| | | Their Love Story was Her Greatest Inspiration.
Features: DVD
Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries) gives a radiant performance as a young, love-struck Jane Austen in the witty and engaging romantic comedy Becoming Jane from Miramax Films. It's the untold romance that inspired the novels of one of the world's most celebrated authors. When the dashing Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy, The Last King of Scotland), a reckless and penniless lawyer-to-be, enters Jane's life, he offends the emerging writer's sense and sensibility. Soon their clashing egos set off sparks that ignite a passionate romance and fuel Jane's dream of doing the unthinkable - marrying for love. Becoming Jane also starring the acclaimed Maggie Smith, James Cromwell, and Julie Walters, is an enchanting and imaginative film you'll fall head over heels for.
"...fuse[s] the literary sensibility of Jane Austen with the fanciful imaginative license of "Shakespeare in Love"..." Claudia Puig, USA Today
"Hathaway's proven charms work magic here." Deborah Day, Premiere
"An ersatz "Pride and Prejudice" in all but name, Becoming Jane is a finely tooled Brit-lit costumer..." Derek Elley, Variety
"A magnificent journey to the world of Jane Austen." Jim Ferguson, ABC-TV
"Anne Hathaway's Jane is headstrong and clever, balanced and true." Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Editor's Note
BECOMING JANE is based on an incident in the life of the beloved writer Jane Austen, and follows the real-life romance that inspired her classic novels. Like many of her heroines, Jane (Anne Hathaway, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA) is bright, strong-willed, and unwilling to marry merely for money, even though her family is struggling financially. Though many of her friends wish her to pair up with the nephew of a rich woman (Maggie Smith, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX), Jane wants something more. When she meets the Irish rogue Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND), she initially can't stand him, but their romance blooms, serving as the inspiration for PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.Director Julian Jarrold (KINKY BOOTS) is no stranger to literary fare. Though BECOMING JANE is only his second feature film, he directed several productions for British television, including GREAT EXPECTATIONS, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, and WHITE TEETH. At times, BECOMING JANE feels exactly as it should: a long-lost Austen novel that's just been rediscovered. The themes and characters here seem familiar, as they've appeared in Austen's work many times. There's the devoted father, difficult mother, loving sister, and, of course, the charming young man with whom the protagonist initially clashes but later falls for. As Tom, McAvoy proves he deserves the attention he received for roles in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and STARTER FOR TEN. He's the perfect choice for a romantic lead in an Austen film, taking his place next to Matthew McFadyen in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and Hugh Grant in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. As Austen, Hathaway exudes intelligence and energy, playing exactly the sort of woman who appeared in the writer's work. For those who can't wait for the next adaptation of Austen's work to arrive, BECOMING JANE is an engaging look at the writer's life and love.
| Features | Audio Commentary | | Audio: English, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Deleted Scenes | | Dubbed: Spanish | | Featurette: Discovering The Real Jane Austen | | Interactive Menus | | Pop Up Facts & Footnotes | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: French, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Buena Vista |
| Release Date: 8/15/2008 |
| Running Time: 120 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2007 | | Catalog ID: 5410403 | | UPC: 00786936731927 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Nominee (2008) | | | People's Choice, Becoming Jane, Favorite Independent Movie |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"BECOMING JANE has a burnished feminine sadness, and the director, Julian Jarrold, gives it a creamy-dark visual flow....Hathaway makes you feel her lust for words..." -- Grade: B 08/10/2007 p.48USA Today
3.5 out of 4 -- "Hathaway is terrific as Austen....She delivers the sparkling dialogue, by screenwriter Kevin Hood, with just the right nuance and verve." 08/03/2007 p.11D New York Times
"BECOMING JANE is a triumph for Anne Hathaway....She and Mr. McAvoy inject a keen intelligence into the couple's verbal jousts, along with romantic chemistry." 08/03/2007 p.E4 Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "With Home Counties accent firmly in place, Anne Hathaway makes a feisty Jane Austen..." 10/01/2007 p.127 Ultimate DVD
3 stars out of 5 -- "It's notable for some lovely country scenery, directorial lightness of touch and a stellar supporting cast..." 10/01/2007 p.121 ReelViews 7 of 10
Becoming Jane looks at the life of Jane Austen through the prism of her novels. The film is a semi-fictional biography of the esteemed author; although it incorporates people and events from her life, it also takes liberties with known events. Like Shakespeare in Love, this is intended to be an homage, not a serious reconstruction of the factors underlying the development of an icon. Fans of her books will find familiar elements strewn throughout Becoming Jane. In fact, there are enough similarities between the movie and Pride and Prejudice that one could be forgiven thinking this screenplay is Austen lite...The screenplay exhibits a degree of Austen's wit and touches on many of the social issues and constraints that were important to her writing. It's a pleasant enough motion picture, but there's nothing special here. Comparisons with Shakespeare in Love are fair, but this film isn't as well written nor does it feel as fresh. The movie should appeal to its target audience - those familiar with Austen's novels but who are not members of the hard-core group (they will have too many nit-picks to be satisfied) - but it is unlikely to have much in the way of crossover interest. In the end, Becoming Jane can be said to capture the spirit of Austen without the sophistication. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
Jane Austen wrote six of the most beloved novels in the English language, we are informed at the end of "Becoming Jane," and so she did..."Becoming Jane" is a movie every Janeite will want to see, although many will not approve of it. The Jane Austen in the film owes a great deal more to modern romantic fancies than to what we know about the real Jane Austen, and if Austen had been as robust and tall in those days (circa 1795) as Anne Hathaway, the 5-foot-8-inch actress who plays her, she would have been considered an Amazon. Studying the only portrait drawn during her life, by her sister Cassandra, I think Austen looks more like Winona Ryder. But no matter. Patton was no George C. Scott...The way all of this plays out is acted warmly by the principals, and Eigil Bryld's photography (of Ireland) makes England look breathtakingly green and inviting. The director, Julian Jarrold ("Kinky Boots" and the TV version of "White Teeth") is comfortable with the material, and it is comfortable with him. Maybe too comfortable. The coast is clear for the sequel, "What Jane Became." - Roger Ebert
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