The Young Victoria groundswell

The Young Victoria was released in the US in limited release on 18th of December. Unfortunately, I and a mob of Anglophiles attempted to see it yeasterday in Seattle without success.

With so many new movies now released on Christmas day, it has become an event to go to the theater with the family and friends. I have not seen so many people in line for a movie since Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) release many years ago. What a great surprise for a bonnet drama to garner such crowds. I must continue to be contented with the movie trailers until such time I actually can see the real thing.

I will attempt a second showing next week. I hope some of our readers actually got to see The Young Victoria, which has an incredible cast of former Austen actors (Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Jim Broadbent, Mark Strong, Harriet Walter and Morven Christie) outstanding production values and glowing reviews. Emily Blunt has been nomed for a Golden Globe and is expected to also be nominated for an Oscar. Bravo to all involved in this stellar production. Here's the trailer to tide you over until you can see it.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

The Young Victoria Premieres in the UK

The new major motion picture The Young Victoria premiered to much Royal fanfare in London on March 6th. The lavish production starring British ingénue Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria, that’s Her Royal Majesty Queen Alexandrina Victoria to us commoners, chronicles the early rule of England's longest-reigning queen and her romance with her husband Prince Albert played by Rupert Friend. Even though Victoria was born n 1819, two years after Jane Austen’s death, many unenlightened journalists want to perpetuate the myth that Austen was a Victorian author. She wasn’t. So please make a note of it, because Lady Catherine will sallie forth and get you if you continue to miscatagorize her.

The one thing that this new production of The Young Victoria does have in common with Jane Austen is the plethora of actors who previously stared in Austen adaptations and inspirations. Here’s the run down.

Queen Victoria – Emily Blunt (Prudie Drummond in The Jane Austen Book Club 2007)
King William – Jim Broadbent (Dad Jones in Bridget Jones’ Diary 2001 & Bridget Jones Edge of Reason 2004)
Queen Adelade - Harriet Walter (Fanny Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility 1995)
Sir John Conroy – Mark Strong (George Knightley in Emma 1996)
Prince Albert – Rupert Friend (George Wickham in Pride and Prejudice 2005)
Watson – Morven Christie (Jane Bennet in Lost in Austen 2008)

No word yet on a US release date, but this production has received mixed reviews, and will be highly anticipated by period drama lovers – and journalist who think Jane Austen wrote the original novel that it was based on, or should have! ;-)

The Young Victoria at IMDb
The Young Victoria reviews in The Independent , in TimesOnLine, and The Guardian

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose