I cried more than I should have...

Jane Austen is my all time favorite author and historical figure, and I was lucky enough to read all her books, her surviving letters, visit her homes in England, watch all films about her and book adaptations, and do loads of research on her life. I might as well have an unhealthy obsession with Jane Austen. :)

I liked 'Becoming Jane' even though it was highly fictitious, but 'Miss Austen Regrets' is less romanticized and closer to reality, as far as her letters go. There will always be something about Jane Austen that we can relate to in real life. And with this film, there were times when I couldn't hold back my tears. The scenes where her mother criticizes her for not marrying Bridges, and where Cassandra looks after her when she's sick (and Fanny listens through the door) hit me to the core. I believe my grandmother had a similar life story as Jane Austen in that she chose not to marry the man she liked and who could provide for her and her family, but took a wiser (and poorer) decision instead, which did not bring her happiness in the end. Also, the bond between Cassandra and Jane reminds me of my mother and I, and we, both, could not imagine losing one another.

Jane Austen surely knew how to write 'of the heart'...