Austenland (2013)

Obsessed with the BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice", a woman travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman.

Director:

Jerusha Hess

Writers:

Jerusha Hess (screenplay), Shannon Hale (screenplay),

Stars:

Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Jennifer Coolidge

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Keri Russell	...	Jane Hayes
JJ Feild	...	Mr. Henry Nobley
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Miss Elizabeth Charming
Bret McKenzie	...	Martin
Georgia King	...	Lady Amelia Heartwright
James Callis	...	Colonel Andrews
Jane Seymour	...	Mrs. Wattlesbrook
Ricky Whittle	...	Captain George East
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claire Ashton	...	Fairground guest
Tracey Chatterley	...	English Teacher
Silvia Crastan	...	Fun Fair Visitor
Lee Craven	...	Servant
Ruben Crow	...	Chad
Eva Dagoo	...	College Student
John Duggan	...	Business Traveller

Storyline

Austenland is a romantic comedy about 30-something, single Jane Hayes, a seemingly normal young woman with a secret: her obsession with Mr. Darcy-as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice-is ruining her love life; no real man can compare. But when she decides to spend her life savings on a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined.

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Plot Keywords:

jane austen | name in title | based on book

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and innuendo

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 2013 (UK)

Filming Locations:

West Wycombe House, West Wycombe Park, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£4,900,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fickle Fish Films, Moxie Pictures

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Pride and Prejudice (1995)

User Reviews

Great Fun. Remarkable Directorial Debut.

I saw this Austenland premiere at Sundance yesterday and I was thoroughly entertained. While not a completely original romcom premise, there is enough that is fresh in the storyline to keep you engaged, and at one point even with a whodunit flair.

Director Jerusha Hess (co-writer of Napoleon Dynamite) has a really remarkable debut. The movie is smart, funny and paces nicely. Keri Russell is at her girl-next-door best, but Jennifer Coolidge feels like she has been cut loose to reveal her outrageous, campy silliness in all its splendor, and Brett McKenzie (of Flight of the Conchords fame) is surprisingly believable and impossible not to like as mostly a straight man. I expect this performance will catapult McKenzie's acting career. Other cast members, including J.J. Field and Jane Seymour, are solid.

Most of the cast was at the premiere and came on stage for the Q&A. Now many casts at Sundance say they enjoyed making the movie, but you could tell there was something different with this group. They sounded like the REALLY HAD FUN. McKenzie was hilarious live (something few actors are) and I only wish Coolidge had been there. Their enthusiasm was certainly buoyed by just having seen the movie for the first time and I'm sure being surprised by how well it turned out. But also, quite a credit to Hess to create an environment where good spirits flow. The positive energy definitely found its way to the screen.

I had the good fortune to run into Jerusha Hess in the parking lot afterward. She seems like a very genuine and engaging woman. I expect she will be highly sought-after from here out. A new Nora Ephron. In fact, there was something about this movie that reminded me a little of Mixed Nuts.