Mom Pick- Jane Eyre

Move Your Face!

This movie doesn't really have any good mother roles in it, but after seeing it in the theatre and looking around and noticing that 90% of the theater seats were occupied by women and 75% of those looked like moms, I thought I'd give you Moms looking to see this movie a little heads up. As a woman with Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre on my top five favorite books of all time, I take movie renditions of this story very seriously so beware.  

Jane Eyre is a young governess with a history of being unloved. Mr. Rochester is the stormy master of the house with a history of loving and being burned by it. While Jane is able to soften his hard, hurt heart she never expects to find in him hidden secrets of the most miserable nature.

I love this story, it's dark, twisted, romantic, emotional and beautiful. It's got so many different,wonderful elements about it that I can't understand the casting of the main character. Mia Wasikowski has exactly 3 facial expressions: bland depression, bland crying and bland, brief smiling. This girl's face rarely moves! Most of her lines are delivered monotone! I understand that Jane's character is supposed to be grounded and a little bit quiet but that doesn't mean she's without feeling at all. In fact Mia delivered a line that declared that she had as much heart and feeling as anyone and I seriously wanted to argue that point. Through out the movie the only reason  I knew how she must be feeling is because I am so well acquainted with this story.

In fact, I think the only people who could find any real joy out of this movie are those who know the story already. Director Cary Fukunaga arranged the scenes in this film in a choppy manner and out of order. Having Jane looking back on the story made things a little confusing for those who don't know the story already. However, there is one area to which I will stick up for this movie. I've heard complaints about how dark and Gothic the film was, well let me inform you that that is how Jane Eyre is supposed to be. It's not another Pride and Prejudice or Emma with sunshine and ball gowns. There is darkness, there is mystery, there are deep, dark secrets!

My advice? Go rent the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre Jane Eyre directed by Susanna White. You'll not regret it! Masterpiece Theater takes the time necessary to build the characters and plot with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens playing the best Jane and Rochester I've ever seen! I admit that my opinion on this new version of Jane Eyre has been unfairly swayed since I hold this Masterpiece version up to compare. Even my husband can sit through all 3+ hours of this. This version is my advice for a good long Mother's Day Movie

Motherly Advice: I'm scratching my head trying to think why this was rated PG-13. Maybe I missed something. The only reasons I can come up with would be perhaps the scenes dealing with a crazy woman going into hysterics. There was one scene showing a brief bloody wound. The rating may also come from the close up of a painting detailing a very nude woman in an artistic light. The kissing was minimal and there was no sex. I guess with all that said I'd only take your teenagers 14 and up to this in theaters.

The Masterpiece version that I've suggested has a bit more passionate kissing but no sex and no nude art.


Danielle'- Clearplay Governess