“You will have a great deal of unreserved discourse with Mrs. K., I dare say, upon this subject, as well as upon many other of our family matters. Abuse everybody but me.” The Letters of Jane Austen, 07 January 1807
The new biopic Miss Austen Regrets aired tonight on PBS, and like Miss Austen’s multi-layered novels that reveal new meanings with additional readings, I am impressed that after watching it again it continues to reveal new insights. I have reviewed the film for PBS and it is posted on their blog Remotely Connected.
It takes spirit and resolve to write a biopic on the life of Jane Austen. In the face of her incredible talent and renown, it takes pure pluck to write a review of a movie about it.
Miss Austen Regrets is a new film that bravely portrays the latter years of famous literary figure Jane Austen. Born the daughter of an English Anglican minister in 1775, she died in 1817 at age forty-one, unmarried, unexalted, and poor; her clever mind and acerbic wit left us with six completed novels acclaimed by many to be literary perfection.
Continued here.
I am always curious about your impressions. The press reviews have been mixed. Was the film an honest rumination of her later life, or caveat to those who make choices outside the norm?
I don’t know how true it was to her life/letters, all I know is that the movie touched me in a deep and personal manner I’ll not soon forget!
I have enjoyed your informative and comprehensive review of Miss Austen Regrets in PBS’s Remotely Connected. It was a good preparation for the show. After watching it last night, I have some thoughts on it…would JA be one who’d regret?
I loved your reviews!
I’ve watched the film twice and I enjoyed it. It has inspired me to reread her letters.
The only thing that struck me as odd was all the emphasis on Jane drinking wine.
The emphasis on the wine-drinking was taken from a quote in one of Jane’s letters, where she confessed to being partial to orange wine and she wrote this in one of her letters:
“I believe I drank too much wine last night at Hurstbourne; I know not how else to account for the shaking of my hand to-day. You will kindly make allowance therefore for any indistinctness of writing, by attributing it to this venial error.”
Arti, thanks for your insightful review of Miss Austen Regrets on your blog, Ripple Effects. I think that the only thing that Jane Austen regreted was being poor, and the burden that it put on her mother and sister after she died. Cheers, Laurel Ann
Hi Deborah Jane, thank you for your complement on my reviews. I am glad that you enjoyed Miss Austen Regrets also. It was a hanky honker for me. Really moving. Cheers, Laurel Ann