Despite the fact that this is a beautifully-shot, dryly funny period drama, some audiences might prefer to stick to the sheer escapism of Austen's fictional work, which follows a similar formula.
Comment
03/08/07
Becoming Jane (2007)
58
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:133
Fresh:77
Rotten:56
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Although Becoming Jane is a well-crafted period piece, it lacks fresh insight into the life and works of Jane Austen. The film focuses too much on wardrobe and not enough on Austen's achievements.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Romance, Historical, Theatrical Release, Romantic Comedy, Writers, Romances, Authors
Theatrical Release:09-03-2007
Synopsis: 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... [More]
Starring: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell
Director: Julian Jarrold
Reviews for Becoming Jane
Top CriticAbout 20 minutes in, you realise you're actually quite enjoying this; and, horror of horrors, Anne Hathaway's actually doing a rather good job at this Regency lark.
03/30/07
A charming, intriguing biopic, given extra depth and sparkle by attractive performances from its superior cast.
03/08/07
Top CriticThe supporting cast are all terrific, as are the Irish locations.
03/08/07
Think Austen In Amour, à la Shakespeare In Love. A warm, charming, bittersweet romance – destined to make a thousand dates.
03/08/07
It's a good-looking film.
03/17/07
Thanks to the combined charm of the leads, this remains a most agreeable cinematic portrait.
03/03/07
Top CriticIt’s a classy package, all right – just missing the extra spark.
03/08/07
Top CriticAusten’s fans will recognise something of the author’s playful wit in the film, and forgive the dramatic liberties.
03/08/07
Top CriticSomething of a disappointment, thanks to some dreary photography and a boring, unimaginative script that completely wastes a talented supporting cast.
03/08/07
The very idea of Jane Austen with a broken heart may be thought vulgar and pedantic by her modern readers, and the way the story pans out is not convincing.
03/10/07
Top CriticAnother British writer is given the worthy cinematic treatment, complete with an American actress in the title role and sentiment that overwhelms what should be a gritty story.
03/03/07
You'll enjoy it if you're the artistic, romantic type who can be seated for 120 minutes without CGI or anything getting blown up.
09/20/07
Becoming Jane is not as good as the best Austen films, but is much better than most mainstream movies on tap.
08/01/07
...a beautifully directed film from Julian Jarrold that draws as much strength from the depiction of the 18th-century English countryside (Ireland, actually) as from the performances of Anne Hathaway as Austen and James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy.
08/02/07
Once you admit that the Jane Austen depicted onscreen bears scant relation to any person named Jane Austen, living or dead, the film fulfills its purpose.
08/06/07
While Becoming Jane is too much of a prologue to the writing Austen, it is an impeccably crafted imagining of a young woman seeking love at a time when women were so often 'better than their circumstances.'
08/14/07
It's a charming, peaceful picture; a perfect diversion for those who like their corsets tight and confining and their romance kept behind a fence of social judgment and impossible odds.
08/03/07
The film seduces. Beautifully produced, from production design and costumes to music and performances, it's also faithful to the genteel spirit and repressed passions for which she's known.
08/03/07
One can only hope that Becoming Jane will inspire moviegoers to find out more about this beloved literary great. Or hopefully revisit one of her classic novels.
08/04/07
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