Movie Review of Austenland (2013)

Thirty something New Yorker Jane is obsessed with the world depicted in her favorite novels by Jane Austen. And by obsessed, I mean absolutely and unequivocally fanatical.

She's never been successful in romance, because none of the men in Manhattan match up to Mr Darcy. Particularly Colin Firth's portrayal of the character. She has a life-sized cardboard cut-out of him in her living room.

All around her, pregnant friends and unsuitable potential partners keep telling her that the clock is ticking. If she doesn't settle down soon, then there will be no happy after ever.  Jane would rather read her book.

But then there is a possible avenue for romance that's right up her sweeping Regency avenue. A themed vacation at Austenland promises to immerse her into the world of Jane Austen. Love affair guaranteed.

Jane spends her life savings to fly to England for the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows well enough that the romance is scripted. Every guest will be engaged by the end of the week. It's listed in the selling point features of the trip. That's not really why she's there.

It's to see if living the life and encountering the 'real' Mr Darcy would really be what it's cracked up to be in the novels. Her best friend Molly reckons not. Then Jane might lower her standards and give real men a chance.

Life is often stranger than fiction.  The actor playing the Darcy-esque role does so perfectly, yet Jane cannot lower her expectations enough to even embrace him.  It seemed that Molly was right all along.

Then again, outside the formal constraints of the Regency drawing room there's a gardener looking after the estate, and he is very lovely indeed.

Within hours of her wishes coming true, Jane realized that she didn't want any of that at all. The reality of the Regency period was as constricting as her newly donned corset. The formality drove her crazy.

What she really wanted was to read Jane Austen novels, not live them.

Then there was the whole acting versus real love scenario. All around her people were being paid to flirt with her. Good-looking gentlemen treated her with all the courtesy due a Regency lady, but it meant nothing when it wasn't real.

It took someone breaking all of the rules, letting the 21st century peep back through the cracks, to make Jane know what real life was all about.

I really enjoyed exploring this theme with her. After all, we've all had our fictional fantasy figures over the years (yes, we're looking at you Jamie Fraser), but nothing on Earth beats reality.

Two or more named female characters need to have a conversation with each other. The subject cannot be a male character.

That is all that's needed to pass the Bechdel Test and Austenland succeeds within the opening scenes.

Before Jane has even left New York, she and her friend Molly discuss finances, the Regency period and, of course, Jane Austen.

But that isn't all. As the movie progresses, there are dozens of named female characters - four amongst the main cast alone - and they have many conversations which don't mention the gentlemen around them.  (And a lot more which do!)

You could take your pick amongst several scenes, which would all individually stand to hurtle well over the low bar of the Bechdel Test.  It was very well done!