Film Review: Jane Rolls Over Again for Wretched ‘Austenland’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2013 - 3:43pm

CHICAGO – One of the most incorrect assumptions in literature iconography is the focus on Jane Austen as a purely romantic writer – skipping the depth of character, humor and cynicism in her work, for the sake of mooning over “Mr. Darcy.” The new film “Austenland” continues this trend.

Rating: 1.5/5.0

This is adapted from a novel that no one evidently should read, from screenwriters Jerusha Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite,” “Gentleman Broncos”) and the source novelist Shannon Hale. It would be a great relief to present Jane Austen to them, Marshall-McCluhan-in-Annie-Hall style, and have the legend say, “you know nothing of my work.” Co-opting the great author’s name for this dull and terrible exercise in “romance” is a travesty in story woven justice. The filmmakers may counter that it’s all in fun, but there is nothing fun about taking one element of an author’s good works, and creating a “theme park” imaging of it, with one dead joke after another. There is more humor in one chapter of “Pride and Prejudice” than the whole of “Austenland,” even unintentionally.

Keri Russell is Jane Hayes (yes, they named her as such), a thirtysomething editor that moons over the 18th century atmosphere of Jane Austen’s books – her apartment is a virtual shrine to the author. When another relationship goes south on her, she decides to chuck it all and take a huge risk. She’s going to use her meager savings to attend “Austenland,” an immersion camp in Britain that’s themed to take their visitors inside the world of Jane Austen.

This includes performers at the camp portraying the archetypes of Austen’s novels. There is Mr. Henry Nobley (JJ Feild), Colonel Andrews (James Callis) and the host Mrs. Wattlesbrook (Jane Seymour). Besides Jane Hayes, another camper is Miss Elizabeth Charming (Jennifer Coolidge) – a brassy, man hungry divorcee who seems to know more about LIndsay Lohan than Elizabeth Bennet. Can this theme experience match up to real thing, a little romance?

”Austenland” continues its limited release in Chicago on August 23rd. Featuring Keri Russell, Jennifer Coolidge, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie and Jane Seymour. Screenplay adapted by Jerusha Hess and Shannon Hale. Directed by Jerusha Hess. Rated “PG-13”