Jane Bennet in Annie Get Your Gun

Not really -- but doesn’t actress Rosamund Pike aka Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice 2005 look like Annie Oakley the famous sharpshooter of the American west in this photo?

Actually, Rosamund will play the title role in Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, considered one the greatest dramatic roles in theater where guns play a major role – thus the need for the publicity people to emphasize the violence in Ibsen’s story to connect a classic play to a modern audience. For all you lucky Brits, the UK tour will begin at the Theatre Royal Bath, running February 23 - March 6 and continue to Brighton March 8-13, Richmond March 15-20, Nottingham March 22-27, and Oxford March 29 - April 4. It is expected that the production will then transfer to the West End.

Along the way Miss Bennet will be having tea with Catherine Morland in Bath, Lydia Bennet in Brighton, Mrs. Churchill in Richmond, Mr. Darcy the Sheriff of Nottingham in Nottingham and Edmund Bertram in Oxford. Honestly, we couldn’t be more pleased for her, but advise her leave the guns at the theater.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Six Reasons for Janeites to Watch An Education

1. Because Carey Mulligan (Pride and Prejudice 2005) is said to be outstanding in this film. The role has made her a break-out star. Sensitive, clever, and intelligent films are few and far between. They save the film industry from catering primarily to young males, whose appetites for Transformers, Saw, and 2012 are insatiable.

2. Because Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility), the school's head mistress, is in it. 'Nuff said.

3. Because Olivia Williams (Emma, Miss Austen Regrets), who plays a teacher, is a beautiful and intelligent actress whose roles are few and far between.

4. Because Alfred Molina, the father, and Peter Sarsgaard, the older suitor, are always excellent.

5. Because Dominic Cooper (Sense and Sensibility, 2008) is becoming a reliable staple in good films.

6. Because Rosamund Pike's (Pride and Prejudice, 2005) appearances on the big screen, like Olivia Williams', are all too rare.

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

P Fug P

Oh, Rosamund Pike. You are such a pretty lady and I really liked your performance as Jane Bennet. But honestly, girlfriend, what were you thinking when you put this outfit together? It takes WORK to be showcased by the Go Fug Yourself gals. I mean, usually they point out the errors of starlets with absolutely no taste, like Roisin Murphy's fugly Minnie Mouse outfit. But, et tu, Rosamund?

In the future, find yourself a nice empire waist gown.

Team Bennet 2005: Where Are They Now?

This is one of my favorite happy moments in the 2005 movie adaptation, Pride and Prejudice, where all six of the team Bennet ladies walk together arm in arm. So where are all of these talented actresses now? From left to right.

Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn) stars as a Sister Ignatious, a Benedictine nun in the movie The Calling, the story of a young university graduate Joanna (Emily Beechen) engaged in a modern lifestyle who shocks her friends and family by announcing she has a calling to join a closed order of Benedictine Nuns and give up the life they had all assumed she was planning. The cast also includes other Austen related actors, Susannah Harker (Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice 1995) and Corin Redgrave (Persuasion 1995).

Jane Bennet (Rosamund Pike) stars with a slew of other Austen actors in An Education, (screenplay written by Nick Hornby), a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London, and how her life changes with the arrival of a playboy nearly twice her age. The cast includes Emma Thompson (Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility 1995), Dominic Cooper (John Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility 2008), Olivia Williams (Jane Austen in Miss Austen Regrets 2008, and Jane Fairfax in Emma 1996), Sally Hawkins (Anne Elliot in Persuasion 2007), and Carey Mulligan (Isabella Thorpe in Northanger Abbey 2007). Miss Pike is also engaged to her director from Pride and Prejudice, Joe Wright.

Kitty Bennet (Carey Mulligan) in addition to co-starring in An Education mentioned above, she has three major motion pictures in the queue, The Greatest, Brothers and Public Enemies.

Mary Bennet (Talulah Riley) has recently stared in Dr. Who and portrays Marianne in the movie The Boat that Rocked which is a period comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960's. The cast also includes Emma Thompson (Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility 1995) and Gemma Arterton (Elizabeth Bennet in Lost in Austen).

Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) is currently staring as Georgiana Cavendish in the movie The Duchess and will be staring with Gwyneth Paltrow (Emma Woodhouse in Emma 1996) in Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Lydia Bennet (Jena Malone) portrays Kelly in The Messenger, the story of an American soldier (Ben Foster) who struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer played by Samantha Morton (Harriet Smith in Emma 1996).