Bibliofreakblog

Miss Austen Regrets

Oh how infinitely better Miss Austen Regrets was than Becoming Jane. Taking place later in the authoress’s life, she attempts to sort out her past decisions and give love advice to her niece.

And, yeah, there’s some supposition going on. But nothing like creating a whole fictional love story like Becoming Jane. And I recognized many elements from what I know of Jane Austen’s life. For example, from existing letters, we know about a correspondence between Austen and the Royal Librarian (and BTW, how awesome would that job be?) in which the librarian tells Jane Austen that she ought to write a favorable portrait for a clergyman.  And then Jane is all like, dude, I write fiction.  Get over it.

Well, you know, she says it much more properly and wittily than that, but you know what I mean.

So, in the movie, she has this conversation in person, and then recalls it at a dinner party.  

I wasn’t sure at first how I would like Olivia Williams as Jane Austen, as I emphatically associate her with Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse.  But early into the movie, I completely forgot about mind-altered human dolls, and I was onboard with her portrayal of Miss Austen.  

A great part of that was due to totally awesome British dry-humor.  

And then scene where she gets drunk with her niece.

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