The Jane Austen biopic, BECOMING JANE, opens in limited release tomorrow and nationwide the week after. There are a slew of Austen-indebted novels just released on the market. What’s going on here, wonders USA TODAY? Of course they get plenty of answers as to why Jane Austen is hot, hot, hot almost 200 years after she died. “I think there’s an excellence to Jane Austen that people crave,” said Anne Hathaway, who plays young Austen in the movie. “Right now, I think it’s fair to say that mediocrity is being celebrated, and Austen will never stop being excellent. So it’s very reassuring.” There’s also the humor, the wit, and the proto-chick lit feel.
“People read Austen’s novels over and over again and just want to know what happens next,” said Deanna Parsi of Borders. New titles “ME AND MR. DARCY by Alexandra Potter and AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale illustrate the timeless and universal appeal of Jane Austen. Her themes of society and love and relationships and family are still as relevant today as they were during her time.” Which makes BECOMING JANE look like a hit movie, though we’ll see when the box office returns come back….