Hello and welcome back to another edition of my weekly movie ramblings. If you like my conversation, don’t hesitate to like and comment. If this is your first time, welcome. I encourage you to scroll around and take in the scenery. Lol. Without further ado, this week’s film is none other than Miss Austen Regrets. I have no clue how accurate this biopic is as she didn’t leave much information about her romantic life, so I consider this and other films such as Becoming Jane well-written fanfiction. A personal favorite of mine and one I believe that Miss Austen Regrets might be based on is one of her classics, Persuasion. Long story short on the recommendation of a trusted friend, Lady Russell, Anne Elliot almost loses a chance at love, but by the power of plot armor love prevails and she gets her man. However, sadly for Miss Austen, at least in this film, dies poor and alone.

The film opens with Jane receiving a marriage proposal from Mr. Bigg, a wealthy suitor, which she reluctantly accepts but like Anne, is coached into refusing his hand the following morning. By who other than her sister Cassandra. I was struggling to understand the motive behind her telling Jane to refuse, but at the back of my mind, I knew it had to be for selfish reasons. Fast forward Jane is now a proud old spinster spurning those she feels are beneath her mental prowess- the same people keeping her from living in a worse condition by buying her novels. Sidenote: I really hope the real Jane Austen wasn’t like this movie protrayal because it’s no wonder she’s alone. The movie didn’t do her character any favors. But I digress. Living in a small cottage alongside Cassandra and their mother, her niece Fanny of 27 years, ripe and ready for marriage, comes to visit.

The Sisterhood Doesn’t Like Marriage
Why wasn’t Cassandra married herself? Was she ever asked? If not, was she bitter that no one ever asked her and Jane was? Does she not like men? If so, fine. But why ruin someone else’s chances? Or was she truly concerned? I think she didn’t want to be stuck with their mother alone, so she convinced Jane to give up on marriage too.

I didn’t expect to like the film, but I did. Despite her many terrible qualities, I could understand her humanity. She wanted love, but it was a dream denied. But at least she was honest enough to admit the desire. Some of us are so jaded we can’t admit we still want someone who cares – and I for one am not ashamed. I still want somebody to hold! Lol. She understood well the financial situation she was in and refused to leave her future in the financially inept hands of her brothers. Finally I understood on some level why she was a harsh critic of others, though it doesn’t absolve her of her actions, her mother was an even harsher critic of her. I wanted to choke her mother through the screen when she spoke so meanly to Jane. Though she wasn’t wrong about Jane being a homewrecker, she’s still her daughter. She and the Downton Abbey guy were emotionally cheating- which I think is worse than physical cheating. I can imagine her death weighed heavily on him.

Anypoops, the world is cursed forever to speculate who Austen was. Beyond the few correspondents and the books she wrote who knows what her life would have been like had she married. I give the film 4 out of 5 rose petals. What’s your opinion?