Starring Eliza Bennett and Nicholas Bishop
***SPOILER ALERT***
Harriet (Bennett) is a librarian and writer who finds her greatest comfort and inspiration in Pride and Prejudice. When her boyfriend, Ethan (Bert Seymour), surprises her with a proposal, she’s underwhelmed and says maybe. She’d much prefer being swept off her feet by her own Mr. Darcy and wishes for him to materialize. After drifting off to sleep in a cab, she awakes and is startled to meet the Bennets, who call her their American cousin. Later, Harriet is awestruck when Darcy (Bishop) appears at a ball. She realizes she’s trapped in Pride and Prejudice, and when the book’s plot goes awry, Harriet tries to set it right but only messes things up further. And she discovers that sadly, Darcy doesn’t live up to her fantasy.
PROS
This is Hallmark’s third Loveuary movie with a Jane Austen theme. Its whimsical script was penned by Cameron Johann, screenwriter for Betty’s Bad Luck in Love (2024).
Eliza Bennett as Harriet. The aptly named actress made an appealing main character. Bennett’s portrayal of Harriet’s reaction to being dropped into Regency-era England made me chuckle. It was amusing how Harriet thought the Bennets were playing an elaborate joke on her, or that she’d been plunged into the set of a production of Pride and Prejudice. Having read the book, Harriet already knew the fate of the characters, but it would have sounded ridiculous to tell them this, so instead she claimed to be able to see into their futures. Harriet’s flustered desperation to manipulate everyone so as to maintain the book’s plot was entertaining to watch too. She constantly put her foot in it, earning the animosity of Lizzie (Nell Barlow), who resented Harriet’s interference with her romance with Mr. Wickham (Dominic Andersen). Harriet reminded me of another Jane Austen character, the meddlesome matchmaker Emma Woodhouse.
Darcy and Harriet. The scenes between Bennett and Bishop were the funniest of this film. Bishop made a dashing Darcy, and an unexpectedly ardent one. Darcy quickly shed his trademark aloof superiority and eagerly pursued Harriet. During a nighttime stroll, he confessed his attraction to her mind, her lack of decorum, and her nice teeth, which only made her nervous, and she encouraged him to pursue Lizzie. But nothing could top the silliness of Darcy’s confrontation with Harriet in the library. He claimed to be in “a terrible agony of love” and chased her around the room before proposing to her. Though she’d always dreamed of such a moment, she realized she loved Ethan.
The perfect couple. Bert Seymour was terrific as Ethan. Ethan was sweetly attentive to Harriet, and his romantic proposal, even his off-key singing, was endearing. How could any woman resist him? Harriet realized her grave error and, after returning to the twenty-first century, made a mad dash to his apartment, attired in her nightie and riding a scooter. She buzzed his unit and poured out her feelings to his voice mail, only to be cut off. When she realized he’d been listening, she said she’d spent too much time escaping into stories and wanted to be in one of her own—with him. I loved how he turned the tables by replying to her proposal with a maybe before they kissed. These two were perfectly in sync right from the start, and the scenes between the actors were lovely.
Visual splendor. An American in Austen was filmed primarily in Bulgaria, with some scenes shot in Ireland. The buildings’ exteriors were magnificent and stately, and the interiors were lavishly decorated. As well, the costumes were elegant and perfect for the 1813 setting.
CONS
An unconvincing romance. Though the romance between Jane (Catherine Hannay) and Mr. Bingley (Toby-Alexander Smith) was delightful and believable, Darcy’s sudden affection for Lizzie, and hers for him, was unconvincing. He’d been head over heels for Harriet, yet he easily shut that off when he learned the feeling wasn’t mutual. And Lizzie genuinely couldn’t bear Darcy. Only when he rescued her from marrying Wickham was it apparent that she loved him; she’d shown no signs of an attraction previously. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and it felt much too abrupt. Barlow’s Lizzie also fell short of my idea of what Elizabeth Bennet should be—a woman with dignity, integrity, and a razor-sharp wit.
Unrealized potential? Though Harriet and Darcy’s interplay was fun, it would have been more intriguing had Harriet been as attracted to Darcy as he was to her. This would have set up a meaty internal conflict for her, as she would have needed to choose between Darcy and Ethan. The tension would have given oomph to this movie, raising it above the level of a lighthearted romp.
Speaking of a lack of internal conflict . . . It was a little puzzling that Harriet, who was wowed by the very idea of Darcy, would repel him almost right from the start. Strangely, her need to keep the Pride and Prejudice narrative on track trumped any desire to discover what her romantic idol was really like.
My grade for An American in Austen: B
Caroline Kaiser is a professional book editor who specializes in fiction and memoirs, and she’s been guiding writers toward publication since 2007. Caroline is also the author of two ghostly mystery novels, Virginia’s Ghost and The Spirits of South Drive. Before she embarked on an editing and writing career, she spent many years working in a Toronto auction house as an antiques appraiser. Apart from curling up on the couch and drinking tea as she watches Hallmark movies, Caroline enjoys baking and exploring London, Ontario, the picturesque city she now calls home. Her website is www.carolinekaisereditor.com.
