Becoming Jane

Based on a true story about the famous author Jane Austen, this is a true, classic, love story based on my concept of "the one". I have much more interest in this than just a movie to rent on a Friday night. I have read her novels and respect and admire her work.

In her short life Jane Austen wrote six incredible novels, one being Pride and Prejudice, which is a true romance novel depicting love, honor, pride and prejudice and the characters come alive as you read the book. The movie is incredible and I found myself lost in their lives.

The story of Jane Austen is even more incredible. Based on a her life in the 1700's and she is expected to marry "up" to give her family wealth she is offered a hand in marriage to a well-to-do gentleman. In the meantime, she meets Tom LeFroy, a common man who can offer her nothing but love. He works for his Uncle learning the law to earn money to send to his large family and falls madly in love with Jane. The Uncle will not allow the marriage due to her low income based life. They are torn with what to do and decide to run away together, but Jane knows if he leaves his Uncle's money that Tom's family will not survive financially. She decides to give him up because it is the right thing to do.

Their love is real, you can see if and feel it on the screeen and the characters are played out well by Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy. Jane Austen never married in her lifetime and continued to love Tom LeFroy her entire life. He was her "one". He married someone that was "chosen" for him by his Uncle. He named his eldest daughter "Jane". They did meet later in life and would always remain friends and secretly in love with each other.

Most of her novels come from her experiences in her life and I find it intriguing that love, even in the 1700's is just as it is today, passionate, hurtful, painful and real and if you have the opportunity to read her books you can feel her pain and understand what real love can be for two people. She is an amazing author.

Her novels are:

Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Emma
Persuasion
Mansfield Park
Lady Susan
Northanger Abbey

She stated once that she would "live by her pen" and all her characters, although would have trials and tribulations throughout her novels, each would end up with all their expectations and dreams fulfilled. She believed in happy endings. Sad, since her life was not given the happy ending she deserved with the love of her life.

I recommend this movie if you want to watch a true love story. It is a good movie.