Miss Austen Regrets - Masterpiece Theater

This was created for Masterpiece Theater when they completely redid the entire Jane Austen set of books (except for Pride & Prejudice). It is a story primarily set when Jane Austen was 40 years old, living with her older sister Cassandra and her mother. This is a movie you'll want to watch several times to get a hang of who all the characters are and how they relate to each other.

You start with a brief glimpse of Jane in her 20s, lively and vivacious. She is asked to marry by "a man" (unnamed) and she first says yes - but then changes her mind the next day. I *think* this man is "Harris", a wealthy guy by the looks of it.

Fast forward to modern times. Jane's two brothers have taken different paths. One, Edward, is now a widower with 11 children who lives in Kent. The other is Henry, a banker in London. Jane goes off to Edward's to spend time with his daughter Fanny - and along comes Brook, another old beau who had asked Jane to marry him at some point. Brook still likes Jane and over the course of the show keeps prodding her to confess how she regrets not marrying him. Jane is also prodded by her mother and brother about this decision of hers, because now the family is in financial ruin. Edward is having problems with his estates. Henry goes bankrupt. It's questionable if mom and Cassandra will have a place to live. Jane is doing well with her writing but at this period of history is was something to be ashamed of if a woman "had" to work to earn a living. That was the man's job - her husband, or her brothers and father.

So you have Jane sticking up for her writing skills, being proud of being independent, but also being very aware that she is now "husband" to her mom and sister, having to support them, and having this huge burden of debt. She's very aware that if she had just swallowed her pride and married Brook that things would have been better.

Jane in essence tells Brook that the Harris situation had so turned her off of marriage that she then refused anyone else who came along, including him. He was only a "poor preacher" but at least they could have been happy together.

There are some great lines in here. Jane becomes infatuated with a handsome doctor - Hayden - and Hayden likes her books. He jokes at one point that Lizzie only realizes her great love for Mr. Darcy when she sees what a big house he has. That was something that always bugged me about Pride & Prejudice!! So I thought it was great to have Hayden say that. I also like the subtle interplays between Jane and Brook.

Some of the scenes are filmed very "dark" where it's hard to see what was going on. I think they crossed the line between artistic expression and sheer being-able-to-see.

There's only a tiny mention of Tom LeFroy who featured so predominantly in Becoming Jane, the "other version" of this story told from her youthful point of view. I would have liked this one to bring him out more too, since he is one she really was drawn to.

Still, a very enjoyable movie, and a nice insight into what her life was like.

Jane Austen Bio Books and Movies
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen


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