I Heart Jane

This summer I became a true Jane Austen fan. I have read the book and loved the movie Pride and Predjudice since I first saw it (what girl doesn't fall in love with Mr. Darcy?!). And I had seen the film versions of Emma and Sense and Sensibility, but my fondness of Austen pretty much stopped there. For some reason her stories caught my attention and I decided that I was going to become familiar with her works, especially the ones I had never read/seen before. (Guess having a husband who is gone as much as Brad a girl needs a good love story now and then even if it is vicarious :) and I find her stories despite the cultural differences to be timeless.)

I have been in the process of watching all the different versions of the books in movie form while I read the lot of them as well and have found I am fascinated by the charcters Jane gave life to and the culture of that generation. At times I find myself wishing I lived in a time when women wore such elegant, feminine clothing, attended dances and picnics on a regular basis, and men (for the most part) were gentlemen and respectful and proper. Even the poorest of them seem to live in grand "cottages" and have at least one or two servants...such a different lifestyle! But how horrible to feel such pressure to marry, and primarily to marry well financially, and to please everyone pretty much but yourself in choosing a spouse. I love though how all of Jane's heroine's, after much trial and grief and uncertainty, always find themself with a well earned happily ever after.

Since there are many movie versions of the same stories out there, I have narrowed down my favorites of each.

Persuasion was a new one to me. I did enjoy the newest BBC version of this story, but I found the actress playing Anne and the scenery to be a little too dry and she looked too old for the part. I much preferred the 1995 film version starring Amanda Root.

Northanger Abbey has become one of my new favorite stories and is the next book I plan to read of Austen. I love the character of Catherine and how her imagination was brought to life in this movie. I have only seen the 2007 Masterpiece Theater version, so I have none to compare to yet, but I loved this story and would definitely watch it again!

Emma is quite a different character than the rest of her main characters and a bit harder to like, but I have to say I enjoyed Kate Beckinsale's portrayal of her in the 1997 A&E version much better than Gwenyth Paltrow.

Sense and Sensibility has to be tied for first now for my favorite with Pride and Prejudice after watching the 2008 BBC mini-series version of this film! I LOVED it! The casting was phenomenal - MUCH better than the 1999 film version which I barely tolerated Hugh Grant and could care less for Emma Watson as Elinor and Kate Winslet as Mariann. The plot was developed much further in this version and the scenery was gorgeous throughout. I am excited to also watch the new, Miss Austen Regrets, that is included with this DVD and is based on Jane Austen's life. I have heard that it is even better than Becoming Jane, another biographical Austen movie, so I am looking forward to watching that one this week. It fascinates me that Jane Austen never married, but I admire her strength and determination for being so independent in a culture in which that was looked down upon.

As I have already mentioned, I love the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. I did like the 1996 A&E version, but much prefer Matthew MacFadyen as Mr. Darcy to Colin Firth. And this is just an excellently filmed movie in all categories.

Mansfield Park was another new story to me, but a pleasant surprise. I loved Fanny Price probably most of any of Austen's main characters. She was comfortable with who she was, regardless of what others thought, never pretended to be better than anyone, and stayed true to herself throughout the storyline. I still plan on reading the book and watch the two older versions of this, but I did enjoy it more than I expected. In fact, I expected to not like it at all because of reviews I had read, but I think because I had nothing to compare it to, I watched it with fresh eyes. I may think differently of it once I read the book for myself, but for now I am looking forward to getting to know the character of Miss Price much better!

In the end of each of these tales though, I am reminded how thankful I am to have found my very own Mr. Darcy, a good man who loves me more than I probably know and treats me with so much love and respect.