This was a Hallmark movie that was fun and much more original than your typical Hallmark cookie-cutter offerings. It seems like their movies are improving lately. True, this film was somewhat similar to the Lost in Austen miniseries from a few years back, but it still felt pretty fresh and original. I love fantasy shows like this. In this case, our heroine Harriet was extremely relatable, and we could imagine what it would be like to be suddenly transported into your favorite Regency-era novel. Her reactions as a 21'st century woman to those antiquated attitudes and environs were priceless. I also liked how her presence upended the entire flow of the story, requiring her to try to right things. This was a romance, but not the one you might have expected, where she winds up with Mr. Darcy in the end. She comes to realize that Ethan, her non-dashing, but perfectly fine, nice boyfriend back in 2024, was the one she really loved and wanted to be with. That's a great message. How many women out there (and some men too) give up on a perfectly good relationship because they are foolishly holding out for some idealized fantasy lover who doesn't exist?
They certainly didn't skimp on the production values for this movie. The period costumes, the sets, the period-appropriate dancing, etc. Were spot-on. The scenes with the Bennet family could have been taken from an actual film version of Pride and Prejudice, they were that well done. Eliza Bennett (what a coup on getting an actress with that name) gave a splendid performance as our displaced American Austen-lover Harriet. She was cute, funny and very likable. The supporting actors were all great too. All contributed to the realistic feel of the movie. The dialog was very realistic and never overdone.
In summary, I quite enjoyed this little foray into the world of Jane Austen. It's definitely worth a watch or two and I applaud Hallmark for providing such a great movie.
They certainly didn't skimp on the production values for this movie. The period costumes, the sets, the period-appropriate dancing, etc. Were spot-on. The scenes with the Bennet family could have been taken from an actual film version of Pride and Prejudice, they were that well done. Eliza Bennett (what a coup on getting an actress with that name) gave a splendid performance as our displaced American Austen-lover Harriet. She was cute, funny and very likable. The supporting actors were all great too. All contributed to the realistic feel of the movie. The dialog was very realistic and never overdone.
In summary, I quite enjoyed this little foray into the world of Jane Austen. It's definitely worth a watch or two and I applaud Hallmark for providing such a great movie.