Becoming Jane (2007)

This is the type of movie that will only appeal to a very specific audience, but if you are a fan of the genre, this is a pretty enjoyable film. Becoming Jane is a biographical portrait of Jane Austin's life before she became famous for her immense literary talent. Jane is played by Anne Hathaway, who does an excellent jobs. There are certain roles in which I find her rather obnoxious, like those stupid princess movies, but she does really well blending herself into Victorian England. Her love interest is played by James McAvoy, who thus far in his blossoming career has shown himself to be quite a versatile actor. In Becoming Jane, he does not disappoint; he is extremely convincing as future chancellor of Ireland Tom Lefroy. The story of Jane Austin's life, according to this film, is not a particularly happy one. It is very similar to a lot of the novels she wrote, although the ending of the film is not nearly as satisfying. Jane was unfortunate that she grew up in a time where it was not ok to fall in love with anyone, and the man that she loved turned out not to be a suitable match for her. Becoming Jane does do a good job revealing where a lot of Jane Austin's inspiration came from, and while her life never ended with true love and happiness, her experiences led her to create some of the greatest literature ever produced. My wife watched this movie and, as a big Jane Austin fan, really liked it. I do not believe that I could recommend this film to most people, but for a very specific audience, this movie really works. I give Becoming Jane 3 stars.