Becoming Jane

I just watched the movie Becoming Jane this week (on DVD), and I thought it was a very good film. The premise of the movie (spoiler? ...) is that the main character Jane Austen basically lives the life of Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice, and then later pens and publishes Pride and Prejudice based on her own great romance (because she is Jane Austen, author of Pride and Prejudice, haha). The main difference between the 'fact' of the movie and the 'fiction' of the book is that unlike her literary counterpart, there is no happy ending for Jane in the movie -- she never marries her real-life Darcy (love interest and penniless young lawyer Tom Lefroy, portrayed beautifully by James McAvoy) and is single for the rest of her life, living by the wit of her pen.

Earlier in the movie, in an attempt to convince her to marry the wealthy-but-boring character who has proposed to Jane, her mother admonishes, "Affection is desirable. Money is absolutely indispensable." The irony of the movie is that Jane takes this advice to heart and chooses not to elope with Tom Lefroy because she realizes the extent that his family depends on his income (and accordingly, his non-tarnished, non-eloped reputation) as a provider.

I liked the movie because it made me think -- and I realize this is starting to read like a fourth grade book report -- and realize the limitations women faced in the past in determining their own destinies, even in relatively high society. Of course, even today not all women have a choice.

Hold that thought. Live blogging, this is unfinished...

OK, I'm back.

Luckily, today in Western society a woman is no longer considered 'unmarriageable' if she is a writer... banker... production director... or whatever profession. Either way, I would not want to be alone for the rest of my life like Jane and have a great unresolved love who I discover many years later has named his first child after me (which Tom does for Jane). That was the very tragic conclusion of the movie.

I also liked the film because it recalls all that olde English shit we girls love: romance, restraint in interactions with the opposite sex, propriety, pride... prejudice... But seriously, I did enjoy the stolen glances and slight hand grazes between the main characters, and it reminded me that courtship used to be drawn out and slow-growing (is it still today, outside of college?). I was even willing to overlook Jane and Tom's seemingly sudden realization of their passionate love (in the woods, no less) because it was so... passionate.

Four stars to Becoming Jane for a strong lead character and being much better than I anticipated. I love being pleasantly surprised by movies. :)