Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)

Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)
Oh, to be in England...

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Lost in Austen

Lost in Austen- time traveling Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen and time travel...can it be done? Absolutely. And it works really well. For those of us who are perhaps a little too familiar with Pride and Prejudice, Lost in Austen is especially fun.

Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price in Lost in Austen
Amanda Price: It is a truth generally acknowledged that we are all longing to escape. I escape always, to my favourite book, Pride and Prejudice. I've read it so many times now the words just say themselves in my head and it's like a window opening. It's like I'm actually there. It's become a place I know so intimately, I can see that world. I can...touch it. I can see Darcy. Whoa...(slams book shut)...Amanda! Now...(opens book again)...where was I?

Pemberley garden in Lost in Austen
Amanda Price: I'm not hung up about Darcy. I do not sit at home with the pause button on Colin Firth in clingy pants, okay? I love the love story. I love Elizabeth. I love the manners and language and the courtesy. It's become part of who I am and what I want. I'm saying that I have standards.
Frankie: Oh, you have standards, pet. I hope they help you on with your coat when you're 70.

Lost in Austen Country Dance
Mr. Bingley: Darcy regards all forms of sudden locomotion as emblematic of ill-breeding. Hunting, tennis, rising precipitately from a chair...
Mr. Darcy: When Miss Price and I dance, sir, there shall be nothing sudden.
Amanda Price: I can't dance this sort of dance.
Mr. Darcy: Nor I. Together we shall make a shambles. But we shall do it with such authority that everyone will stare at us to learn the step. 

Wet shirt Darcy in Lost in Austen
Amanda Price: [after Mr. Darcy emerges from the water] I am having a bit of a strange post-modern moment here.
Mr. Darcy: Is that agreeable?
Amanda Price: Oh, yes. Yes.

Wickham in Lost in Austen
Amanda Price: Wickham. You are a bastard, but you are the right bastard at the right time.
Mr. Wickham: One does one's best.

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Amanda Price: Hear that sound, George? Duh-uh-uh-uh! That's Jane Austen spinning in her grave like a cat in a tumble-dryer.

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This is a lovely cheeky little bit of fun and I love Hugh Bonneville as Mr. Bennet. Gemma Arterton was adorable as Lizzie Bennet with a pixie cut and a mobile phone! And I'd love to see more of Tom Riley (Wickham). I think I liked his character the best.

So if you haven't yet seen this one it's a great bit of fun. And watch out for Tinkey Winkey. I loved that bit.

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N.B. If you are watching with younger viewers, there is one scene where Amanda lifts her skirt to reveal her "landing strip" or "standard pubic topiary" as she calls it, to Lydia. It would likely go straight by a pre-teen without registering but I know some of my readers might be sensitive to this. It's just there for a laugh and to demonstrate the cultural chasm over two centuries, but they probably could have left this out. :)

9 comments:

  1. I love this drama (and all things Pride & Prejudice!) - actually I was only reading about a new film called Austenland this morning which is apparently due out this year and has a similar premise...could be interesting!

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  2. Loved it. Are there any more Austen time travel movies planned? I would love to see a futuristic gal show up to become Emma's particular friend and vex her exceedingly:)

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  3. I enjoyed this movie when I watched it, but it's not one that I'm dying to watch again, even though I own it.

    I do think Wickham was wonderful :)

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  4. I love most things Austen...that being said I didn't overly like this film the first time I watched it. Then I watched it again thinking of it in just humorous terms. I enjoyed it tremendously. I have it also and every now and then I need a change from the usual costume drama and I'll watch it or something similar. I've come to appreciate it more after watching it several times. I loved the lines above that you quoted and like you I really think they could have left the part with Lydia out. I didn't care for that part at all. Austenland at least the book isn't time travel related. In the novel a young woman inherits some money and goes on a vacation of sorts to a place in England that specializes in Regency type living and only accepts certain people to see if there's a connection. I loved the novel and I'm looking forward to the film as well as the new release of "Midnight in Austenland". I'm hoping it's as good as the first. Shannon Hale the author actually got to go to the U.K. while her book was being turned into the film and be on the set. I know of a couple novels with time travel involved in some way with Jane Austen but I haven't heard of more movies.

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  5. Sounds like everyone is ready for Austenland to be released. No set date for release yet, just a teasing "2012"! Let's hope they don't keep us waiting too much longer. :)

    Did you all know that JJ Feild (Mr. Tilney) is one of the main characters (swoon!) as is Keri Russell (Felicity), Jennifer Coolidge (Legally Blonde) and Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchord). The cast is very promising so fingers crossed!

    Suzan makes a good case for watching Lost in Austen again. If you watch it again soon, look out for the visible breath indoors near the end. They must have been FREEZING!

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  6. Lost In Austen is great fun! You have made me want to watch it on DVD again, Jenny! :)

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  7. LOVE IT!!
    And I like your blog! I often sneak in here to see which movie you will introduce for us. ;o)
    Best regards
    Kristina from Sweden

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    1. Welcome to you Kristina in Sweden from Jenny in Canada. Glad you like it!

      Cheers!

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  8. the movie is pretty amusing and though i blame Amanda for all the conundrum, i'm very happy that she got her prize and more that Darcy got his love?

    (whispering) but it so dims in comparison to P&P

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