Telegraph: Julie Walters is Mrs. Austen
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS NOT CONFIRMED.
An article in the Daily Telegraph states that Julie Walters is playing Jane Austen’s mother in BECOMING JANE.
Becoming Jane stars Anne Hathaway, seen recently in Brokeback Mountain, as the author, James McAvoy, star of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as her young Irish beau, and Julie Walters as Jane’s mother.
So who is Dame Maggie playing then? Hmm, was Eliza’s mother still alive then?
The rest of the article repeats the usual half-truths and Made Up Story that we’ve seen so far. However, we must have our share of the conversation snark!
An £8 million movie detailing the thwarted summer love of Austen at 19 for a young and roguish Irishman, Tom Lefroy, a real life suitor, has begun shooting in Dublin.
*clutches head in hands*
But actually, if you parse that sentence a certain way, it’s almost as if they’re ADMITTING that it’s a Made Up Story. Otherwise, why take pains to point out that Tom Lefroy was a “real life suitor?”
Julian Jarrold, the director, who made Kinky Boots, said: “Anne has the perfect combination of intelligence, emotional vulnerablity and steely determination for our Jane.”
Gentle Readers, we have our meme: Steely Determination™! Like Gritty Realism™, but different. 
Mr Bernstein said that his tale was far from fanciful. “It is pretty well established that she had this whirlwind romance that started her writing First Impressions, which was the embryo for Pride and Prejudice.
Yeah, she started writing it ALMOST A YEAR LATER. Clearly a compelling incident.
“We developed the script three years ago. It is taken from research, culled from a lot of biographies.
Well, there are biographies, and then there are biographies.
Jon Spence, who wrote the book Becoming Jane, is our historical consultant. We portray a deep and emotional relationship that was not to be.
Paging Ann Radcliffe…Mrs. Radcliffe, please pick up the white courtesy phone…
“It’s the true story of how she fell in love at 19, had a relationship that was a key to her understanding of how love works, and how she became the writer we know and love today.”
Emphasis ours–because that part is actually not bad.
But don’t forget–MADE UP STORY!
P.S. to anyone from Ecosse Films who might be reading this and cares: you can write to us anytime with a cast list, you know.
April 6th, 2006 at 8:41 am
roguish Irishman, Tom Lefroy
Presumably, for these folks, Irishmen are always “roguish” just like Australians always talk broad ocker & have corks hanging from the brims of their hats. I suppose bog-trotting Paddy is seen as sexier than noblesse-oblige Protestant Ascendancy?
April 6th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
“I suppose bog-trotting Paddy is seen as sexier”
Robin, you crack me up! I’ve been on a binge of watching “bog-trotting Paddy” movies from Netflix, and have yet to see a sexy Paddy in the lot. Funny, endearing, quirky — yes — so I look forward to Tom Lefroy being a fun character. The closest to being sexy was Brad Pitt in that IRA movie with Harrison Ford, but he’s not a real Paddy and he’s now been turned into a hairy Sasquatch dude by Angelovemandleavem Jolie. But I digress.
I think I can live with SteelyDetermination. I’m still shuddering over the GrittyRealism. uggggghhhhh.
April 6th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
There was a very sexy roguish Irishman called Brendan in a film I just saw. I’m prejudiced against him though, because he dumped (oh sorry - it was a “trial separation”) Sally (Jennifer Ehle) after they’d lived together for seven years. However, all worked out for the best. Quite by coincidence, Sally (who BTW was very cute) displayed a combination of intelligence, emotional vulnerablity and steely determination.
April 6th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
I actually think Anne Hatthaway will be a good Jane Austen, she is a talented actress. She has the look of Jane, from the one known portrait. PErhaps she is a bit more attractive. ANd I like Jon Spence’s book. Perhaps this will be a good film.
April 6th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Oh, I agree with you, Linda. I too think that Ms. Hathaway is a talented actress.
However. I am worried about James McAvoy. I can see myself in the theater, muttering “Lucy, I don’t believe we are in Narnia anymore.”
April 7th, 2006 at 8:55 am
Dae:
Fortunately he doesn’t look anything like Mr Tumnus in real life! Amazing the difference a big nose and a wig can make…
April 8th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
James McAvoy is a very versatile actor - great in ‘Shameless’, but somewhat vertically challenged!