In the later years of her life, as she's approaching the age of forty, the novelist Jane Austen helps her niece find a husband.In the later years of her life, as she's approaching the age of forty, the novelist Jane Austen helps her niece find a husband.In the later years of her life, as she's approaching the age of forty, the novelist Jane Austen helps her niece find a husband.
- Won 1 BAFTA Award
- 2 wins total
- George Hatton
- (uncredited)
- Miss Plumptre
- (uncredited)
- Fanny's Best Friend
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Gwyneth Hughes
- Jane Austen(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe beige dress with paisley bodice worn by a guest at Fanny's wedding is the same costume Sabina Franklyn (Jane Bennet) wears at Longbourn in Pride and Prejudice (1980), Rachel Fielding (Mrs. Benson) wears in Princess Caraboo (1994), Julie Cox (Annabella Milbanke) wears to read Byron's poetry book in Byron (2003), and Freema Agyeman (Tattycoram) wears on the Marseilles wharf in Little Dorrit (2008). The same costume is also worn by an extra on the Marseilles wharf in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).
- Quotes
Jane Austen: What if you do meet him
[the right man]
Jane Austen: and he doesn't have any money?
Fanny Austen-Knight: But if I love him then nothing else matters!
Jane Austen: What in heavens name gave you that idea?
Fanny Austen-Knight: It says so in all your books.
Edward Austen Knight: [gravely] If that's what you think they say, my dear, perhaps, you should read them again.
- ConnectionsEdited from The Real Jane Austen (2002)
- SoundtracksDrowsy Maggie
(uncredited)
Traditional
The few facts we have show that Jane received only one marriage proposal during her life, and that was from someone with an irritating personality. Harris Bigg-Wither was described by Jane's niece Caroline Austen and by one of his own descendants, Reginald Bigg-Wither, as unattractive at best: he was plain, if not homely, stuttered, aggressive in conversation, and almost completely tactless. Those objectionable qualities, despite his comfortable financial position, would have put off many women, then *or* now. Had he had a more pleasing personality, Harris might have tried first for a fiancée from a more prosperous family instead of proposing to Jane.
Moreover, Jane had known Harris since childhood and probably knew full well what she'd be getting into if she decided to marry him. To endure Bigg-Wither every so often at social occasions was one thing, but to marry him and have to endure that personality day in and day out would have been quite another. The simplest explanation is that Austen initially agreed to his proposal in order to be less of a burden to and/or provide for her family, but she knew him too well not to immediately regret her decision the next morning -- and thus she reneged on her acceptance in less than a day, and remained single. She probably considered that the lesser of two evils.
The truth, then, is *not* that Jane Austen turned down acceptable proposals and made a conscious decision to put her writing first and stay independent, particularly given that she *never was* financially independent, but rather that no handsome, sweet-tempered, intelligent man, with or without means, ever asked her. She may have had such men as friends or acquaintances, but none of them ever proposed. If one had, remaining single would have been a much harder decision -- but that's moot, because such a man never did ask. Period. And that's a rude truth she had to suffer for all her adult life. It's not a truth that Miss Austen Regrets chose to address, however, and that is the film's greatest failing.
- mrtraska
- Aug 16, 2009
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- Also known as
- 珍奧絲汀的獨白
- Filming locations
- Syon House, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK(Prince Regent's palace)
- Production companies
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