Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

A costume drama based on the "real life" of Jane Austen probably sounds as exciting to most of you as…well, a movie based on one of Austen's books (such as SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, PERSUATION, MANSFIELD PARK, EMMA, and her most famous PRIDE AND PREJUDICE). But don't judge BECOMING JANE too harshly before you've heard the fact. The fact that very little is known about Austen's life leaves writers Sarah Williams and Kevin Hood some latitude to construct a fascinating story about a woman who was largely considered romantic poison by society due to her chosen profession and success.

Much of BECOMING JANE takes place prior to Austen's rise to fame, so what we are privy to is her one and only attempt (according to this version of the story) at romance. The always-stunning Anne Hathaway plays Austen, and if the film has any flaws, they aren't due to this American playing the late-18th-century British icon. There's an inherent, underlying sadness to Hathaway's portrayal of Austen, as if she knew that if she was successful in her chosen profession, she would more than likely live a life of solitude. Which is why this story of her intersection with Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), a progressive young Irishman, is so critic to the Austen mystique. Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) are not particularly rich, so they are counting on a man of some means to marry Jane. Lefroy is not such a man. Instead, they have their hearts set on a the stuffy Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox, son of actor James Fox), a nice enough gentleman who lives under the thumb of his rich aunt, Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith, in full feisty mode). Does any of this sound familiar to those lovers of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE?

You may think this approach to Austen's life follows a similar path that SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE did, weaving various famous works by the Bard into a story about his life. That's the closest reference point, but the results are quite different. Some of you may think you're too cool and hip to be moved by a period film about the pre-fame life led by Austen, and that's a shame because this breathtaking work delves into a life that was, at times, as scandalous and passionate as the worlds and characters Austen created. Hathaway's portrayal of Austen isn't as a bold woman who believes she's breaking with tradition, but she comes close. Like her characters, she wants love as the key element of any marriage, but unlike her creations, a happy ending is not always guaranteed.

Lefroy is far more flawed and less rich than the men in Austen's novels, and his conviction to Jane leaves something to be desired at critical moments in their relationship. BECOMING JANE shows us the truth (or a version of it) behind a woman who created lasting works of romance, while unable to do so in her own life. It's a lovely and bittersweet tale about achieving some of your dreams at the cost of putting others aside. In fact, it is the sometimes-heartbreaking events set forth in this story that convinced Austen that all of her stories should have happy endings. Director Julian Jarrold (KINKY BOOTS and the upcoming BRIDESHEAD REVISITED feature) does an impressive job at balancing the whimsy and melancholy into a film that captures the joy of Austen's work, as well as the plight of successful women in this time period. It's a mix that works better than you'd imagine, and even if the story doesn't interest you, there's always the radiant Hathaway to gaze upon.

Capone
capone@aintitcool.com