. I admit I only watched the deleted scenes, but most of them were unfinished and would obviously have slowed down the movie. Sometimes deleted scenes can be fun and sometimes they should stay deleted.Amanda Hamm, author ofDear Jane Letters