Austenland Review
RYAN: Austenland is a new rom-com starring Keri Russell, one of many loosely adapted and inspired by the works of Jane Austen. I love the premise of this movie because I wholeheartedly relate to being an uber-fan/geek for the books I love and indulging in them. Keri plays a character who’s so obsessed with Jane Austen novels, she goes to Austenland to live out her fangirl fantasies. It’s like me going to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter yet in a more submerged way.
ERIN: I didn’t relate to that aspect but I really enjoyed the whole idea anyway. It’s very clever and sweet.
RYAN: I loved seeing her house filled with her collection and obsession. It’s cool how this takes it all one step further to actually attend the fantasy-based experience with role playing.
ERIN: Absolutely and I really liked Keri in this.
RYAN: She’s so adorable.
ERIN: I love her in everything she does.
RYAN: She’s just like a regular girl; you feel like if you met her you’d become insta-BFFs.
ERIN: Yes. And I liked the British male lead too.
RYAN: JJ Field. He’s so cute and charming. He’s not well known. Jane Seymour is also in this as the woman who runs Austenland. It’s a very clever casting.
ERIN: She has the wicked stepmother vibe down perfectly.
RYAN: She brought some proper English cred to the film. And then Jennifer Coolidge was exquisitely cast – a show-stopping scene stealer! I imagine she improvised and she doesn’t even need to talk to be funny.
ERIN: She’s perfect in this. She added so much comedy. It’s a very sensationalized environment.
RYAN: It is very over the top.
ERIN: Well what Keri goes through is serious so Jennifer’s comedy was excellent.
RYAN: This is my favorite role of Jen’s since Paulette in Legally Blonde. And the other girl in the film is also very funny – Georgia King. What’s interesting is you teeter in this movie between feeling like you’re watching a proper Jane Austen film and a spoof of one. It takes place in modern time and they’re just pretending.
ERIN: Right. There were a couple moments where you almost can’t tell which perspective it’s coming from.
RYAN: The costumes and set design and locations are all reminiscent of Emma and Pride and Prejudice.
ERIN: And I loved the scene that reminded me of Dirty Dancing in the sense the actors are backstage on their break and you can see how they are when they’re not “on.”
RYAN: It’s a good script that’s light and sweet. It’s a hardcore chick flick, but a bit swoon-worthy.
ERIN: There are some decent layers to it.
RYAN: It’s a consistently funny movie that Jane Austen fans should run out to see but as ratings go, I really think this is one to catch at home.
