Seriously. We had a great time.
Yes, the movie has received only 3 out of 10 tomatoes on Rotten Tomatoes; it has been girlishly and gigglingly reviewed on NPR, panned outright by the New York Times--but if you've ever signed up enthusiastically for a Jane Austen Society Annual General Meeting, specifically for the hat-trimming, dance-training, or dressmaking breakout sessions; or if you're one of the founding members of the official Colin Firth online fanclub, Austenland is not a bad way to pass a couple of hours.
Make no mistake: This is not a Heritage Adapation of one of the Divine Jane's Sacred Works. We all have our favorites among those perennial staples of BBC funding, and Austenland will never be in the running for the most passionate arguments true Janeites know: Henry Tilney or John Knightley? Frederick Wentworth or Fitzwilliam Darcy? Colin Firth, or any other actor who attempts to fill his...um...?
What Austenland does explore is the unfortunate gap between fantasy and reality, between the desire to enter the pages of Pride and Prejudice, and the actual tedium of finding oneself eternally in a role that has no foundation in emotion or personal history. It follows a young woman, Jane Hayes (the ingenuous and charming Carrie Russell) as she spends her life savings to return to Regency England on a great estate tricked out with period actors, intentionally conspiring to provide a romantic episode for her life. Yes, there are slapstick moments--several of her colleagues deliberately lampoon the conventions of Regency dramas--and some of the humor is broad. Austenland is a spoof on terminal fandom, and some of us may have suffered the malady enough to find it amusing or painful. But at base, the film offers a glimpse of a woman discovering that fakes--even beautifully clothed in an idyllic landscape--are no substitute for the real thing. And that is a journey most of us will recognize.
As an author myself, I abhor spoilers. Without disclosing the ending, therefore, I will say only that I found it a clever inversion of both the film's concept, and the expectation of most Janeites. Guilty pleasure? Why not. It won't kill you. It might even make you laugh. Go see Austenland.
Stephanie
None of the bad reviews have dissuaded me from seeing it, but happily your recommendation has assuaged any trepidation that others had installed. Yes, it is a bit of frothy fun with bawdy laughs. Giddyup! I am just relieved that you did not find it insulting or demeaning to Austen fans. You are one of the most reverent of the Austenesque authors and your stamp of approval says a lot.
ReplyDeleteI honestly laughed out loud at a lot of it, Laurel Ann, because it got certain things dead right--and that's all that matters. Even the inanities of Carrie Russell's sidekicks are designed to make you root for them. And JJ Field, whom I should have acknowledged in the review, is perfect in his role (the pseudo Darcy.) Other than Russell, he feels like the only authentic person in the film--which should be a massive ClueBat, as Mags would say.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, I also saw "Sense & Sensibility: The Musical" this spring, when it debuted in Denver--and really didn't love it. As a result, I didn't review it. Not that it wasn't faithful to the book--it was, in a way--but it also felt somehow like the Cliff Notes version. Willoughby was so anodyne that one could neither understand why Marianne nearly died for love of him, or why his loss was particularly a problem. Faithful, but entirely without spark. That's somehow worse than something like Austenland--that has no intention of revering Jane, and every intention of laughing with her.
I'm so excited to see the film; my sister recommended I read the book and I laughed so hard throughout most of it my husband wondered what on Earth I was reading. Loads of fun!
ReplyDeleteThe New Yorker just panned the film, Olivia. Adding their voice to the chorus of disapproval. So go see it aware that it's not going to win any prizes. I hope you get a few laughs, regardless!
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