Let’s say we take one of the greatest (if not the greatest) female novelists of all time, and reduce her life into a romantic fluff piece aimed squarely at fans of modern chick-lit? We’d get something close to Becoming Jane. That may be a bit harsh for this light-hearted tale of a young Jane Austin. I wasn’t completely underwhelmed by the film, more like just *whelmed*.? Fortunately, this Blu-ray Disc is a nice surprise otherwise with superior video transfer and a nice audio track to boot. So, all is not lost, you husbands of women who force such films upon you.
Anne Hathaway plays a young, teenage Jane Austin who is, not surprisingly, very much like her many female characters, especially Lizzy Bennett of Pride & Prejudice. She comes from a very modest background, is head-strong, and not afraid to use her wry sense of humor and biting wit even at inappropriate times.
Upon meeting the equally defiant young lawyer Tom Lefroy (played by James McAvoy), Jane’s life is thrown into disarray. Of course the two, being young and headstrong, spend most of the film arguing, only to find that their dislike for each other is only fueled by admiration and in turn love. This leads to Jane rejecting a marriage proposal which would place her in a much better financial position, in order to attempt, at any cost, to marry for love instead of money.
We are also introduced to Jane’s family, which also served to inspire the Bennett family. Jane’s father (James Cromwell) is a traditional minister who supports Jane’s feminist thoughts. And like the Bennett siblings, Jane’s older sister is lovely and sweet, and her younger cousin is as precocious as the youngest Bennett sister.
The idea behind Becoming Jane is an intriguing one. Rather than looking at the older, spinster Austin,?the film?examines her as a young teenager in love. This early perspective?is meant to give rise to a better understanding of where her characters came from and how her young life influenced?her great works, especially Pride?& Prejudice. The problem I had with the film is that though it’s entertaining enough, and the characters perfectly like-able, it seemed a little too shallow. I really felt like I was watching an attempt at Pride & Prejudice II,??instead of a nice period piece/biopic of the author, but then again, I don’t think that was the aim of the film.
I do give the actors and especially the director some credit though, the scenes are shot beautifully and lush and every ounce of 18th century England is evident. So even if the story was modernized for the chick-lit audience, at least the period was well captured otherwise.
Video
Disney does it again! The AVC transfer Disney (via Miramax) has bestowed on this film is breathtaking. The outdoor shots are gorgeous and vibrant, and the warm indoor hues are inviting. I found a few of the outdoor scenes very slightly noisy, but not enough to detract from the otherwise fantastic transfer. I would hesitate to call it a reference disc however, due to the color palette which lends itself to some softness at times, which is?not a deficiency in my mind but may be to some.
Audio
I think we’ve reached the point where lossless audio has generally become the standard, and this disc follows suit. Here we have a decent 5.1 uncompressed PCM 5.1 24bit track that sounded awfully good throughout. The lush visuals are matched by a lush audio score. Discrete sounds were few, and dialog was at times hindered by the sweeping musical score, but overall was quite crisp and clear. Not a demo worthy track, but appropriate for the film nonetheless.
Special Features
I had really hoped that, although the film is a light take on the novelist, the extras would bring me something more substantial. Unfortunately they don’t.? The writer/director/producer commentary only briefly touched upon the real life of Austin. Likewise “Discovering the Real Jane Austen” was only a behind the scenes featurette. Several deleted scenes fleshed out a few characters, so those were at least worth catching.
Final Thoughts
I actually tried to like this movie. I can appreciate Jane Austin, and have watched several films based upon her works. This film is enjoyable enough for Austin fans, but those looking for some deep revelations about Austin should look elsewhere.
As a Blu-ray Disc, this one stands up nicely and fans shouldn’t hesitate to pick it up.
