Becoming Jane – Movie Review
Anne Hathaway Brings Austen to Life With Warmth and Charm
May 23, 2009 Jennifer Thompson
In this drama based on the letters of famed author Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway), the how and why of Austen’s becoming a professional writer are attributed to the passionate but doomed romance between the young author and Irishman Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), an impoverished law student. Based on Austen’s personal letters to her sister Cassandra, Becoming Jane is an enchanting if not entirely accurate portrayal of Lefroy’s courtship with Jane and its effect on her writing.
The Real Story
Search the Internet for a biography of Jane Austen, and there are a fair variety of accounts, some of which mention Lefroy in passing, some of which say the two never saw each other again after their relationship ended, and some of which don’t mention the young lawyer at all. It appears the consensus, however, is that Jane Austen did admit to falling in love, just once, in her 41 years of life.
Based on impassioned letters Austen wrote to her sister, the film assumes that aspect of the story is accurate, then goes on to take some liberties with that accuracy as to the details of the courtship, the attempts by their families to discourage the pair, and the eventual demise of the relationship. Hathaway and McAvoy, however, don’t let historical inaccuracy impair their performances. There is instant chemistry between the two from the minute they appear on screen together.
Conviviality and Charm
Anne Hathaway has an inherent warmth about her, from her spectacular eyes to her radiant smile, that attracts moviegoers in droves. Her character in this film is no different in that respect; the difference between this and her other roles (Ella Enchanted, The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada) is the persona of Jane Austen herself.
While the true character of the writer can only be inferred from her own writings and the recollections of family members recorded years after her death, it is evident from these that Austen was an intelligent, self-confident woman with a passion for literature. Hathaway embodies this onscreen with admirable grace. Her British accent is natural in an unforced, understated way, and she emanates a resolutely feminine strength while at the same time projecting an innocent insecurity in her own femininity.
Her naïveté is most poignantly displayed in one intense scene where Jane and Lefroy share their first kiss. It’s Jane’s first, and she expresses the girlish hope that she did it well. Conversely, Jane’s intelligence is accentuated in the scenes where she and Lefroy exchange banter and barbs in a match of wits that draws them together and ultimately facilitates their falling in love. Hathaway fluctuates between the two sides of the character convincingly.
Strong Support
Hathaway’s performance is enhanced by the excellent cast of which she is a part. James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Atonement) plays Tom Lefroy with an effective combination of arrogance and charisma. Jane’s parents are played by Julie Walters (Calendar Girls, the Harry Potter films) and James Cromwell (TV’s Six Feet Under, The Green Mile), and the venerable Maggie Smith costars as a wealthy neighbor whose nephew proposes to Jane.
It is, of course, not uncommon in film to sacrifice historical accuracy for the sake of dramatics. The rather limited details of Jane Austen’s life are a fertile feeding ground for such liberties. There are those who might prefer a more truthful account of Austen’s life, her character and her writing. However, Becoming Jane is pure romance, and is an entertaining enough film that its minor inaccuracies may be overlooked by all but Ms. Austen’s most devoted fans.
Starring Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy
Miramax Films (US distribution), 2007
Directed by Julian Jarrold (Brideshead Revisited)
Rated: PG
Running time: 121 min
Available on DVD
Becoming Jane starring Anne Hathaway
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