Becoming Jane (2007)

Ho hum!  I had all I could do to stay awake during the preview of this "heritage" movie and must admit to dozing off on and off during the very tedious two-hour proceedings.  The rather peculiar premise of this movie is that the authoress Jane Austen could not possibly have written six classic novels before dying at age 41 if she had not experienced a great romance in her youth.  Even more peculiar is the choice of American Anne Hathaway to play Jane.  Now she is quite acceptable in light American fluff but why the hubris of having her play a daughter of the English vicarage is beyond me -- is it just because Renee Zellweger and Gwyneth Paltrow have trod this path previously?  Frankly I did not feel that she was up to the task and her gawky peformance could have been played by any number of actresses.  Nor was I terribly taken with flavour of the month James McAvoy as the object of her frustrated attraction, especially when she could have had that dishy Laurence Fox.  And for once the supporting players, aka "national treasures" Julie Waters and the great Maggie Smith, did not save the day and I was sad to see the late, great Ian Richardson in what must have been his last film performance (wasted here). One can but wonder why anyone thought it might be a good idea to make this movie even if it was lovingly filmed.  As I say, ho hum!