Issue date: 9/5/07 Section: Aggielife

Media Credit: File - The Battalion Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy star in Becoming Jane, a film chronicling the love life of Jane Austen herself and not those of her popular characters. [Click to enlarge]

Nearly every young woman reads the stories of Jane Austen's romantic, enchanted novels, filled with tales of the women who face betrayal and pride for the chance to love. But as the tagline to the movie Becoming Jane says, perhaps the greatest story of all was that of Jane Austen herself. In the year 1875, 20-year-old Jane - played by Anne Hathaway - finds herself well on her way to becoming the acclaimed author she is today. That is until - much like her character Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice- she finds herself in the presence of a most prideful male stranger. Soon the forces of passion find Jane unable to keep away, and a journey soon begins filled with love and loss and the relevance of wealth in marriage during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Becoming Jane features a diverse cast including Maggie Smith, Julie Walters and James Cromwell. Perhaps the most interesting casting was that of Hathaway as Jane. Hathaway's accent seemed slightly forced, sometimes making it difficult to listen. Otherwise, her interpretation of Austen proved far and beyond what any written knowledge could have given. The film's poetic influence is hardly overpowering and gives a small tug on the coats of artsy romance fans, yet not enough to take away from the true story laid at hand. However, the sheer brilliance of Austen's masterpieces seems slightly overlooked as the love story takes precedence in the film's plot - something that those unbeknownst to the greatness that is Jane Austen should not notice, but any Austen literary admirer will surely find slight disrespectable.

James McAvoy brought true brilliance and fervor to the screen in his portrayal of Austen's own Mr. Darcy. His wary smile and slightly mischievous charm ignite the screen and bring forth an air of sheer magic as the story unfurls.

Becoming Jane retells the classic story of doing what is assumed to be right and doing what is right by love. It gives any Jane Austen fan a new favorite love story and the reason to wish that they too could become Jane.

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