Austenland: Hoping the latest Jane Austen movie will succeed

Jane Austen and Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire both lived during the Regency Era. So, at Georgiana Circle, we enjoy research and material about both!

Are you a Janeite? Or, a Janeiac?

I am. And, I can’t wait to see the new movie “Austenland”…

[Update! 9/15/2013: Just saw “Austenland” at a theater in Stony Brook, Long Island, NY. Loved it! Unfortunately for signs of success, my cousin and I were the only two people in the theater for the 7pm, Sunday night showing. Though, we both think it is wonderful. So, that is a 100% audience approval rating! There is a play-within-the-play — re: Mansfield Park– that is very amusing.]

I keep watching to see how the movie is doing. So far, Box Office Mojo reports its opening weekend totals as $40, 662. Those numbers have me a little worried, because Jane Eyre 2011 did about $182,000 its opening weekend, and I am using that movie as a similar comparison. Jane Eyre did not stay in theaters long. Fingers crossed for more success with the wider opening.

Besides numbers, I am looking at reviews. It has gotten a lot of reviews, and some good attention. Though, there are some negative reviews. I blame some of those reviews on the fact that most movie critics probably don’t resonate with Jane Austen. I wanted to share a pretty good review I found at The Washington Times. It has a good outline of the movie, and some compliments of the overall.

The review at the Washington Times is here: Movie Review: ‘Austenland’

In the end, “Austenland” is serviceable as a romantic comedy, but mordantly funny and surprisingly literary as a satirical romp through Austen fandom.

If you have seen the movie, please share your thoughts, responses, and/or review in the comments! We would love to hear!

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Jane Austen Tea: Reflections on a local, literary adventure

Kimberly Wilder and Barbara Hellering

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to attend a Jane Austen tea in nearby Port Jefferson. It was a lot of fun. And, I met another local Jane Austen fan who does media and blogging projects. Her name is Erin Coughlin, and her article is excerpted and linked below. I was late to the event. Though, I was in time for the slideshow and tea. I enjoyed hearing Barbara Hellering, give her list of favorite “Mr. Darcies” and speak about the importance of irony in Jane Eyre. My Flicrk photos are: here.

(excerpt from) The Patch
Library Hosts Literary Tea Party To Celebrate Favorite Author
Barbara Hellering of the Jane Austen Society of North America delights fans at The Port Jefferson Library
Erin Coughlin 4/21/2011

On April 14, the Port Jefferson Library hosted it’s highly successful, Annual Jane Austen Tea Party to celebrate National Library Week.

Vice President Barbara Hellering of The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) was on hand to discuss both the British author’s life and times, as well as her influence on modern society…

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Getting to know Lady Hamilton: Movie and NYC exhibit

Emma, Lady Hamilton. By Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun

Emma, Lady Hamilton, was a contemporary of Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire. Georgiana knew and liked Lady Hamilton.

If you like Lady Hamilton, or want to learn more about her, there is currently an exhibit at a book club in New York city. More info about “The Enchantress: Emma, Lady Hamilton”, at the Grolier Club until April 30, 2011, can be found at their link, and at the “read more” below.

I have become fascinated with Lady Hamilton party because of the movie “That Hamilton Woman”, with Vivien Leigh as Lady Hamilton, and with Leigh’s then husband, Laurence Olivier, as Lord Horatio Nelson. The movie is exquisite.

My favorite part of the movie is the way it explores the relationships between men and women, caught in a sexist society, where divorce is more of a shame than affairs, courtesans, or cruelty. And, I love the line uttered by the character of Lord Nelson, “That’s the way people look at these things. They do not believe in a friendship between a man and a woman.” I think that the tension that occurs — partly by nature, partly by a skeptical, sexist society — when a man and a woman try to be friends or colleagues is a large part of the energy that keeps women from succeeding in business, or fairly taking part in governing.

For an excellent review of the Grolier Club exhibit, see the Scandalous Women article: here. A quick biography of Emma, Lady Hamilton can be found at one of my favorite history blogs, The Duchess of Devonshire’s Gossip Guide to the 18th Century: here.

Info on the exhibit:

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Austen vs. Brontes (and Esther vs. Vashti)

Since I enjoy Jane Eyre in all forms, so much, I have an e-mail news alert for “Jane Eyre”. Found this interesting article on a blog devoted to discussion among Jewish women. The full post is: here.

(excerpt from) The Jewish Daily Forward/the sisterhood
Esther vs. Vashti, Austen vs. Brontës
By Sarah Seltzer

As I prepared for the beginning of the perennial Purim question of “Esther vs. Vashti” at the same time as I delved into Jane Eyre-mania, I began to think about how women are always pushed into dichotomies. I wondered cynically how soon someone would write about the new Brontë films by declaring Jane Austen passé…

It always seems to me that when it comes to women who take different paths there’s a meme out there that there’s only room for one. Virgin or whore, Esther or Vashti, Austen or Brontë. Yes, the two most famous Brontë sisters, Charlotte and Emily, and Jane Austen took divergent approaches to writing about the “woman question.” Austen was sort of an Esther, using her brilliant wit to dazzle readers but containing steely critique of the system under her perfect prose, while the Brontës, Vashti-like , seethe with rage at women’s unfortunate lot and churn with a desperate desire for escape…

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Video: Review of Jane Eyre movie, 2011

About the video:

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Jane Eyre: New video and 2011 movie trailer

Photos and report back from my trip into NYC to see the premier of Jane Eyre. Video Review by Stephanie and me: here.

Note! The Jane Eyre movie is coming out in select theaters. More to follow over the next few weeks. See list: here.

While author Jane Austen, and the character Jane Eyre, both lived after the time of Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Circle readers may know I love works by Jane Austen, and works based on Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte’s character) very much.  My favorite Jane Eyre so far has been the 2006 BBC miniseries. And, I am so excited to hear that the new movie, with Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre, is coming to American theaters in March 2011. And, the movie trailer has just come out…

Link to 2o11 Jane Eyre movie trailer:
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/11/10/jane-eyre-trailer-charlotte-brontemia-wasikowska-michael-fassbender/?xrs=share_twitter

And, here is my new video on the subject of Jane Eyre:

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Finally! First photos from Mia Wasikowska in Jane Eyre

The new Jane Eyre movie is due out in March. There is a FaceBook page, where they have released two photos of Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre, in fashionable 19th century garb. The movie is directed by Cary Fukunaga, of Sin Nombre fame. Reports are that Mia Wasikowska read the Charlotte Bronte book and asked her agent if there were any movies of it being made.

I am so excited about seeing another version of one of my favorite book!

Two stories below:

Story at I Am Rogue

Story at Cinema Blend

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Mia Wasikowska in talks to play Jane Eyre

Actress Mia Wasikowska, pronounced vash-i-KOV-skə, is in negotiations to star in a film version of Jane Eyre directed by American director Cary Fukunaga. Mia Wasikowska is known for her role in Edward Zwick’s film Defiance, and she portrays Alice in Wonderland in the Tim Burton movie to be released in March 2010.

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