Becoming Jane - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

Film review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes classified the film as "rotten" with a 57 percent approval rating among 136 reviews. The site summarized, "Although Becoming Jane is a well-crafted period piece, it lacks fresh insight into the life and works of Jane Austen. The film focuses too much on wardrobe and not enough on Austen's achievements." The New York Times called the film a "triumph" for Hathaway, but observed that "the screenplay’s pseudo-Austen tone is so consistent that its lapses into modern romance-novel fantasy threatens to derail the film." More positive, Entertainment Weekly called the film "a charmer," articulating that "the supporting cast (Julie Walters, Maggie Smith, James Cromwell) is top-drawer; and Anne Hathaway, with her coltish beauty and frank demeanor, is a welcome Jane."

Critics lauded Hathaway and McAvoy for the chemistry between their characters, finding that it lent authenticity to the love story between Austen and Lefroy. While Hathaway was admired for her performance by some critics, some reviews negatively focused on her nationality as well as the inauthenticity of her accent. James McAvoy defended the decision of casting Hathaway by stating that a director should, "find the right actor…and is undoubtedly brilliant." Hathaway herself admitted the persistent tendency to "sound too much like myself and not at all like Jane", blaming cold weather in Ireland, which meant she had to do voice retakes for several scenes. Nonetheless, Jarrold praised Hathaway for her performance. In a wrap up party after the filming, the director confessed that the actress had been a different person, "not just her accent but also the whole character, the way of holding yourself and speaking was so completely different".

Time Out London gave a positive review, enunciating that "Overall, the approach is less fluffily contrived than you’d expect, and though the alignment of circumstance and social status thwarting innocent passions is hardly fresh, it’s handled with thoughtful decorum. The emotional temperature’s rather restrained as a result, but with luxury casting all down the line,... elegant visuals balancing verdant and velvet, and a delightful faux-classical score, it’s a classy package, all right – just missing the extra spark." Some reviewers have questioned the historical accuracy of the film, for instance critiquing the depicted relationship between Austen and Lefroy.