Monday, August 20
Becoming Jane
If there's a will there's a way. Since I saw no indication of this film being shown here some time in the near future, I had to resort to watching it online. Sorry. *winces* But when (please, not if) they do show this movie in our theaters, trust me to be there lining up for a ticket.

Because I love this movie. Very much.

Becoming Jane tells the story of what would become Jane Austen's inspiration for some of the greatest love stories in English literature. (*Someday my Mr Darcy will come*la da da da*) And why her characters deserve such happy endings.

Having come from a untitled family, Jane's mother was desperate to marry her off to someone who could provide for her. But Jane wanted more, wanted to marry for love, and just about refused any man's attentions. Until Thomas Lefroy came to her life. They hadn't exactly started their acquaintance in the best of terms. But it wasn't long before they found themselves in love with each other.

Tom was nephew to a judge and was in London to study law. he lived on his uncle's allowance so he saw it only fit to ask for his permission to marry Jane. But before he could make clear of his plans, the judge read a letter (from one of Jane's spurned suitors in the country) of how the couple "behaved" when Tom was visiting the country. The judge never gave sanction for a between them.


Jane had no choice but to return home. But just when she learned that Tom was engaged to be married to someone else, he came back and asked her that they elope--that they could make a modest living even without his uncle's help. Then when they were on their way to Scotland, Jane found a letter from his mother thanking him for sending money back home in Ireland from his already stretched allowance. That stopped Jane short, thinking that she could never live with what their plans would do to Tom's family as he finds work and still have to support them. Jane's father had once told her that nothing could break a spirit as poverty could. Jane and Tom might be in love now but she reasoned out that that love could dwindle away amongst the struggle they were about to encounter.

What would have happened if Jane didn't leave Tom in that inn? Could she have written Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice if they'd married and she had to work for a living aside from her writing?

I think that what she did wasn't the bravest thing. But it was definitely most selfless as she thought of the situation of others above her own happiness. Not a lot of people can do that. And I may not be a fan of sad endings but that last scene was as close to a happy-ever-after as I could get from their story: Jane and Tom saw each other again many years later, with her already a famous writer and him a successful lawyer, with a daughter who was an avid fan of her work--and was named Jane.

No need to say that I cried watching this movie--their parting at the inn was heartbreaking. Anne Hathaway gave a great performance as Jane Austen, giving us a preview of what she can do with more mature roles. And James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy was more endearing than his already-endearing stint as Mr Tumnus. You don't wanna know how many times I've replayed that "I am yours, heart and soul" scene over and over again. And that kiss in the trail? Oh, sigh city.

Labels:



0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home