IMDb > Becoming Jane (2007)
Becoming Jane
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Becoming Jane (2007) More at IMDbPro »

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Becoming Jane (2007) -- A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
Becoming Jane (2007) -- Clip: Broken promise, pre
Becoming Jane (2007) -- A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
Becoming Jane (2007) -- A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
Becoming Jane (2007) -- Movieplayer.it - Italian Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   13,472 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Jane Austen (letters)
Kevin Hood (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Becoming Jane on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 August 2007 (USA) more
Tagline:
"A woman especially if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can." -Jane Austen more
Plot:
A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 wins & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
A Writer, Romance and a Ye Olde English Social Scene more (125 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG for brief nudity and mild language. (edited for re-rating; was PG-13)
Runtime:
120 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The pink patterned muslin gown Anna Maxwell Martin (Cassandra Austen) wears during the engagement party scene is the same gown worn by Carey Mulligan (Kitty Bennet) in Pride & Prejudice (2005). Mulligan wears it during the scene in which the younger Bennet sisters visit Netherfield Hall to check on the progress of Jane Bennet, who is ill. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: During the opening title sequence, as the camera moves back from Jane playing the piano, the camera rails can be seen in the foreground. more
Quotes:
Tom Lefroy: [after reading an excerpt about swifts] Your ignorance is understandable since you lack... What shall we call it? The history?
Jane Austen: Propriety commands me to ignorance.
Tom Lefroy: Condemns you to it and your writing to the status of female accomplishment. If you wish to practice the art of fiction, to be the equal of a masculine author, experience is vital.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
In Airy Dreams more

FAQ

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32 out of 42 people found the following comment useful.
A Writer, Romance and a Ye Olde English Social Scene, 14 March 2007
7/10
Author: jimmy-chopsocky from Bolton, England

Following so many frilly adaptations of Jane Austen's literary works for TV and the big screen alike, the author herself finally gets a fanciful film devoted to her life; or at least her youth and a (probably fictional) romance she experienced during it.

Slipping into the shoes, bonnet and writing gloves of one of the most celebrated English authors of all time is the extremely able Anne Hathaway who does an excellent and convincing job throughout (even in the British accent stakes). The dashing James McAvoy similarly shines as Tom Lefroy, Irish lawyer and object of the novel-writer's affection. The two fantastic leads are backed by a top-notch supporting cast and a meticulously accurate historical backdrop: three cheers for the costume department and set designers of this film.

Becoming Jane is basically a mediation on pre-literary success Austen and charts her flirtations and romantic problems with Lefroy. Young Jane also has to face misogyny, the stresses of society's expectations and the pressures to marry into money; in effect, the strong encouragement within 18th Century English social circles to follow sense and sensibility rather than sensuality and spirit. Nevertheless, the young writer's muse is inspired in light of such events and emotional binds and her future masterpieces begin to take form and find themselves written in prose.

Of course, there's tragedy and "trouble", but also emotive liberation from the strict behavioural standards Jane is subjected to. The film doesn't resist any opportunity to draw on such emotion as director Julian Jarrold liberally dashes meaningful juxtapositions and long-lasting close-ups to stretch the film. This sadly sucks the film a bit dry as it snakes it's way towards the conclusion the fast-edits and rapid-fire shots that had make the film engaging and unusual for a period piece at the beginning are replaced by meandering.

Even though Becoming Jane feels long, slightly drawn out and flat in places, it's a good and solid fictionalised biopic that is handsomely crafted and strongly acted. It avoids being overly stuffy and stupefyingly dull like many period dramas before it, and interestingly tackles an author about whom relatively little is known considering her ubiquity. Some nice romance, sprinklings of classy cinematography and excellent performances: overall a nice, if not rather average, movie.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Becoming Jane (2007)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Did James and Anne not get along? only_dreaming90
HELP! Just watched and...(need spoilers!) moyamuhle
Did anybody think they didn't have good chemistry? lori-cakes
I didnīt like.... lili_baranska
James McAvoy . . . Paint_it_black_MS
Hathaway's accent rossumroxmysox
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