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(About Our Ads) "BECOMING JANE" (2007) (Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Mild Moderate None Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor None None Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Moderate Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: A fictionalized look at the early romantic days of author Jane Austen and what may have inspired her later, highly acclaimed novels about the affairs of the heart. PLOT: It's late 18th century Hampshire and Jane Austen (ANNE HATHAWAY) is a young woman living at home with her parents, Rev. George Austen (JAMES CROMWELL) and Cassandra (JULIE WALTERS), while her brother Henry (JOE ANDERSON) has just returned and taken a liking to Eliza De Feuillide (LUCY COHU), their cousin. Jane, however, isn't interested in romance and longs to be a writer, something that doesn't sit well with her mother who thinks she should get hitched just like her sister, Cassandra (ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN), who's engaged to be married to a military officer headed abroad. Mrs. Austen strong encourages Jane to accept being fixed up with Mr. Wisley (LAURENCE FOX), the bland son to the wealthy Lady Gresham (MAGGIE SMITH) who's also in favor of the union. Yet, Jane wants nothing to do with him. However, and after initially disliking him quite a bit, she finds herself drawn to Tom Lefroy (JAMES McAVOY) a dashing and charming young man who desires to be a lawyer and maintains his lifestyle thanks to an allowance from his wealthy uncle, a stern judge who sends his nephew off to stay with Jane's family. The fact that he's otherwise penniless, however, means that both would likely become paupers should they go against their families' desires and marry. Accordingly, and from that point on, Jane tries to figure out what to do, with her experiences and observations forming the basis of what would later become her highly acclaimed novels about the affairs of the heart. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of Jane Austen, period costume dramas, or someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For brief nudity and mild language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ANNE HATHAWAY plays the young Jane Austen, a confident woman who knows what she wants (to be a writer), but must contend with everyone telling her what she should do (get married, preferably to Mrs. Wisley since he comes from money). While she initially clashes with Tom, she eventually takes a liking to him, but must then decide what sort of life they'd have together. JAMES McAVOY plays a young man who desires to be a lawyer and lives off an allowance from his rich uncle. While he initially looks down on Jane and her writing, he eventually becomes romantically attracted to her. He also boxes several times. JULIE WALTERS plays Jane's mother who's quite headstrong in her belief that Jane needs to marry Mr. Wisley. JAMES CROMWELL plays her husband, a reverend who's more supportive of Jane and her pursuits, but recognizes the social limitations she faces if she makes the "wrong" choice in her romantic life. MAGGIE SMITH plays a wealthy woman who wants Jane to marry her son, despite her seeing Jane and her family as being below their social status. JOE ANDERSON plays Jane's playboy brother who takes a liking to his cousin -- played by LUCY COHU -- and it's implied that they have sex or at least fool around. LAURENCE FOX plays Lady Gresham's bland but available son who everyone wants Jane to marry. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this PG-rated drama. Profanity consists of a handful of minor expletives, while some colorful phrases are also uttered. Non-explicit, but sexually related dialogue is present, as is a scene where a husband pleasures his wife under the covers. Another sexual encounter is implied, and two men are seen fully nude from the rear as they go skinny-dipping. Varying amounts of cleavage are present, as is the presence of various prostitutes. Some boxing is seen (with mildly bloody results), and drinking occurs. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some tense family material is present including some mother-daughter tension and news of a fiancé's death. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement in the film, sometimes quite a lot (with very bouncy footage). ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Henry drinks from a bottle. Henry and others have wine. Various people drink at a ball, but we don't know the content of what they're consuming. People drink at a carnival. Tom, his uncle, and others have wine with dinner. Jane and another woman have drinks. Tom has a drink to get up the courage to ask his uncle for more money to marry Jane. The uncle then has some poured for him. A hooker gives some wine to Tom. Tom has beer while Jane has wine. BLOOD/GORE Some men box bare-fisted at a carnival, with one pummeling the other whose face is bloody. Tom then jumps into the bout, and both delivers and receives various blows to the face and body, ending when the other guy knocks him down (Tom's nose and mouth are mildly bloody from that). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Tom isn't happy when his uncle sends him off to stay with Rev. Austen and his family, and he has a bad attitude toward Jane's writing and a reading she's doing for the family and friends. Tom and Jane do polite and civilized, social bickering. Lady Gresham tries to put pressure on Jane to marry Mr. Wisley, including the financial angle of Rev. Austen not having a lot of money. Tom's uncle refers to Jane as a penniless little husband hunter. He then says he'd prefer Tom to be a "whore mongering" sort rather than a lovesick man for Jane. Tom learns that someone has sent his uncle a letter to make him oppose Tom's love for Jane, and thus not approve of any marriage between them. Despite being engaged to another woman, Tom forces a kiss on Jane who then slaps at him several times out of frustration. FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS Tom aims a hunting rifle inside a room and accidentally fires it when a girl surprises him at the window (no one is harmed). IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Whore mongering," "Sour-faced virgin," "Booby," "Penniless little husband hunter" and "Bloody." Tom and Jane do polite and civilized, social bickering. Tom slides down an indoor banister on his clothed rear. Jane and her cousin spot Tom and Henry skinny-dipping into a river. JUMP SCENES Tom aims a hunting rifle inside a room and accidentally fires it when a girl surprises him at the window (no one is harmed). MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 damns, 2 uses of "God," and 1 use each of "Good God," "Jesus" and "My God." SEX/NUDITY A man gazes down off a woman's face to her nightgown and smiles as both run out into a hallway to check on a commotion (nothing is seen in her full attire). Mrs. Austen comments that she's shared her bed with Rev. Austen for 32 years and perfection is something she hasn't experienced (after he comments on Jane taking after him in that regard). He playfully replies, "Yet" and then goes down under the covers, causing her to giggle and then enjoy whatever it is he's doing to her (the implication being he's manually or orally stimulating her). Tom plants a kiss on a presumed prostitute, briefly taking a break in the middle of his boxing bout. Tom and other men are shirtless while boxing. We see miscellaneous cleavage. Tom comments on a man being a sour-faced virgin. There's talk of a Tahitian Love Fest, but nothing ever comes of that. We see some men leaving the company of some women who may nor may not be prostitutes. Jane and her cousin spot Tom and Henry skinny-dipping into a river (we see their bare chests, and then full rear nudity for both -- from a bit of a distance -- as they run toward the water and then once they're in it). Jane shows varying amounts of cleavage from time to time in the film. Tom reads or makes up material from a book to Jane, apparently about a certain species mating, with comments about the creatures coming together as one, forgetting to fly, and the female letting out a shriek of ecstasy. He then tells Jane that her horizons need to be widened by an experienced man (possible innuendo, referring to himself). Tom suggests that Jane read the saucy novel "Tom Jones" and so she does, with us hearing her reading some of those passages aloud, including about a woman's breasts that are white and well-formed. We see the shape of Jane's nipples under her blouse and the dress over that. We see miscellaneous cleavage. Henry and Eliza start to kiss, but are interrupted. Jane kisses Tom. Referring to passion in one's dance, Tom makes some sort of comment about that in relation to being a husband or a lover. We see some miscellaneous cleavage. Henry follows Eliza back to her room, the dog is put out into the hallway, and the door is closed (with sex or fooling around implied, but not seen as the scene ends there). Tom's uncle refers to Jane as a penniless little husband hunter. He then says he'd prefer Tom to be a "whore mongering" sort rather than a lovesick man for Jane. A hooker gives some wine to Tom, while a man nuzzles on a woman's neck in the out of focus background of the shot. SMOKING A miscellaneous person has a pipe. TENSE FAMILY SCENES There's some mother-daughter tension between Mrs. Austen and Jane regarding the former telling the latter she needs to get married. Mrs. Austen adds that attraction is desirable, but money is absolutely indispensable. Rev. Austen tells Jane that Mr. Wisley might be her best option in terms of marrying someone. Cassandra receives the bad news that her fiancé died of yellow fever while serving abroad (thus causing grief for her). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The historical accuracy and/or artistic license taken with the truth. The emphasis in the past on women needing to marry, and preferably to a wealthy man. Writers and what inspires their stories. The comment that wit is the most dangerous tool of all. There's some mother-daughter tension between Mrs. Austen and Jane regarding the former telling the latter she needs to get married. Mrs. Austen adds that attraction is desirable, but money is absolutely indispensable. The comment that nothing destroys a person's spirit like poverty. Tom's uncle, serving as a judge, orders that a man be executed by hanging (not seen). VIOLENCE We see Tom and another man in a boxing bout, where various punches are delivered to their faces and bodies, ending with Tom on the ground. Some men box bare-fisted at a carnival, with one pummeling the other whose face is bloody. Tom then jumps into the bout, and both delivers and receives various blows to the face and body, ending when the other guy knocks him down (Tom's nose and mouth are mildly bloody from that). Despite being engaged to another woman, Tom forces a kiss on Jane who then slaps at him several times out of frustration. Reviewed July 12, 2007 / Posted August 3, 2007