Review // Austenland

Jerusha Hess makes her directorial debut with Austenland, an adaptation of Shannon Hale’s bestselling novel of the same name. Hess is probably best known for co-writing Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre and Gentlemen Broncos with her husband, Jared Hess. Hess co-adapted the script for Austenland with Hale.

Kerri Russell stars as Jane Hayes, a single 30-something year old woman who is obsessed with Jane Austen’s romantic regency era novels. After yet another failed romance, Jane splurges on a vacation to the role playing theme park Austenland, where she plans to live out her Austen themed fantasies. The only problem?  The fantasy doesn’t quite measure up to reality. Jane’s “budgeted copper package” entitles her to little privilege at the park. She is cast as an orphan of no inherited wealth that lives in the manor due to the kindness of theme park owner Mrs. Wattlesbrook (Jane Seymour). Her costumes and activities list also reflect her character’s social status, which as any Austen fan will note isn’t promising for a lucrative match, and that’s what it’s all about.

As a guest of Austenland Jane is entitled to regency era appropriate romance with the male actors on staff (all caricatures of Austen’s leading men). Jane finds that JJ Field’s Mr. Nobley doesn’t live up to her expectations of a Mr. Darcy, so she sparks a romance with off-limits grounds worker Martin (played by Bret McKenzie). The trio’s relationship is reminiscent of the Darcy, Wickham, Elisabeth triangle in Pride and Prejudice and that isn’t the only Austen allusion present in the film — there is a “walking in the rain” scene that is ripped straight from the pages of Sense and Sensibility, complete with the unlikely rescue.

Austenland received some favourable reviews at Sundance and we can see why.  Russell’s Jane is charming and embodies the essence of an everyday Austen fan girl. She is a hopeless romantic trapped in the mind of a cynic and it’s easy to identify with her. But Russell’s charm only goes so far, and the romance of the regency era that makes Austen so popular just isn’t captured in the film. Austenland hits every prescribed romantic comedy trope (perhaps a reflection of Austen’s influence on modern storytelling) which detracts from what could be an interesting look at modern society’s yearning for simpler times. If you’re a Jane Austen fan you’ll enjoy the references and the concept, but if you aren’t, this isn’t the film to convert you.

Review by Vithiya Murugads.