Becoming Jane

Plot

A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.

Release Year: 2007

Rating: 6.9/10 (21,522 voted)

Critic's Score: 55/100

Director:
Julian Jarrold

Stars: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters

Storyline
The year is 1795 and young Jane Austen is a feisty 20-year-old and emerging writer who already sees a world beyond class and commerce, beyond pride and prejudice, and dreams of doing what was then nearly unthinkable – marrying for love. Naturally, her parents are searching for a wealthy, well-appointed husband to assure their daughter's future social standing. They are eyeing Mr. Wisley, nephew to the very formidable, not to mention very rich, local aristocrat Lady Gresham, as a prospective match. But when Jane meets the roguish and decidedly non-aristocratic Tom Lefroy, sparks soon fly along with the sharp repartee. His intellect and arrogance raise her ire – then knock her head over heels. Now, the couple, whose flirtation flies in the face of the sense and sensibility of the age, is faced with a terrible dilemma. If they attempt to marry, they will risk everything that matters – family, friends and fortune.

Writers: Jane Austen, Kevin Hood

Cast:

Anne Hathaway
–

Jane Austen

James McAvoy
–

Tom Lefroy

Julie Walters
–

Mrs. Austen

James Cromwell
–

Reverend Austen

Maggie Smith
–

Lady Gresham

Anna Maxwell Martin
–

Cassandra Austen

Lucy Cohu
–

Eliza De Feuillide

Laurence Fox
–

Mr. Wisley

Ian Richardson
–

Judge Langlois

Joe Anderson
–

Henry Austen

Leo Bill
–

John Warren

Jessica Ashworth
–

Lucy Lefroy

Eleanor Methven
–

Mrs. Lefroy

Michael James Ford
–

Mr. Lefroy

Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
–

Robert Fowle

Taglines:
Between sense and sensibility and pride and prejudice was a life worth writing about.

Details

Official Website:
Official site [France] |
Official site [Japan] |

Release Date: 10 August 2007

Filming Locations: Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office Details

Budget: $16,500,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: £649,323
(UK)
(11 March 2007)
(325 Screens)

Gross: $37,311,672
(Worldwide)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

During the shooting of the opening scene, the piano that Jane plays was not working. The sound was later matched to Anne Hathaway's fingering.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers):
When Jane says that a country dance is called after the French 'contredanse', she has it the wrong way round: the French word is derived from the English word.

Quotes:

Henry Austen:
Careful, Jane, Lucy is right. Mr. Lefroy does have a reputation.

Jane Austen:
Presumably as the most disagreeable
[writing]

Jane Austen:
"… insolent, arrogant, impudent, insufferable, impertinent of men. "

Jane Austen:
[pauses]
Too many adjectives.

User Review

Loved It

Rating: 9/10


I thought it was a great story and very well cast. I didn't enter the
theatre with expectations of learning the truth about Jane Austen's
world, who was in it and what made her tick. I understood the movie was
loosely based on the life of Jane Austen. The writers have simply
devised a beautiful and clever story from only a small shred of
evidence that there was a true love in her life. From what I gather the
movie was really meant to be an fictional intervention in her life
devised from what was known of her. I thought Becoming Jane was funny,
beautifully shot and it made me giddy with lust over McEvoy. I loved
the sexual energy and meeting of the minds between the love interests.
I saw quite a few parallels between this story and Jane's novels. I
really believe that Jane would absolutely adore this version, if not
find it amusing how it was crafted. I do agree that to create a story
about a much loved female author is risky territory, as there are
devoted fans of Austen's who are looking for a representation that they
personally feel fits their idea of what motivated her as a writer.