Aylmer to Zazzoo and Beyond: Austenland

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Austenland - Review

Austenland
(2013 - August 16, 2013 [NY, LA])
Comedy | Romance
1 hr. 36 min.

Rated: PG-13 Innuendo and Suggestive. Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+. Read more
Grade: C-

Director: Jerusha Hess
Writers: Jerusha Hess (screenplay), Shannon Hale (screenplay), Shannon Hale (novel)
Stars: Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Jennifer Coolidge | See full cast and crew

Socially awkward Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) is obsessed with the works of Jane Austen and fantasizes about the character of Mr. Darcy. She scrapes together as much money as she can and takes off for Austenland, a British theme resort where guests immerse themselves in a romantic fantasy worthy of Austen herself. However, because Jane's limited funds do not allow as many privileges as other guests, her chance at a fling with her very own Mr. Darcy may be limited as well.

I was the only one in the theater when I saw this film and it soon became apparent why. It's a total 'chick flick' but where were all the chicks?

Austenland is Twilight author Stephenie Meyer's first foray into film producing with this romantic comedy about a thirtysomething woman whose lifelong obsession with all things Jane Austen leads her to an eccentric theme park based on the writer's work, and into the company of a handsome young suitor. It is also very predictable, completely forgetable, uniremarkable, and a not very amusing comedy. I thought at least Jennifer Coolidge would be worth a few laughs but he lines and delivery fell flat.

Jane Hayes (Keri Russell), for as long as she can remember has been a fan of the classic writings of Jane Austen, she has turned her apartment and her life into a shrine, she eats, drinks and sleeps Jane Austen and and fantasises about her future with the heroic Mr. Darcy. For years she has been squirreling away money to pay for a dream-trip to Austenland, a fantasy land resort for die-hard fans to completely immerse themselves in the elegant world of their beloved author run by Mrs. Wattlesbrook (Jane Seymour) [an aside: I was once cast to play Jane Seymour's little brother on Broadway but the project lost it's funding and was never staged], anyway, she sells her Toyota Tercel for the extra cash and with great expectations, packs her bags and books a room at Austenland.

When she first arrives the fantasy resort is everything she had ever imagined. Every detail is as elegant and exquisite as the Jane Austen novels. She quickly discovers, however, one small disappointing detail: Due to her limited funds she could only afford the 'copper package' meaning that she wasn't entitled to the same luxury experience as the other, wealthier bachelorettes who were booked at Austenland. There were only two other guests, Miss Elizabeth Charming (Jennifer Coolidge) and Lady Amelia Heartwright (Georgia King), but she decides to make the most of her trip anyway. Later, when Jane falls into a romance with an 'off limits' dashing young servant, Martin (Bret McKenzie), her lifelong dreams suddenly begin to be realized, but there are complications with her dreamy yet seemingly unattainable 'Mr. Darcy', in the form of Mr. Henry Nobley (JJ Feild). What will happen when the two resort actors begin to vie for Jane's hand? (The outcome is so easy to predict).

The are a few things for which I can give Austenland kudos, it doesn't stoop to the common sex, nudity and profanity of the standard Hollywood offerings, which could so easily have been inserted, and the film was filmed partially in Utah. The screenplay was co-written by Utah athoress Shannon Hess (based on her book) and Utah director Jerusha Hess (a BYU girl like Stephenie Meyer). Austenland debuted at Sundance where it was acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide.

Shannon Hale: In 2007, (Twilight author and Austenland producer) Stephanie Meyer, who is a writer friend, we were talking about what fun it would be to make it into a movie. “We’ll just rent a camcorder and go to England and rent a house and make the movie and ha ha ha, it will never happen.”
Then two years later, I met Jerusha Hess who I didn’t know was a fellow Utahn and she’d read some of my books and we went to lunch and I gave her 'Austenland.' She called me 24 hours later and said “let’s make this into a movie.”
The next day Stephanie called me and said, “I know we used to joke about it, but I really do think 'Austenland' would be a great movie,” and I said, “It’s so funny because Jerusha Hess just called me and wanted to make it into a movie.”
That was 2009 and we got together, the three of us, and started making plans and Jerusha and I started writing the screenplay together and then we shot it in 2011.