On Wednesday Kate and I went to see Becoming Jane at an arty theatre on Diversey and Clark called the Landmark. It was blistering hot out and by the time we walked over there we were drenched. Earlier in the day we had been swimming laps, so we were ready for a big meal. We met our friend in front and went to dinner across the street on Broadway at Cousin's Middle Eastern restaurant. Kate had very good baba ganouj and I had falafel that was a little less firm than I'd prefer. Karen's shepherd's salad looked great.Becoming Jane is a visually beautiful (but not too beautiful) movie that spins out an elaborate story based on the fact of Jane Austen's romance (as discussed briefly, for example, in Carol Shield's short and wonderful bio of Jane). There are certainly objectionable moments -- such as when we learn that the idea for Jane's famous "it is a truth universally acknowledged" line comes from a scorned suitor (although the film does suggest that the line was substantially reworked and made more clever by Jane). And of course, the entire premise of the film is that the central ill-fated romance is what made Jane become the Jane we all know and love through her books. Still, it was entertaining to see a movie all about Jane. It held our attention throughout and provided several wry chuckles along the way. And, despite our collective skepticism, Anne Hathaway was truly excellent
Here's a great Chicago-based fun fact for blogreaders with a political theory background: Did you know that Jane Austen was University of Chicago political theory professor Leo Strauss' favorite author? Do you think it's Jane's trademark irony that attracted him?
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