Lost in Austen

Ever wonder...

"What if Mr. Darcy REALLY existed?"

"What if Jane married Mr. Collins?"

"What if Elizabeth was never around?"

"What if Mr. Wickham was a nice guy?"

If any of those questions got you curious, I definitely would recommend Lost in Austen. It's a four-part 2008 British television series, loosely based on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Yet, it's set kind of in a alternate reality where the characters are the same, but not the story. ‘Lost in Austen’ is the tale of a modern woman entering a time and place she dreams about, encountering customs and social mores that are familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. We assume that with our advanced technology and knowledge of history, people from our age who travel back in time would be in a superior position. As Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price) so charmingly demonstrates, that is not necessarily the case. One must suspend all disbelief and accept the film’s fun and frolicky intent in order to enjoy it. I would not try to make historical sense of the story, for some of the details are outlandishly wrong, and I would not try to make the time travel details logical. After all, how scientific could the premise of this story be? – A fictional character from a novel steps out of a doorway into a shower stall in a 21st Century London flat and communicates with a real person. Right there, any attempt to apply the laws of physics would make absolutely no sense. As a viewer starved for all things British, I’ll take a romp through the English countryside anytime, and watch ballroom scenes, handsome gents in tight breeches, lovely ladies in Regency gowns, and a time travel plot – even a tepid one - for a couple of hours of entertainment. I found the film refreshingly entertaining and Jemima Hooper a delight to watch. I even laughed out loud on occasion. The movie is what it is: entertainment for audiences who are interested in time travel and Austenesque period pieces.