Austenland - I Think I Watched This Movie Wrong

[@tanyaorelchikova]

I love Austenland too, but the thing that does annoy me is that practically all of the deleted scenes are ones where Henry is being nice and becoming more open with Jane (the awkwardly entangled one is my favorite ❤️). I definitely think that they relied too heavily on his “Darcyness” and didn’t seam to think that the viewers might want more. I’m still team Nobley, although that might just be because of J.J. Feild 😍!

[@JennyDavid]

You're absolutely right! Judging from the deleted scenes, they somehow cut out the whole romance of Jane and Mr Nobley. What a terrible choice! We get to see him slip out of character so many times and we see the man underneath. We can see him taking notice of things that are special to her. Jane gets to really be herself around him, like we'd seen her with Martin. And we see how truly bad they really are at acting! That's them falling in love. Gosh, who made those editing choices?!!

[@heatherporter5515]

Yes!!! The book definitely does a lot more service to Nobley. Jane has her friend back home do some digging on both Martin and Henry (he’s William Nobley in the book) for more of Henry’s backstory, and a mysterious paint set is delivered to Jane’s room, later revealed to be from Henry. Definitely read the book, and check out the sequel “Midnight in Austenland”. (Spoilers) If I remember correctly, the character of Reggie seems to mesh the good qualities of Henry and Martin together to make a swoon-worthy love interest.

[@Silbusia]

For me it was completely the opposite - Martin seemed fake from the second he appeared and something felt off about him and his relations with the main character, everything was over the top and annoying, while the one who was the Mr. Darcy kind of character, he seemed genuine in all he did and in his grumpiness. I didn't feel lied to when I watched him and I kept thinking how bad actor the one who plays Martin was until the moment it turned out he was faking everything xD That was the moment when I stopped disliking the actor so much because he did his part perfectly.

[@katien3022]

Me too. I knew it was off with the stable guy immediately. It was too quick. I also felt that mr Nobley had a very authentic feeling. I think both actors did fantastic just emanating those feelings of fake and genuine. Something about Mr. Nobley’s smiles were really authentic feeling. Perhaps he is just charming haha

[@fanticyMind]

I get it. But there was a few things that turned me against Martin. How him being revealed to be just an actor and how he composes himself after that fact is revealed. He has such a big ego and it's like he could turn his emotions and feelings for her on and off. He got mad about the flirting because he thought his role was being taken, not because Jane was being taken. Then in the end when he just flirts with the girl in the airport and at the amusement park is another show of him playing in the interest of only himself.

[@marinamayer6920]

15:38 wrong, Henry asks Amelia to save Jane in the "modern contraption" incident, she (and we) finds it out in the end, like Lizzie did. Also, Lady W. wasn't really getting rid of her for the phone, it was just an excuse.

[@today50cb47]

I think the fantasy of Mr Darcy for me is not so much the brooding and mysterious part, but the fact that his love for Lizzy brings out the best in him. He transforms because of his love but ultimately he was always a person of far better character than Wickam. One of the things I got from P&P is that the appealing but ultimately manipulative guys are not the ones we can count on in the end. In fact, they will hurt us without conscience. To me, the parallel of this with Austenland is the idea of the "dangerous game." I liked Nobley because he recognizes that people who really fall in love can be deeply hurt by play-acting. Martin is charming and fun, and there's nothing wrong with any of that. But for me he didn't seem to have empathy for Jane while Nobley seemed concerned for her welfare. He recognized that the dangerous game didn't work for her and saw that was something they have in common.

[@gabrielleelizabeth465]

I actually saw this movie before I read any Jane Austin and I honestly really was pushing for Nobly. Martin had subtle selfish tendencies. I agree he was just doing his job but he was also skeevy because if we’re gonna go by the “it was the rules” thing when saying he didn’t have to tell her it was an act then we should mention it was also a rule that they shouldn’t have any sort of physical relationship and he sure broke that one with no hesitation. It seems like he uses the vulnerable position of these women looking to swept up in romance mixed with the fact that he is in a unique position to make himself look authentic that the men of the house don’t to get some

[@JennyDavid]

This is a really interesting and excellent take, I think! Maybe it works better without the pre-emptive Darcy preference that comes from reading Austen. Maybe my favouring Martin was a reaction against what I thought they wanted from me as an audience. Who knows! And I think your assessment of the Martin character was probably what they were going for. He's really not /supposed/ to be a decent guy... Unfortunately it didn't come across like that to me. I'd have been fooled! At which point I have to wonder: how much of the slimy business is "Martin"'s actor responsible for (I mean the actor within the story, not Bret), and how much comes from Mrs Wattlesbrook? Who wrote the script for that Copper Package?? Anyway, thanks for your comment! This is still so fascinating to me!

[@gabrielleelizabeth465]

@@JennyDavid everyone is entitled to there opinion. Thanks for being open minded! It’s really interesting that you were rooting for Martin since it’s an out of the ordinary choice maybe that is due to your knowing Austen so intimately, as Miss. Erstwhile would say

[@katpiercemusic]

The book does a better job of establishing a connection between both Jane and Martin and Jane and Henry. Which makes her indecision more believable. Martin’s character is really appealing, and I love Bret McKenzie too. My big problem with him (and this is just as much with Jane Seymour’s character who is super shady in the book, and probably having an affair with the hot butler behind her skeezy husband’s back) is that Jane went expecting a fictional romance, but she was intentionally misled into believing what he felt was real. Is it really consent if you don’t know the other party is faking interest for personal gain (her money/his paycheck)? Whattlesbrook targets her for this deception because she has this disdain for her less affluent clients. She knows they won’t be repeat customers and she resents them for it (in the book). Martin is complicit in her BS, and for that I cannot root for him. But I still smile like an idiot during their scenes together.

[@iorethofgondor]

I just want a Regency Hotel with Libraries and Clothes and peace and quiet - would be heaven for me. Too introvert for other stuff anyway. But a real target to go LARPing Regency for oneself I would definitely love!

[@mishynaofficial]

I kinda shipped Jane with Martin as well, but as soon as it was reviled that Martin was an actor and he actually didn't give a hoot about her I dropped it. The romance with mr. Nobley didn't work for me very much the first time I watched it. Honestly, I was confused. But with every next watch the movie gets better. Also they shouldn't have deleted all those Nobley scenes. Thus I don't believe Jane fell for him by the end of the movie, in my headcanon she gave it a chance. And I think that Austenland was good for Jane. Her obsession with Austen's escapism novels prevented her from building real relationships. Her best friend knew it'll be good for Jane to see that her expectations aren't realistic and that she needs to let go. And exactly what Jane does: she lets go of the fantasies, in fact, she is sick of it by the end of the movie. She growth as a person.

[@melvasaiel]

I went into this movie with opposite intentions, I guess. I only watched it because I've developed a MASSIVE crush on JJ Feild after watching "TURN: Washington's Spies". So, I already had positive fuzzy feelings toward Mr. Nobly for that reason, and I was HERE for every tiny little look he gave Jane, and I was basically chanting "Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!" the whole movie. Martin didn't appeal to my physically, and his personality wasn't charming enough to me, and definitely not enough to override my JJ Feild swoons.

[@jacquelinegrace3]

@melvasaiel Thank you!! That is exactly how I felt ( minus watching the Turn movie-) ALL the small glances and notices from Henry, throughout the movie, let’s miss erstwhile and audience know that he respects her and eventually falls in love with her. Noble moments when Jane looks beautiful for the ball and Martin says “ let’s get out of here!” Henry KNOWS 2 things… that Jane has been waiting to dance at a real ball all her life and… that Martin isn’t really into her ( acting) or if he really does like her, he’s more into a roll in the hay, but morning more- and Henry knows that- so he gently, nobly catches her eye and welcomes her into the balloon ✨. I guess I sort of feel Martin would have selfishly taken Jane away from one of the highlights of her trip.

[@C0deB1u3]

See, the scenes with Martin made me cringe the most. At first I though thats who she'd end up with because he seemed to bring something out of her, ans it was cute at first. But then, Idk I noticed something was WAY off about him (weirdly I was right). Idk I think it was the way he was treating her when he wasn't "acting", and then how Henry was treating her when he wasn't acting (though he said himself he wasn't really acting much, basically just role playing, because he's not actually an actor). The way they interacted with her when they wernt playing a character was completely different. With Martin he was moving WAY too fast and seemed to be trying to impress her, while with Henry it seemed like he was genuinely courting/falling for her. The whole scene where Henry gives her a ride back to the house was 100% not him acting and was completely genuine, and I/you could tell. While anything Martin did, seemed staged. Martin made me feel so uncomfortable and kind of scared for Jane. I usually like both character types (the one Martin was going with in the beginning anyway) but I ended up liking the Darcy character more because he actually seemed genuine and like he actually did like her. I was kind of glad when Martin got mad and "broke up" with her, because he just seemed sleezy to me by that point. And it made me really anxious when she went back with the other guy. Though, I can understand the kind of position/dilemma she was in. The dream guy who seems too good to be true, or the "down to earth" on my level who I'm comfortable with guy? I'm really glad she ended up with a guy who could make her happy and who just so happened to fit her dream guy ❤️

[@katien3022]

I felt the characters both did a good job of appearing as they truly were without being too obvious. I found the stable boy to appear a tad suspicious partly bc it happened so quick and Mr. Nobley to be genuine, mostly shown through his facial expressions and wholesome smiles. Then again, I am a total Darcy type lover and Nobley really does appeal to me to begin with haha

[@nobirahim1818]

I think you should read the book cos I think you'll like the Nobley/Jane ship there. As for 21:36, I'll do it! It'll only be a one-shot though. I don't know when I'll finish it. I don't know when I'll even start it 😅 and goodness it'll hurt me to write it, but I'll give it a good go! I'm Nobi-wobi on wattpad if you wanna read the other stories I've got bored of writing 😅

[@JennyDavid]

I did actually read the book shortly after making this video, and while I still wasn't totally sold on the Jane/Nobley thing, I certainly had a different opinion of Martin. He's really suspicious and conniving in the book, and you get a much clearer sense of him hiding things. The Jane and Nobley romance is much more fleshed out in the book, so I'm glad I read it. And oh my goodness, yes please!! I've been working on other, totally unrelated fanfiction myself, but do still want to write some Austenland fics at some point. Please let me know if you do write some! I'd love it!!

[@nobirahim1818]

I can't do it. I can't. Martin is a jerk. I can't inflict a jerk on a lovely lady when she can have JJ Field 😭 I can't do it

[@jenced80]

AAAAH. I am three years too late to this video but truly....I am SO with you. My levels of deep disappointment that they did Martin's character wrong and she ended up with Darcy ..off the charts. The whole point was that she needed to learn to appreciate something real. She has this whole wake up moment where she realizes it, and runs to Martin because she had real feelings for him. And that is how it ought to have ended. Unfortunately, I think the movie makers copped out in submission to the stereotypical Darcy fandom. But this should have ended differently. BTW...I agree Bret McKenzie IS too charming to be disliked. Full of adorable and humble charm, that one. Here. Let me fix the ending for you. She flies back to America, but instead of Henry at her door, it's Martin. And he's there to make it better because he realizes he had feelings for her too. Off to NZ they go. Happy ending we really wanted.

[@iorethofgondor]

I would not say just north American. Began reading Jane Austen at like 17 and am 51 now :) Still love the movie - but am part of other fandoms like the Tolkien Universe too (since I was 10). Northern Europe :)

[@IslaBella24]

I felt the same way the first time I watched it. When she started rehearsing with Mr. Nobley I felt bad for Martin like she was betraying him for the fake Austenland experience. I thought that she would realize it in the end and would eventually end up with Martin.

[@hojo-mo778]

I agree with you. I would have picked Martin too. He was more accessible and oh so handsome! I'm a sucker for Bret McKenzie.

[@iorethofgondor]

FIGWIT :)

[@musiquefrique]

Martin was the Whickam/ just OWN IT!!! Martin WAS trash bc he went On and ON about the “actors” (implying he wasn’t one: he was!!! “ making him total trash!!!!

[@iorethofgondor]

yes, those lies I did not like ...

[@rootedinland6823]

I wholeheartedly agree! I found the movie pretty funny at times, thanks largely to Jennifer Coolidge. But the romance did rely too much on Nobly's supposed "darcyness" to work. Even Jane herself feels underwritten: all we know about her is that she's obsessed with Jane Austen's works. That's it! Nothing else about her matters, I guess! Btw, have you seen Flight of the Conchords? Bret Mckenzie is so, so good in that show. I found Martin to be a less naive version of that character, up until that questionable ending, and his smarminess felt so far-fetched, idk. My point is, yes, you're right, Bret is too charming for his own good lol. Great review!

[@JennyDavid]

Validation!! Ahaha, thankyou for this!! I knew I couldn't be alone in my reaction. and oh yes, I've seen all of Flight of the Conchords, and watching this movie last summer actually started me off on a long overdue, many years later re-watch of their series. Thanks so much for your message! I really enjoyed making this video and should probably do some more I've had on a list for months now!

[@Jenny_Wren_]

I completely agree! I really wanted her to end up with Martin (his character within Austenland, anyway). I really don’t see the appeal of mysterious people either... I loved this video! I don’t know anyone who’s seen the film, so it was nice to hear someone else’s opinion. :)

[@JennyDavid]

Ah, thankyou for this comment! I'm so glad I'm not alone

[@jessicarossiter]

I’m generally not a big romance fan, but I liked this movie enough to watch it more than once. It’s more about the cast. I find it does follow the typical cheap rom-com format of frustrated tension with the lead man, only for him to profess his undying love three days later. No, that’s not alarming. Can’t he just say he wants to get to know her better? He’s really intrigued… something like that. I’m typically disappointed by this in most romantic movies. I just roll my eyes at the things rom-coms tell me I’m supposed to want in a man. Fun fact, the actress playing Jane was pregnant during filming, which also affected editing and what they were able to do in each scene.

[@Akira-uj2un]

I love your video! I dont speak English so much but I understand it and i really enjoyed this movie. Thank you!

[@lexiconlover]

YOU ARE NOT out of touch, the WRITERS are out of touch!!!!

[@musiquefrique]

Laughers til I cried over and over again…. For a thousand different reasons including the horrid ness!!!

[@lilmissrockchick4962]

You look beautiful in this video Jenny ❤

[@JennyDavid]

That's so kind of you to say! Thanks lovely!

[@JennyDavid]

I can't be the only one who felt this way! Who's your fave? Are you a Darcy romantic? Would you visit Austenland? How about that Copper Package??

[@whitneysanders6996]

I get the point of not wanting to have to figure the men out. I think this is more so that they are intriguing because the women are used to the same kind if men and so far they were unimpressed by those kind of men.

[@foxfields]

From my experience, it's Hollywood who is out of touch with the wants of 30something women 😅

[@JennyDavid]

Oooooh good point!!

[@benjaminfranklin8412]

Jane needed a much better actress.

[@jacquelinegrace3]

I truly agreed for most of the movie- it was soooo awkward with kerrie Russell playing a Jane. But… as I thought about it… maybe it creates a message that a dashing insightful British gentleman, really could fall in love with a regular ole insecure American woman…! 😂 aaah who knows! The whole thing was delightfully awkward!