Miss Austen Regrets, the day after
Most of the British press, now that the movie is past, seemed to like it well enough. Perhaps if they had said so before it aired, it wouldn’t have lost in the ratings to Midsomer Murders. Or maybe not.
Here’s an article we missed on Sunday, from the Times.
What she calls the “Janeites” – the legions of (mainly female) fans obsessed with Austen and all her works – are already complaining online that Olivia Williams, the actress who plays Austen, is too tall
Where is all this complaining going on? Anybody? Anybody? Bueller?
The Telegraph has a thoughtful look at the film.
Above all, she reflected on her own romantic history, as Fanny’s questions (put, it seemed, on our behalf) constantly raised the issue of why she’d never married.
advertisementTo its credit, the programme didn’t come with a simple answer to that – or a simple emotional response. Instead, Austen pondered her single state with a mixture of bullishness, puzzlement, satisfaction and sadness. In a touching scene towards the end, one of her old suitors, the Rev Bridges (Hugh Bonneville at his most gently benevolent) asked her if she was at all sorry that she hadn’t married him. “What would be the point?” said Austen.
Sam Wollaston at the Guardian liked it despite his allergy to bonnets. (One longs to quote Edward Knight in the film–”If that’s what you think Aunt Jane’s books are about, perhaps you should read them again.”)
OK, so I’m not a Jane Austen freak, I’ll admit. I have subject-matter issues, plus an irrational hatred of bonnets, carriages, marriages, gravel, ribbons, mazes, and all that. But this dramatisation, by Gwyneth Hughes, of the second half of Austen’s life really was beautifully observed and thrilling to look at, with performances that left me weak with admiration (sorry, I’m getting carried away). The real star was Olivia Williams in the lead, who lifted this from standard Sunday-night BBC1 costume drama to something special. Her complex Austen was witty and brilliant, as you’d expect, but also moody and a bit mean, sometimes bordering on bitter. Suddenly it was clear: of course, that’s exactly what Jane Austen was like. A classy film.
The Times (again) has another reviewer who professes to hate Austen, but praises the film.
The central performance from Williams was a knockout, complimented by harsh unglamorous close-ups of a harried face, pale and careworn, and sad, soulful eyes. But best of all, however, were the silences. Whereas the wearisome Austen brand mistakenly equates prolixity with charm, here the words were cut down to a minimum. Gorgeous scenes, composites of close-ups, of Austen alone, staring, reflecting and aching, all underscored by the pining piano of the composer Jennie Muskett, somehow described Austen’s crushing loss and confusion without a line of dialogue. The closing topper, where Austen revealed that she was pressurised into remaining unmarried by her sister, and was thus a novelist by default, made complete sense.
What? Did anyone else get that from it?
And for all you soundtrack fanatics out there, Music from the Movies reviews the soundtrack, which (as we posted previously) is available for download on iTunes and will be out on CD next week.
In a somewhat defense of those two JA haters and reviewers, perhaps they based their opinions only from the film and tv adaptations, I can hardly picture them reading any of the novels. That of course would make their comments even more prejudiced than before.
Since I saw MAR, a related matter is bugging and in particular that comment by Edward Knight to his daugter about her reading of her aunt’s novels, which delighted me BTW. In the past years with these second Austen ‘boom’ due to the latest adaptations we have been trying to see the positive angle that despite most of them are inferior to the previous ones, they attract new audiences. But as I say, that comment from the EK of the film has make me reflect on the negative side, how many go past the “romantic” perspective and see that there is much more in the novels than that.
Does anyone know if Amazon will be selling the MAR soundtrack in CD? I have not even to find a link there, since iTunes is not an option for those of us who do not live in countries that have not an iTunes download store.
Miss Austen Regrets CD Soundtrack is available for shop using Paypal in any country where Paypal operates. Here is the link:
http://www.bucksmusicgroup.com/shop/index.html
Received the DVD on Monday and have just finished watching it.
Not quite sure what I expected.
Olivia Williams is pretty good, I thought.
The first half hour or so was rather strange – lack of substance, sort of – because Olivia Williams kept reminding me of Lydia instead of Jane Austen. Not her fault at all. She did what she was asked to by the script writer and director.
But was JA that crazy as shown?
Are they mixing up satire of JA’s letters with something else? Then again – it’s the difference in personal interpretation, and so …*shrugs* ..it’s just that JA seemed like Lydia. Well almost.
Towards the end it got better – substance-wise.
Some points i noted;
-The film starts with marriage – ends with marriage – and there is this whole talk of marriage and men in between.
-mouthing dialogues from her books grated on my nerves.
-Felt like cheering when Edward tells Fanny to read her aunt’s novels again if she thinks they are all about love and marriage – and when OW says very firmly that Tom lefroy wasn’t the one, and it hurt for about 5 minutes.
-I liked the the underlying thread of their financial problems and her tragic illness.
-and of course it was far far better than the other one – ‘Becoming Jane’.
oops! I meant, the film starts with a ‘proposal’ of marriage.
-Felt like cheering when Edward tells Fanny to read her aunt’s novels again if she thinks they are all about love and marriage – and when OW says very firmly that Tom lefroy wasn’t the one, and it hurt for about 5 minutes.
And the third one would be the one about the only way to found a Mr. Darcy is making him up. I loved those 3, altough I can imagine this one break many fantasy bubbles among fans, he, he. But for years I have been wondering about the fact that many of my literary heroes have been created by women writers (only Faramir by Tolkien and Jean de Pardaillan by Zevaco might be the exceptions that conffirm the rule), and therefore unfortunately, they might be only figments of female imagination.
Thanks Boris for the link on how to purchase the CD.
Taking advantage of this long weekend (starting Wednesday, because of *Ascension*) I have been pouring over JA’s letters to understand what is shown in MAR by Ms Hughes. Not difficult at all, because of the very efficient and helpful Index provided by Deirdre Le Faye. My findings;
Re: Haden (mentioned about 5-6 times in her letters)
-the first time is in connection with Henry’s illness
-the 2nd time is about him taking notice of Fanny regarding her piano playing, then going on in her own special way about his being called away by the Doctor to Capt. Blake’s.
-the third is more about Edward not coming
We have had no Edward.- Our circle is formed; only Mr. Tilson & Mr Haden.- We are not so happy as we were.
-the 4th; once again it is with regards to Fanny;
…the Drawing room was thus arranged, on the sofa-side the two Ladies, Henry and myself making the best of it, on the opposite side Fanny and Mr. Haden in two chairs (I believe at least they had two chairs) talking together uninterruptedly.
(the last emphasis is mine)
The reference to ‘two chairs’ makes me think Fanny and Mr Haden were sitting close together
On the same page further mention of him with regards to Henry’s illness once again.
-And then the important 5th time. .. sort of wonderful nondescript Creature on two legs, something between a Man & an Angel
This is JA IMO, the writer, talking . She describes people objectively. Compare another description in a letter to Fanny in Feb 1817, about Henry and Edward (I don’t know which ones, there are so many);
Henry is generally thought very good-looking but not so handsome as Edward.- I think I prefer his face.-
I think they may be some children in the family (Lizzy’s?)
She could have called Mr H an angel because he cured Henry.
Anyway this description comes after she has noticed his attentions to Fanny.
-the last mention is in a short note like letter to him to return and thank him for some books and expressing hope of seeing him again before they leave on Sunday so that ‘goodbye’ can be said.
So all those deep soulful looks of longing etc in MAR don’t ring true to me.
(the post has become very long so I won’t write anything else – about Rev. Bridges, for instance)
Hans Place, Saturday Dec 2, 1815
“ …….. But you seem to be under a mistake as to Mr. H.-you call him an Apothecary; he is no Apothecary, he has never been an Apothecary, there is not an Apothecary in this Neighbourhood-the only inconvenience of the situation perhaps, but so it is-we have not a medical Man within reach-he is a Haden, nothing but a Haden, a sort of wonderful nondescript Creature on two legs, something between a Man & an Angel-but without the least spice of an Apothecary.-He is perhaps the only Person not an Apothecary hereabouts.-He has never sung to us. He will not sing without a P. forte accompaniment ……”
Mr. Haden could sing and I am sure Miss Austen was very much impressed with him. Why should we always expect Miss Austen to be sort of strange creature, I think she was a normal woman like others. All this woman needed was a true man’s love but unfortunately she was not happened to meet it. Tom Lefroy’s love was true but not serious; he was very young, financially dependant and very soon disappeared and got out of her life.
Becoming Jane is a fiction (on the official site it is explained that it is not a biopic but an art interpretation of her life) but we must confess that it is very well done fiction exploring a period and events form Jane Austen’s life of which there are not enough proofs and thus being very likable to be taken as authentic. It is not intended for Janeites and gives general ideas of Austen’s life – a great authoress fallen in love in her youth with no happy ending which is true and more than enough for the general audience.
>It is not intended for Janeites
*That* should shut me up
>Why should we always expect Miss Austen to be sort of strange creature, I think she was a normal woman like others.
Of course she was. I have no doubts about that.
But *this* Haden thing, if true, would seem more pathetic than a ‘not strange creature, but very normal’
“But for years I have been wondering about the fact that many of my literary heroes have been created by women writers (only Faramir by Tolkien and Jean de Pardaillan by Zevaco might be the exceptions that conffirm the rule), and therefore unfortunately, they might be only figments of female imagination.”
Probably because you’re female. Most of my literary heroes are male, but then I’m male too. I make an exception for Austen, although that wasn’t always the case.
Oh and I think when she was describing Haden as an angel, and stating “heres happiness” etc, she was paraphrasing Fanny who is obviously smitten with him. She’s ironically and detachedly observing her nieces’ crush, and slightly mocking her by mimicing her turns of phrase and thoughts for her own amusement, and Cassandra’s.
“The closing topper, where Austen revealed that she was pressurised into remaining unmarried by her sister, and was thus a novelist by default, made complete sense.”
It made no sense at all either in the terms of the programme or her biography. That comment made me furious. I thought the portrayal of JA by Olivia Williams was excellent both in acting and in the way it was written – sardonic, attached to her family, and aware (as is expressly said by her brother’s housekeeper) that whatever life you choose you have regrets. I had the impression of someone bursting with energy both for creation and living, and thwarted by the boundaries placed around women in her day and her own illness. A complex woman, not a sad-eyed forlorn romantic. Good stuff.
Oh and I think when she was describing Haden as an angel, and stating “heres happiness” etc, she was paraphrasing Fanny who is obviously smitten with him. She’s ironically and detachedly observing her nieces’ crush, and slightly mocking her by mimicing her turns of phrase and thoughts for her own amusement, and Cassandra’s.
Totally agree–and thanks for putting it so elegantly.