First Impressions

I am a fan of Jane Austen's work, it is sad that she wrote only six. This movie of her life mirrors her novel Pride and Prejudice in the way that Shakespeare in Love mirrored Romeo and Juliet while both are based on information that is known about the writers heavy liberties were taken with the details. But both make pretty good stories and movies. The acting was well done, the script and story good, and the costumes while not too elaborate, were nicely done. I enjoyed this movie, it tugged at my heartstrings, and would be a story that I think Jane would like told about her.

This is the story of Jane Austen's young life, told through the filter of Pride and Prejudice. She is a daughter of a Reverend, which makes her genteel but poor. She has an older sister Cassandra and three brothers. Like the story Jane finds herself trapped between money, duty, and love--seemingly with no way out. Her mother is pressuring her to marry an awkward young man that is rich, but she has fallen for a Mr. Leroy who is at first disagreeable, but becomes the man she falls in love with. Can she find a way to follow her heart; will she marry for money, or perhaps neither? You will have to watch the movie to find out, although if you are a fan of Austen's then you already know how this love story plays out. The story also has a couple of side plots that of her sister Cassandra and her brother Henry, both of their lives take important turns at the same time as Jane's.

I thought the plot solid as any of Austen's novels and the script well done. Jane sounded smart and well thought out without being cold.

I thought the acting well done. Anne Hathaway makes a lovely Jane. She is lively, quick, beautiful and smart. Everything I envisioned a young Jane to be. James McAvoy makes a wonderful Tom Lefroy; he is very Darcy-like, dark, brooding ready to dislike the country until he finds a special surprise in Jane. He is just the man I would expect a young Jane to fall for. Julie Walters plays Jane's Mother. She reminds me very much of the Mother in Pride and Prejudice the new version with Kiera Knightly. Wanting her daughter to marry good, and rich. Not caring about affection. James Cromwell is Mr. Austen, Jane's Father. He just wants his daughter to be happy. I thought all the acting well done, although from her biography her family was more supportive than shown in this film, I believe this story was altered to parallel Pride and Prejudice more closely. Everyone played their character very well, so much so that several of the characters in this movie reminded me of the newer Pride and Prejudice's characters.

I enjoyed this movie, I know it is not the truth about Jane Austen, but that doesn't keep it from being a lovely story that most Austen fans should enjoy.