Summer lovin’, had me a blast
Dorothy, start passing out the sporks. We’re probably going to need them.
Becoming Jane focuses on a “life-changing romance during one summer in the life of the young Jane Austen”.
Austen was 20 years old when she met the brilliant and roguish, Tom Lefroy, who she found instantly attractive.
Her romantic adventures with the dashing Mr Lefroy, at a turning point in her literary career, is said to have inspired her to write novels and helped create her male romantic heroes such as Mr Darcy.
Sadly, no!
The “romance” with Tom Lefroy actually took place in December 1795 through January 1796. Not summer. Not even close.
After the recent Hollywood success of Pride and Prejudice, starring Kiera Knightley, as well as past successes of works such as Emma in 1996, which starred Gwyneth Paltrow, film producers found there was a great “untold story” in Austen’s own life.
Read: “…film producers found there was a metric arseload of money to be made by plastering any old thing with the Jane Austen™ brand name.”
Not that we’re cynical or anything.
The film, which will star Anne Hathaway, who featured in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, as well as James McAvoy, Maggie Smith and Julie Walters, is based on the book, Becoming Jane Austen, written by Jon Spence, who is a historical consultant on the set of the film.
Well, that’s interesting. Didn’t Anne Hathaway say that it was based on Claire Tomalin’s biography?
Austen’s love affair with the then-penniless Irish barrister was doomed because he was not financially solvent and her family would not have consented to the union.
Doesn’t matter what her family thought. His family expected him to do better than a country parson’s daughter with no fortune.
Douglas Rae, who co-produced the film, which is due to start shooting in Ireland and Hampshire in March, said the love affair between the writer and barrister was as passionate as any scenario from her works of romantic fiction.
[. . .]
“He was the big love of her life, her first and her only love.
Sadly, no! Let us not forget the Mysterious Suitor-by-the-Sea. From Jane Austen, A Family Record by William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh, revised and enlarged by Deirdre LeFaye, page 250:
The first mention of Jane’s seaside romance also occurred in this letter to James-Edward (Austen Leigh, from his sister Caroline; they were the children of Jane Austen’s eldest brother James): ‘During the few years my Grandfather lived at Bath, he went in the summer with his wife and daughters to some sea-side. They were in Devonshire, & in Wales — & in Devonshire an acquaintance was made with some very charming man - I never heard Aunt Cass. speak of anyone else with such admiration - she had no doubt that a mutual attachment was in progress between him and her sister. They parted - but he made it plain that he should seek them out again - & shortly afterwards he died! - My Aunt told me this in the late years of her own life - “
More from the article:
He was unlike Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, he was not repressed or aristocratic. He was energetic and romantic
So Tom Lefroy inspired Darcy, though he was nothing at all like him. That makes PERFECT sense.
Rae added that it was Tom Lefroy who inspired her to become a professional writer.
“He told her she had a talent. I think he gave her the courage to follow her mind and heart into writing. Although she did not find herself in a marriage with him, it was the love affair that can be credited with inspiring her to become a writer,” he said.
Sadly, no!
From the same source quoted above, page 63:
According to Jane’s own memories, 1787 was the year in which she started to devote her spare time to writing…
Ibid., page 83:
…it may have inspired her during 1795 to embark upon her first full-length project - Elinor and Marianne, the prototype Sense and Sensibility.
Also, according to notes left by Cassandra Austen, Jane began composing P&P in October 1796–after she wrote the juvenilia, after she wrote Lady Susan, after she wrote Elinor and Marianne, and nearly ten months after Tom Lefroy departed Hampshire.
On 15 January 1796, when she was 20, Austen wrote a letter to her sister, Cassandra, which described her feelings for the doomed love affair with Mr Lefroy. It read: “At length the day is come on which I am to flirt my last with Tom Lefroy, and when you receive this it will be over. My tears flow at the melancholy idea.”
Psst. She was joking. Kidding. Joke. Don’t take it seriously. Humorously ironical. Not serious.
We don’t wish to be a party pooper about BECOMING JANE. We really have no problem if they want to film a romantic fantasy about Jane Austen. It could be something truly sweet and charming that we all will enjoy immensely.
But let the word ring out from this time and place: it is a made up story.
It is made up.
They made it up.
IT IS A MADE UP STORY. IT IS NOT TRUE.
No matter what anyone involved with this film says, it is made up. Remember that when you read anything in the press about it. It is made up. It is made up. Spread the meme. Write about it on your own blogs (we know there are many blogs writing about Jane who link to AustenBlog–and thank you). Let the world know that this is a made up story, and that Jane Austen fans know it.
We feel it cannot be said often enough: it is made up!
ETA: Stuff we thought of later.
March 4th, 2006 at 1:02 am
That’s TERRIBLE! How could they do such a thing?! *indignant* *stamps foot*
I don’t want to spend my money on a movie that makes false claims like that! >_
March 4th, 2006 at 3:17 am
Rae added that it was Tom Lefroy who inspired her to become a professional writer. “He told her she had a talent. I think he gave her the courage to follow her mind and heart into writing. Although she did not find herself in a marriage with him, it was the love affair that can be credited with inspiring her to become a writer,” he said.
^ That is really the worst part of it! What kind of “history consultant” ist Jon Spence, pray?
I don’t want to offend anyone but I think it is such a male way of thinking, that one little flirtation or “unfulfilled passion” inspires and encourages a woman to write great novels the rest of her life.
Anyway, I think she had no real need for encouragement or anybody to tell her she had talent, since she already wrote for 7 years by the time she met Tom Lefroy and had sufficient encouragement through the private theatricals at Steventon and her family in general.
March 4th, 2006 at 8:14 am
Ooh, this is getting worse and worse. I’m only glad this whole thing will trigger lots and lots of snark from this blog
March 4th, 2006 at 8:32 am
Maybe they have a long term plan here - confine this film to the Tom Lefroy story, so they can treat Bigg-Wither, Mr. Blackadder (was that his name?) and suitor-by-the-sea each in his own full length movie? And what about the Digweed boys - didn’t Jane have something going there? There’s another episode for you.
March 4th, 2006 at 9:36 am
The much more intersting story would be about her relationships with Cassandra, her various friends, and the people she snarked about in the neighbourhood; but Hollywood will have their Tawdry RomanceTM.
March 4th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
They should just do a ‘Shakespeare in Love’ on this and just create a fictional inspiration for Mr Darcy- providing there is lots of THIS NEVER HAPPENED plastered all over it.
March 4th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
to robin:
ha! So then we’d have tag lines like:
“He was her first love, her only love…”
“He was her second love, her only real love…”
“He was her third love, her only real, real love…”
Etc.
March 4th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
I’m fuming… I really don’t know what to say…
March 4th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
OK, I am not taking this with serenity (more so since I was more than willing to give the film a chance, but as things are taking this turn…. I’m not so sure). *sniff*
March 4th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Sadly, I am trying to reconcile myself to the idea that biopics are usually filled with more fiction than fact. ie “Elizabeth”; a visually beautiful, well-acted film filled with anything from small historical discrepancies to totally unadulterated lies.
Sometimes I fancy that Austen was a little misunderstood during her own lifetime, and I imagine her bearing this latest brand of misinterpretation philosophically. This too shall pass, and when the recent tripe passes away, her books will continue to inspire and seduce fans everywhere. This will be my mantra for next little while.
March 4th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Since the general public doesn’t know this much about Jane Austen’s life, these people think they can make up stauff and pass it off as hers since anything with her name on is lucrative, and this is very infuriating to me. As I said before this movie is a sham, and I am not waisting my time and money on it…
March 4th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
I’m trying to be all Zen about it, that I might enjoy it if it’s a good story, but if it’s too far off the facts, it really won’t work for me. To work, it will have to be speculation built upon the facts, not ignoring them entirely.
That being said, there is no way we ever will let them get away with putting this out there as a true story. It is speculation, it is made up, and I think we need to let them know they won’t get away with presenting this to the public as real. If they want to market it as a romantic fantasy, then fine.
March 4th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Sadly, Hollywood producers want to make money, so they have to spice up Jane’s brief encounter with Tom Lefroy.
Brokeback Mountain was a short story by annie prolux, now it is a feature movie. I am sure Jane’s romance is going
to be exaggerated for all the young women who will pay to see it. It is MARKETING JANE!
March 4th, 2006 at 9:29 pm
Heehee, love your snarks, Robin and Bronteana!
‘“He was her first love, her only love…”
“He was her second love, her only real love…”
“He was her third love, her only real, real love…”’ -Bronteana
March 4th, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Thank you, Mags, for articulating every single concern I’ve had so far about this film. While I’m relatively pleased with the casting choices (will withhold judgement on Anne Hathaway for the time being), I am appalled by the decision to suggest Jane Austen wrote these amazing novels because a man told her to. Argh! And there’s nothing about Tom Lefroy that says “Darcy” to me.
I wonder if this is how all literary fans feel when their favorite author’s biopic comes out.
March 4th, 2006 at 11:44 pm
Hollywood irritates the crap out of me. It’s all about money for them. Nevermind how the stretch the truths and untruths.
March 5th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Hollywood is interested in NOTHING but money.Thats the sad, sad truth.
They even messed up P&P little.
There was too much sexism goin on b/w Darcy and Elizabeth and with Capote too.It doesnt always come down to facts and truth, its about how it is going to sell.
With the hell, I’ll watch it anyhow.
March 6th, 2006 at 10:21 am
You think maybe Capote was influenced at a very young age by Jane Austen? I smell a blockbuster in the making - SNORT!!!!
March 6th, 2006 at 11:07 am
Maybe not Capote, but Harper Lee is a Janeite!
March 6th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
You guys leave your brains behind in another dimension or soemthing.
I meant the movie Capote was not based on pure facts as well, alot of adding, cutting using fictional characters ets.
Yet it managed to do well and was nominated in the leading categories.
SHEESH!!!
March 6th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Good grief, are they ever taking a button and sewing a vest to it. . .
March 6th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
So, I just heard about this movie they’re making about Jane and Tom LeFoy. Think it will stick closely to the true story?
March 6th, 2006 at 8:16 pm
Hiba: We were joking. Janeites do that.
March 6th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
I just have this to say. Publicists are canny folk, I am sure that the second any Jane Austen film is announced the WWW lights up with new activity. Each time we get a snippet of information we disect the brains out of it. If ‘I’ were a publicist I would love it if so many people talked about a film before filming began. I would revel in the anticipation buzz. Most of all, I would do whatever is in my power to keep that buzz going through the length of production, and into post. To do that I would use any means necessary.
Now i dont know what is going to happen with the story, I am fairly sure the only people who know what is going on with Becoming Jane is the cast, director, producer, and writers, and thinking that way i will wait in judgement just a little longer, till I get more information. And while it very well might be completly historically inacurate I think i can wait for a trailer before I make a final judgement about a movie that has not even begun filming.
March 7th, 2006 at 9:30 am
“You guys leave your brains behind in another dimension or soemthing.”
Thanks, Dearie! That’s the excuse I’m using from now on.
March 8th, 2006 at 5:13 pm
Think Amadeus, Mags. Did they get away with that one?
March 9th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Your Lordship, obviously MozartBlog was falling down on the job.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
“And while it very well might be completly historically inacurate I think i can wait for a trailer before I make a final judgement about a movie that has not even begun filming.”
Fanny could not have said it better…