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Ah, romance … for one of the greatest romance writers of all time

That said, the film has all the other ingredients we love and expect in a period piece of this sort. The cinematography and costuming are wonderfully executed. Jane and Tom strike a stunning pair in their textured jackets and stately hats. The manors and sweeping valleys—shot throughout Dublin and the Irish countryside—make you want to plan a visit tomorrow. The dances make you long for the days when social gatherings were so grand. With the accents and the locations, every now and then some of the dialogue is hard to make out. And a few scenes feel a tad abrupt—a carnival that comes from nowhere, for example. But the rest of the film is a rich tapestry of beautiful visuals and splendid acting (notably among period-piece regulars Maggie Smith, James Cromwell, and Julie Walters).

Austen fans will have a fun time finding moments and characters who no doubt inspired scenes in Jane's classics. That is, if these moments and characters are among the fact-based parts of the film. A USA Todaystory calls the film a "fictionalized biopic," noting how the movie "imagines" the romance between Austen and Lefroy. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer calls the film an "Austen fantasy." And the Chicago Tribune quotes an Austen scholar saying she will not see the film: "I would not be able to sit through what looks like a tissue of fabrications and nonsense."

While purists are no doubt a little uneasy about the melding of fact and fiction, it's nonetheless a bit fun to speculate on the life of this prolific and somewhat private writer. 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—and the countless films they've inspired.

Talk About It

1. If you're familiar with Austen's novels, point to the characters in Becoming Jane who may have inspired characters in her books.
2. Jane's father tells her that nothing destroys the spirit like poverty. Do you agree with this statement? How have you experienced that to be true or untrue?
3. What are Jane and Tom's original perceptions of each other? How do those change over the course of the movie? Why is each of them drawn to the other?
4. Do you agree with Jane's decision regarding Tom at the end of the movie? Why or why not?
5. List the ways in which characters are limited by their gender or financial standing. How do they deal with these challenges? In what ways are people in our world still hampered for the same reasons? Are there things you can do to help ease their burden?
6. Have you ever felt forced into a decision for financial reasons? How did that motivation affect the situation?

The Family Corner

Becoming Jane is rated PG for brief nudity and mild language. There is some brief male nudity—two backsides as the men jump into a lake for a swim. There's some heaving cleavage during Tom's early carousing days, as well as a few suggestive lines he delivers to Jane about "widening her horizons" (presumably sexually). The latter references will likely sail over the heads of younger kids.

Photos © Copyright Miramax

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