01/15/2010

Lost in Austen

I'm not a Jane Austen purist, so adaptations and derivative works do not really bother me. And so if you're like me and you like Jane Austen books and movies and anything from the BBC about gentlemen and ladies with witty banter and good manners, then I think you'll get a kick out of this BBC movie: Lost in Austen:



Basically, a modern girl who likes Jane Austen goes to her bathroom one evening and finds Elizabeth Bennett in there, telling her that there is a portal from the Bennett house to her apartment. The modern girl goes into the Bennett house, Elizabeth locks the portal, and the rest of the movie is the modern heroine trying hard not to mess up the story of Pride and Prejudice. It is hilarious because they have to write new dialogue, imagine Darcy and Bingley in new situations, and we get a modern girl's take on Mr. Collins. The modern girl has to account for her strange clothing and passes it off as "Otter Hunting Kit." I also think the movie was well casted. The actors who play Bingley, Darcy, Bingley's sister, etc. are perfect choices. We learn Mr. Bennett's first name and Mr. Collins's middle name. The modern girl has a falling out with Charlotte, and there is some hilarity involving lip gloss. It isn't a farce by any means, and the movie is respectful of the source material. They do something really clever with Wickham's character, probably the biggest departure from Austen's vision for the character. And yet, it is really plausible. So don't hesitate to watch it so that we can talk about it next time I see you. The libraries in St. Louis already have it.

I'll leave you with a scene where Miss Price (the modern girl) meets Mr. Bennett. It's not a great scene, but you get a feel for the quality of the dialogue they write for the book's characters: