I love living in the 21st century. I love having modern toilets, vaccines, and microwave food. However, one of my absolute favorite parts of existing in the modern day has to be Jane Austen movies. I know what you’re thinking; Jane Austen isn’t even from this century. However, her legacy and influence has persisted in popular culture since her death in 1817.
When we think of Jane Austen, we typically think of her classics and the movies we associate with them. We think of Kiera Knightley shining in her role as Elizabeth Bennet, where her clipped speech and sarcastic diatribes combined with her long, flowing hair and beautiful shawls made us all want to live in 1813 England. We think of Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, making matches throughout upper class society while sporting luscious cap sleeved dresses.
The beauty of this time period reels us in, with the beautiful landscapes untouched by cars, the elegant tea parties we all want to attend, and the sweeping gestures and speeches that made us all fall in love with Mr. Darcy. Many of us are still searching for our own Mr. Darcy every day. The lush, beautiful set design of Austen films brings her words to life, practically peeling each letter of the page as we envision her worlds.
I think many people love these movies because they are just such an escape from reality. When we’re plagued by grades, jobs, and taxes, we can turn to the lovely world of Austen and imagine that all we have to worry about is what to wear to afternoon tea and what we’ll say to the rich young gentleman we made eye contact with at Sunday’s ball.
Most of us have heard of the classics like “Pride and Prejudice,” “Emma,” and even “Sense and Sensibility.” These are all great books and great films, and they’re wonderful movies to watch and then rewatch. However, I also think there are some great adaptations that aren’t known as well, yet are just as magical.
One of my all time favorite Austen movies is “Northanger Abbey.” Our main character, Catherine Morland, must navigate high society while dealing with betrayal and falling in love. I think one of the reasons I love this movie so much is because of Catherine. She’s the opposite of a perfect character, and is so naive and obsessed with her romance books that she’s always making mistakes in life and love. That’s what makes her so raw and real, and you can’t help but root for her. The costumes and detail in this movie are on point, and the love story and side characters are cute elements that round out the film.
I also love “Persuasion,” which stars Dakota Johnson. It’s different from other Austen films in that our main character, Anne Elliot, is older than most Austen heroines. Anne lives as a spinster, and when confronted with the ex love of her life, she must decide what is important to her and her future. The best way I can describe this movie is that it gives you a sense of calm. It’s quiet, and simple, and the set design and clothing of the characters keeps you in the movie without being so over the top and distracting that it takes you away from the time period. Dakota Johnson is perfect as Anne Elliot, and I think the director perfectly blended more modern aspects of production and storytelling with the historical context.
Another great movie that many people haven’t heard of is “Austenland.” This movie isn’t actually directly based off of an Austen novel. Instead, it tells the story of an American woman who loves everything Austen and fantasizes about living out her own Austen story. She travels to England to join an “Austen experience,” where customers can live in a traditional Regency-era manor and act as if they are in an Austen film. However, as she gets further into her journey, lines become blurred and it’s harder to tell what’s real or not. I absolutely adore this movie. It’s a light, fun 90 minutes that encompasses what all of us love about Austen’s books and movies.
Despite how long it’s been since Austen wrote her renowned works, her impact has stuck with us for so long that I think it’s honestly necessary for everyone to read her books, or at least watch her films. They have the ability to transport us, at least for a short time. The magic of her words can remain with us, even after we’ve finished watching.