jane austen – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Week In Women: Georgia Oakley’s new take on SENSE AND SENSIBILITY – Brandy McDonnell reports

August 9, 2026August 9, 2026 Brandy McDonnell Diana Reid, focus features, Georgia Oakley, jane austen, twiw, Universal Pictures International (UPI), week in women, Working Title

Writer-director Georgia Oakley’s new screen adaptation of iconic English writer Jane Austen’s first novel will bow in movie theaters in fall, released by Focus Features, Universal Pictures International (UPI) and Working Title in U.S. theaters on Oct. 16. Oakley is following up on her award winning Blue Jean (2022), directing from a script by bestselling author Diana Reid. Filming started last summer in the United Kingdom. Focus has worldwide rights on the movie, and UPI will handle international distribution for the studio. The film was initially scheduled for a September theatrical release in the United States.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Aisling Walsh’s MISS AUSTEN streams on PBS’ Masterpiece – Brandy McDonnell reports

May 6, 2025May 9, 2025 Brandy McDonnell aisling walsh, Cassandra Austen, Christine Langan, Gill Hornby, jane austen, Keeley Hawes, Miss Austen, pbs, the week in women, twiw

BAFTA-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh helms Miss Austen, the new series premiering on Masterpiece on PBS. The four-part series reimagines a truth-based historic femme-centric literary mystery — about why Cassandra Austen (Keeley Hawes) notoriously burned her famous sister Jane Austen’s letters — and turns it into a fascinating, witty and heartbreaking story of sisterly love. The series premiered on May 4, and is currently available to stream via the PBS app, pbs.org and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK December 18, 2020: MODERN PERSUASION

December 13, 2020March 30, 2025 Jennifer Merin alex appel, alicia witt, bebe neuwirth, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jane austen, jennifer merin, jonathan lisecki, kathia woods, lauren king, leslie combemale, marina antunes, Modern Persuasion, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, shane mcrae

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jane Austen novel in possession of a memorable heroine must be in want of a contemporary update. Which isn’t always a good thing, but, happily, Alex Appel and Jonathan Lisecki’s Modern Persuasion is sweet and charming enough to please anyone who relishes a good comedy of manners with a side of swoon-worthy romance.

Reviews

MODERN PERSUASION – Review by Susan Wloszczyna

December 11, 2020December 12, 2020 Susan Wloszczyna alex appel, alicia witt, bebe neuwirth, jane austen, jonathan lisecki, Modern Persuasion, motw, Movie of the Week, shane mcrae

If you like your Jane Austen movies updated to current times, you might find some enjoyment in Modern Persuasion, which manages to blend the author’s Regency-era vision with such Millennial fixations as social media, romantic hook-ups and party-hardy attitudes with a 21st-Century version of working gal tropes

Reviews

MODERN PERSUASION – Review by Loren King

December 11, 2020December 12, 2020 Loren King alex appel, alicia witt, bebe neuwirth, jane austen, jonathan lisecki, Modern Persuasion, motw, Movie of the Week, shane mcrae

Jane Austen’s literary works continue to provide an endless source of material for screen adaptations. Director Autumn de Wilde’s Emma starring Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character, was released to enthusiastic reviews earlier this year. Now there’s the new romantic comedy Modern Persuasion, an updating of Austen’s 1817 novel Persuasion aimed less at the PBS crowd and more at Millennials.

Reviews

EMMA – Review by Martha K Baker

February 25, 2020March 1, 2020 Martha K. Baker (Archived Contributor) 0 Comments anya taylor joy, autumn de wildw, Bill Nighy, emma, jane austen

Emma may satisfy Janeites — or they may hate it as veering too far from the Austen gospel. Anglophiles may get their dose of the olde motherland, and fans of haberdashery will get their fill of ruffles and bonnets. Just don’t look for depth or incision in this movie version of Emma.

Reviews

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP — Review by Susan Granger

May 30, 2016October 31, 2022 Susan Granger 0 Comments chloe sevigny, jane austen, kate beckinsale, love and friendship, Whit Stillman

When Jane Austen was very young, she scribbled the novella “Lady Susan,” an archly observant satire of 18th century epistolary novels in the form of letters from the hyper-articulate heroine. It’s perfectly suited for writer/director Whit Stillman (“Damsels in Distress,” “Last Days of Disco,” “Metropolitan,” “Barcelona”), who has demonstrated a fondness for the witty banter that harks back to the Restoration comedy of manners.

Commentaries General Archives Reviews Women on Film

UNDER THE GUN, MONEY MONSTER, LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, THE STUDENT BODY and more May 13 Openers — Reviews by Jennifer Merin

May 15, 2016May 15, 2016 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments gun control, jane austen, jodie foster, love addict, love and friendship, Money monser, monster with a thoufsnad heads, most likely to die, sick people, sunset song, the lobster, THE STUDENT BODY, under the gun, we promised

Stephanie Soechtig’s exemplary must see documentary Under The Gun advocates for much needed gun control legislation in the US. Jodie

General Archives Movie of the Week Reviews Women on Film

AWFJ Movie of the Week, February 1-7: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES

February 1, 2016February 8, 2016 Nikki Baughan 0 Comments Burr Steers, Charles Dance, jane austen, Leana Headey, Lily James, maitland mcdonagh, nikki baughan, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Sally Phillips, Sam Riley, Sandra Kriaisirideja, Seth Grahame-Smith, Suki Waterhouse

Opening February 5, AWFJ’s Movie of the Week is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the big screen adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s popular novel, which envisions Jane Austen’s classic playing out in a world populated by the living dead. Read on…

Interviews

Carey Mulligan on Strong Women Characters, Women Directors and FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD – Jennifer Merin interviews (Exclusive Video)

April 20, 2015June 8, 2020 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments Carey Mulligan, far from the madding crowd, jane austen, susanne bier

Carey Mulligan discusses playing Bathsheba Everdene, the independent heroine in the new cinematic version of Thomas Hardy’s classic female-centric novel,