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Becoming Jane

Becoming Jane (2007)

tomatometer

57

Average Rating: 6/10
Reviews Counted: 136
Fresh: 78 | Rotten: 58

Although Becoming Jane is a well-crafted period piece, it lacks fresh insight into the life and works of Jane Austen. The film focuses too much on wardrobe and not enough on Austen's achievements.

59

Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 34
Fresh: 20 | Rotten: 14

Although Becoming Jane is a well-crafted period piece, it lacks fresh insight into the life and works of Jane Austen. The film focuses too much on wardrobe and not enough on Austen's achievements.

audience

74

liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 131,505

My Rating

Movie Info

Events from the life of the author Jane Austen inspired this romantic historical drama, which speculates of a romance that may have had a significant impact on her life and work. Twenty-year-old Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) is the daughter of Rev. Austen (James Cromwell), a minister who looks after a flock in a small rural community in Southern England with his wife (Julie Walters). While her older sister, Cassandra (Anna Maxwell Martin), is engaged to be married, Jane resists her family's

PG, 2 hr.

Drama, Romance

Sarah Williams, Kevin Hood

Feb 12, 2008

$18.6M

Miramax Films

Cast

All Critics (139) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (81) | Rotten (59) | DVD (18)

Not only is that a huge stretch of the facts, it makes for a dull and overly familiar melodrama.

August 14, 2007 Comment
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Hathaway never makes us think the woman could write anything more complex than a diet book.

August 10, 2007 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comments (2)
TIME Magazine
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This never rises above a date movie, but it's functionally literate (the lovers have some pleasant banter about the realistic merits of Tom Jones) and features a fine supporting turn from Ian Richardson.

August 10, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
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Becoming Jane becomes a rather ordinary, though sporadically entertaining, game of dress-up.

August 10, 2007 Comment
Associated Press
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Austen comes off here more as stenographer than writer.

August 9, 2007 Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal | Comment
Wall Street Journal
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The movie goes down easy, but there's a thin line here: is this an homage or a parasite?

August 7, 2007 Comment
Newsweek
Top Critic IconTop Critic

With a spot-on accent and altogether charming performance, Hathaway makes another convincing statement that she has grown, as a woman and as an actress.

August 14, 2009 Full Review Source: Times-Picayune | Comment (1)
Times-Picayune

Director Julian Jarrold (Kinky Boots) struck a unique and lovely tone, managing to maintain a conventional Merchant-Ivory type look but successfully infusing it with some rather modern humor--Hathaway and McAvoy verbally sparring like an 18th century Trac

August 22, 2008 Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | Comment

without a pretext and knowledge of the classic author, much of the richness of this movie got lost

August 18, 2008 Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | Comment
7M Pictures

Even though it looked great and was moderately engaging, something was also always missing.

February 19, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Views | Comment

The characters and events are simply too familiar and the ground too well trodden to evoke much surprise or wonder. Still, it sure is nice to look at.

February 11, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
Movie Metropolis

...there's a feeling with Becoming Jane that we have seen it all before.... Many times.

February 11, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
Movie Metropolis

Anne Hathaway makes a fine Jane Austen.

February 10, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
Movie Metropolis

Hews frustratingly to the middle of the road.

January 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Time Out New York | Comment
Time Out New York

A dull exercise in deconstructing Jane Austen's life to provide a life experience basis for her novels.

January 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | Comment
Laramie Movie Scope

A witty, winning Austen bio for tweens and older.

October 22, 2007 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

An den to 'heis barethei [to story] tis alles ena ekatommyrio enniakosies peninta ennia hiliades triakosies eikosi dyo fores poy to 'heis ksanadei (i, an den to 'heis ksanadei), magkia soy kai kali diaskedasi, prodomenos de tha bgeis.

October 14, 2007 Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | Comment
Movies for the Masses

You'll enjoy it if you're the artistic, romantic type who can be seated for 120 minutes without CGI or anything getting blown up.

September 20, 2007 Full Review Source: HollywoodChicago.com | Comment
HollywoodChicago.com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Becoming Jane

For the most part it feels like I've seen this movie before, but I suppose there are only so many ways you can expect a romance with period-themes to unfold. Not saying the script lacks sophistication but you'd also expect more verbally exhausting dialogue in a movie that pays homage to Austen. Pleasantly enough it

June 4, 2011
Drake Tsui

Super Reviewer

By no means am I a fan of Jane Austin's work, but I ended up really enjoying this and was surprised at how original its idea is. This doesn't spend the majority of its running time using inside jokes about Austin's work or make it about her work at all. This focuses on the life of Jane Austin and her inspiration.

March 28, 2011
ythelastman89

Super Reviewer

    1. Tom Lefroy: What value will there be in life if we are not together? Run away with me.
    2. Jane Austen: An elopement?
    3. Tom Lefroy: That is exactly what I propose.
    – Submitted by Cathy D (11 days ago)
    1. Jane Austen: No sensible woman would demonstrate passion, if the purpose were to attract a husband.
    – Submitted by Nita S (4 months ago)

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Foreign Titles

  • Geliebte Jane (DE)
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