The story is well told, with excellent performances all round (especially Anne Hathaway and the always brilliant James Cromwell). The film tells the story of a young woman, Jane, who refuses to marry purely for money and embarks on writing to support herself rather than relying on a husband. Now, I know very little about Jane Austen or her life so am considering Becoming Jane simply as a film loosely based on/inspired by her life. I knew very little about this film before I went to see it - I think the trailer was the sum total of what I had heard. If they attempt to marry, they will risk everything that matters - family, friends, and fortune. Now, the couple, whose flirtation flies in the face of the sense and sensibility of the age, is faced with a terrible dilemma. His intellect and arrogance raise her ire, then knock her head over heels. But when Jane meets the roguish and decidedly non-aristocratic Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), sparks soon fly along with the sharp repartee. Wisley (Laurence Fox), nephew to the very formidable, not to mention very rich, local aristocrat Lady Gresham (Dame Maggie Smith), as a prospective match. Naturally, her parents are searching for a wealthy, well-appointed husband to assure their daughter's future social standing. John Rivers makes Jane a surprising proposal, she realizes that she must return to Thornfield – to secure her own future and finally, to conquer what haunts both her and Rochester.The year is 1795 and young Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) is a feisty twenty-year-old and emerging writer who already sees a world beyond class and commerce, beyond pride and prejudice, and dreams of doing what was then nearly unthinkable, marrying for love. She dares to intuit a deep connection with Rochester, and she is not wrong but once she uncovers the terrible secret that he had hoped to hide from her forever, she flees, finding a home with the Rivers family.
But his dark moods are troubling to Jane, as are strange goings-on in the house – especially the off-limits attic. Jane’s interest is piqued by Rochester, who engages her in games of wit and storytelling, and divulges to her some of his innermost thoughts. Fairfax (Academy Award winner Judi Dench).
She is treated with kindness and respect by housekeeper Mrs. When Helen falls fatally ill, the loss devastates Jane, yet strengthens her resolve to stand up for herself and make the just choices in life.Īs a teenager, Jane arrives at Thornfield. Consigned to the charity school Lowood, Jane encounters further harsh treatment but receives an education and meets Helen Burns (Freya Parks), a poor child who impresses Jane as a soulful and contented person.
Reed (Golden Globe Award winner Sally Hawkins). As she recuperates in the Rivers’ Moor House and looks back upon the tumultuous events that led to her escape, Jane wonders if the past is ever truly past…Īged 10, the orphaned Jane (played by Amelia Clarkson) is mistreated and then cast out of her childhood home Gateshead by her cruel aunt, Mrs. John Rivers (Jamie Bell of Focus Features’ The Eagle) and his family. With nowhere else to go, she is extended a helping hand by clergyman St. The imposing residence – and Rochester’s own imposing nature – have sorely tested her resilience. Wasikowska) suddenly flees Thornfield Hall, the vast and isolated estate where she works as a governess for Adèle Varens, a child under the custody of Thornfield’s brooding master, Edward Rochester (Mr. In the 19th Century-set story, Jane Eyre (played by Ms. Mia Wasikowska ( Alice in Wonderland) and Michael Fassbender ( Inglourious Basterds) star in the iconic lead roles of the romantic drama, the heroine of which continues to inspire new generations of devoted readers and viewers. In a bold new feature version of Jane Eyre, director Cary Joji Fukunaga ( Sin Nombre) and screenwriter Moira Buffini ( Tamara Drewe) infuse a contemporary immediacy into Charlotte Brontë’s timeless, classic story.