Lost in Austen (2008)

"Lost in Austen" is not quite a retelling or a modern take on Austen's most famous work "Pride and Prejudice." It's a unique spin on the story through the eyes and experiences of a long time Austen fan Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) who somehow enters a portal to the story and switches places with the lead--Elizabeth Bennett (Gemma Arterton). Every girl's dream right? well the dream quickly goes south as the story changes due to her presence. She soon finds that the characters are too much like how they were written or not at all how Austen intended them to be.The show is charming and fun. When the classic tale alters you're upset and amused watching all of the wild ways the characters could have developed and you wonder how Amanda will fix it. The only problem with the story is that Pride and Prejudice is so ingrained in our hearts and minds that you still kind of hope that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett will end up together and it slightly takes away from your being able to enjoy the new romance story set before you. 7.4/10

A character named Amanda Price living in modern London is not unlike Jane Austen's Fanny Price in her novel MANSFIELD PARK. In this romantic fantasy she enters the milieu of another Austen novel- PRIDE AND PREJUDICE which does not follow the novel's storyboard and includes references to the other Austen novels among them NORTHANGER ABBEY, PERSUASION, EMMA and SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. Though well acted and edited the hodgepodge of an Austen related plot not following the novel it claims to mimic as well as the juxtaposition of eighteenth and twentieth century settings can be upsetting at times. Though each scene is fascinating and well done when excerpted the hodgepodge of the changing visual and the changing storyline from the novel may delight one viewer yet disappoint another.

I'm not, by any means, a Jane Austen "purest" but I thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation. THOROUGHLY.And I'll tell you why:First off, the dialog was top notch--Amanda's sliding into the dialect slowly was delightful! I have watched "Sense and Sensibility" and "Pride and Prejudiced" many many times (and no, I don't have 37 cats, okay?). I am not, what I would consider, a Jane Austen "fan" but I do enjoy a good story.Like Amanda, I believe there are people that long for a time when the Golden Rule and manners mattered. I found this adaptation to be quite delightful and have added it to my repertoire of things to watch when I've pretty much given up on humanity.Also like to add that the costumes were far more believable than the other "Austen" inspired movies--the one with Keira Knitghley (they didn't HAVE "calico" print in those days. Seriously. Hire a HISTORIAN before you do a movie, sheesh!) sorry, but the mass printing of fabric may have been invented, but it was extremely expensive and the girls in the Knightly version were wearing this wonderful calico prints to CLEAN THE HOUSE???? Did not happen. And I was impressed with the production, the historic context and yeah, the acting. I laughed when I was supposed to laugh (chalk and twigs to brush your teeth? Seriously??? LOL!). And the fact that one of the first things Amanda did when she got back to "civilization" was brush her teeth! Loved it!I'm not going to apologize for really loving this film and as far as I'm concerned, this was a "10."Favorite lines:Michael: "Darcy's some ponce in a book. A toger-twitching nancy boy'"Darcy: "What is this curious person? The village idiot?" (OMG, lol).e Amanda to Wickham: "You hear that sound,George? It's Jane Austen spinning in her grave like a cat in a tumble dryer!"And my personal favorite:Bickley (to Darcy): "Damn you. Damn you and everyone that won't put a light in his window and and stay up all night damning you!" Pure delightful escapism! If I could rate it higher than a "10" I would! Bravo!

Like so many others walking the earth; I am a Jane Austen fan. And like so many others; I have my favorites; of both the stories themselves, as well as the movies in which our film makers try to capture Ms. Austen's brilliance. And let's be honest, we can get a bit critical when it comes to the works of Ms. Austen; as we fans like to protect her. We are not always kind to the people behind (as well as those who are in front of) of the movie cameras.Well, I had the fortune of stumbling across this 'Lost in Austen' mini-series just last week and I truly enjoyed it. I think the concept is fantastic and fun as we watch how things get altered on the arrival of Ms. Price; and what she has to do in order to get our beloved 'Pride and Prejudice' back on track! Not an easy task. But ahhhh, when it is all said and done, to remain behind, in the arms of Darcy...tell me - who hasn't dreamt of that?! I can only hope that more 'Lost is Austen' programs are in the making and headed our way!