Movie: Miss Austen Regrets

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 2
Main characters: Jane Austen, Fanny Austen-Knight, Cassandra Austen,
Genre: Drama
Recognizable actors: Olivia Williams, Greta Scacchi, Phyllida Law
Length: 90 minutes
Based on: Jane Austen's life and books
Time period: 1810's
Year it came out: 2008
My overall opinion: I did not like the way Jane Austen was protrayed in this movie. She was protrayed as someone who indulged in too much wine, flirted with any man in her path, and was always in constant ill-humor (which is not how I would picture Jane Austen). It seemed like she had some of the behaviors that the real Jane Austen would have condemned in her stories. It also seemed like whenever there was a quote from one of Jane Austen's novels, it didn't seem natural when it was said, like it was just bluntly inserted into the dialogue. And it seeemed that Jane cared more for Fanny getting a rich husband than one that she actually loved, which isn't like Jane at all; I've heard that she told Fanny to get a husband that could support her, but that she should not marry without love. However, the scenery and costumes were good (though I didn't like this turban thing that Jane wore for a lot of the movie): if you're looking for Regency Era dress ideas, here would be a good place to start. But I'm afraid that good costumes and good scenery aren't enough to save this movie.

Jane Austen at an evening with friends.

Fanny (right) and Jane (left) travelling. Didn't care for the turban headpiece Jane had...

Jane (foreground) with Cassandra Austen and Fanny in the background.

I also reviewed this at Elegance of Fashion: link!