MovieChat Forums > Austenland (2013) Discussion > She paid for the trip but acted constant...

She paid for the trip but acted constantly disappointed...


I don't get it.

A woman who grew up obsessed with Jane Austin novels, so much, that she decorated her apartment and bedroom in tea-cups and Darcy-decorations, should be over the moon in a place like AustinLand.

Why didn't she just happily immerse herself into her "role" and enjoy the accents, scenery, costumes, and overall experience?

Did she forget she was on vacation?

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Well she was hoping to role play an Elizabeth Bennett type character. Except her pocketbook only allowed her a Fanny Price role. Of course, she was disappointed.

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I just feel like the place was so amazing...she should have been happier to be there, no matter what her "role."

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She realized how fake it really was, down to the stuffed animals everywhere. She was constantly reminded she was the poor one. She thought she had a real connection with the only man not in on it. Like the pp said, she thought she would be Elizabeth. It was beautiful from the outside, but it was a mirage.

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The place was beautiful, but she was constantly treated as though she wasn't good enough because she couldn't afford a fancier package.

Her character's name, having to ride outside on the back of the carriage, her clothes; even her room was set away from the others. She was reminded at every chance that she wasn't good enough. She went with high expectations of an immersive vacation into Austen's world, but the reality of it was disappointing.

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Yes, I see your point, and I really did enjoy the movie!!!

But just put yourself in her shoes...say you are going to a "Harry Potter Land." You have enough money to play the part of a Half-Blood Wizard, and you know other people pay more to be a Pure-Blood Wizard.

You go to the Harry Potter World KNOWING you are a Half-Blood, and thus you wouldn't expect to have the perks of the super wealthy, upper class Pure Bloods. ...Instead, you would immerse yourself into your role, and enjoy how the Half-Bloods lived, and how they, too, had a place in the Wizarding World.

And all along, you know you are playing a role. You know you are not a real wizard. You know it is all make-believe. But the costumes are great. The scenery is magical. The House is magnificent.

The experience itself is the reward!

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I think if you go in knowing what you actually get for your money, it shouldn't be a problem. But she clearly didn't get the memo since she was under the impression she had to come in costume.

She seemed like she knew nothing about the various packages. In the book it was less obvious. She got decent dresses and a gorgeous gown for the ball. She wasn't off in the obviously not period wing of the house. She was treated differently because she would not be a repeat customer. I think that couldn't be shown in the movie in a way most people could relate to, so they opted to give her the "crap copper package" as a visual for the viewer.

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But her role still should have offered her a rewarding experience, especially at those prices. She could have been provided with colorful gowns without them being expensive. She could have worn pretty muslins instead of silks. Her dresses could have had fewer ornaments and been embroidered instead covered in silk braid and tassels. It would have made her feel better than being shoved into Fanny’s attic wearing the housemaid’s uniform.

And then there’s the owner snooping into her personal life and then broadcasting it to other participants.

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Upon her arrival, Jane realizes that, while she could only afford the inexpensive "copper" package, just about all the other guests have all purchased the most expensive "platinum" option.🐭

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I am totally with you on this!! She supposedly LOVES Jane Austen books, but no where in the script did she really show her enthusiasm or knowledge! A few times she quoted something but I expected a character like her to be in love with the whole experience, no matter the circumstances. Still enjoyed it, but kind of bugs me.

"It's Saturday morning, WHERE ARE THE GOD DAMN KIDS!?!?"

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I totally agree with the OP. The basic premise of the film was rather unbelievable,s and Jane's attitude and behavior in Austenland and her relationship with the "actors" attending to her often made little sense. What did she really expect from Austenland? Being an aficionado of Austen, I believe her wish was to get there to immerse herself in the atmosphere, way of living and culture of that particular period - which Austenland undoubtedly provided. In that respect, Austenland was little different from Disneyland and many theme park rides, the only difference being that the trip was far more expensive and the clients were given much more personal attention. Complaining that all the things - including the "romance" planned for each participant - were deliberately engineered and "fake" made little sense. That would be like saying that you are unhappy with a Star Wars, Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean ride because the dangers are fake and people do not die.

And given the love and personal relationships were not supposed to be real, I don't see much reason for Jane to be unhappy being asked to play someone of relatively low social status. In fact in the film, the amount of resources and time they spent on someone taking the "Copper" package did not seem to be much less that that for the "Platinum" package. Jane did not get that Mr. Darcy lookalike, but still another actor had to be assigned to play "Martin" as her love interest, and they even had to plan to have her witness a new birth in the stable.

I think for someone like Jane who was obsessed with Austen, Austenland should indeed be a fun place. It might be foolhardy for her to spend all her savings on that trip, but she had no reason to complain about what she got.

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Maybe the film was trying to say something about how reality is always disappointing compared to fantasy.

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