Today, the Favourite Thing I want to tell you about is AUSTENLAND.
“Ah,” you say, nodding and looking wise. “Ah. But which AUSTENLAND? The book or the movie? Because the book is always better than the movie.”
To you, I say: “Not in this case, matey. Not. In. This. Case.”
Because, quite frankly, AUSTENLAND the movie is something special. (So is the book, but we’ll get to that later).
“Ah,” you say, nodding and looking wise. “Ah. It’s a movie with great underlying themes and fantastic acting, a positive boon to art and existence. It speaks to the human condition.”
To you, I say: “–Pahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Um. No.”
“Okay. So what is so special about AUSTENLAND?”
To you, I reply–oh, stuff this. The thing is, AUSTENLAND is not great literature, nor is it lofty film. What it is, is entertaining. Oh my goodness. Endlessly. Entertaining. I’ve watched this movie about six times since it came out, and I’ve laughed my way through the entire thing every time. The book, I’ve read about three times. This is not because the book isn’t great. It is. But the film–oh, the film is something else entirely.
Well, the director, Jerusha Hess, described it as a period comedy. That alone should have you interested. Apart from A KNIGHT’S TALE (also pretty funny, but nothing like as funny as AUSTENLAND) I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of a movie described as period comedy. Period drama, yeah. Historica drama, yeah. Not period comedy.
It’s at the same time irreverent of Austen and deeply appreciative of her. It’s somehow American: an American look at period British living. And it’s flamin’ hilarious.
It’s ridiculously over the top.
I mean, insanely, ridiculously over the top. And the actors have such fun with that. Part way through the film we have actors who are playing actors who are in a setting, acting a play. It’s the inception of Austen. And somehow, all that over the top-ness totally works.
It’s sweet. It’s so, so sweet. 
The romance is just so delightful. I love the two main leads, and as for their dialogue–throughout, but particularly
toward the end–is simply sigh-worthy. Keri Russell gets some of the most piquant lines, but J.J. Fields gets a few really wonderful ones as well. They’re an on-screen couple I can see every bit of the chemistry for.
All in all?
Oh, just go out and buy it (but be careful, ‘cos Miss Elizabeth Charming is going to bowl you over, one way or another). There were a few naughty references, but nothing too over the top (unlike the acting). Enjoy this one, and then put it away for next time, because I guarantee you’ll find more to delight in next time you watch it.
(Oh, and look out for the fake lamb and the fake pug. And definitely watch the Q&A session with the actors afterwards.)
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