Parodies of parodies are usually a bad idea. Scary Movie, for instance, is a redundant film because it skewers the teen-slasher Scream, which itself is already full of jokes and lampshades at the expense of other slasher movies. There's not much mileage in making fun of something that's already making fun of itself. Worst still is Austenland, which sort of sets itself up as a parody of the works of one of the greatest satirists in the English language, but then kind of chickens out about it, doesn't know what it is doing, and doesn't go anywhere.
The movie introduces us to Austen Land, a package themed holiday park in which members of the public are put up at a mansion to star in their very own Jane Austen story. Our protagonist, Jane, is an Austen fanatic who turns up at the house, only to find the place doesn’t live up to expectations. I could have made a lame Dickens themed joke there, but it would be far too sophisticated for this movie's brand of humour. Instead Austenland gets its laughs from having a fat character who says crass things and farts sometimes. That’s not to say this sort of comedy couldn’t work; in fact a well-timed fart could be a hilarious punchline to undercut all the 18th Century sophistication and propriety, but timing and delivery are one of this film's many weaknesses; Austenland constantly sets up and bungles its jokes. For instance, we learn that Jane has only bought the most basic holiday package, and she is now going to be treated like a piece of shit by the park owners. This takes the form of her being allocated the character persona “Miss Erstwhile”, which isn’t even a terrible name, and also getting put up in the most basic lodgings, which actually still looks like a nice room. Why not call her “Frau Baubag” and shove her in the broom closet? At least then the joke would work on a conceptual level (despite still not being funny).
The whole thing is just a mess. Comedic characters and plot elements are introduced far too late, such as an out of place sea captain character and some element about how the Park's actors are struggling to keep up the kayfabe. Things kind of happen and ideas are thrown around, but nothing to progress the plot or even be particularly funny. Meanwhile, it never occurs to Austenland to use its setting to actually parody any of the classic scenes from Austen’s works, which is perhaps the most frustrating thing.
Even on a technical level this is an incompetent film. The cameras are zoomed in awkwardly close to actors faces much of the time, and the film often fails to follow basic editing and continuity principles. Overall, it feels like a clumsy student project, but with a budget somehow large enough to give it a veneer of quality, whilst still looking really cheap. Austenland is a whole bunch of not things; it is not a real parody, it does not understand Austen, it is not a good movie.
A Bunch of Not Things
Parodies of parodies are usually a bad idea. Scary Movie, for instance, is a redundant film because it skewers the teen-slasher Scream, which itself is already full of jokes and lampshades at the expense of other slasher movies. There's not much mileage in making fun of something that's already making fun of itself. Worst still is Austenland, which sort of sets itself up as a parody of the works of one of the greatest satirists in the English language, but then kind of chickens out about it, doesn't know what it is doing, and doesn't go anywhere.
The movie introduces us to Austen Land, a package themed holiday park in which members of the public are put up at a mansion to star in their very own Jane Austen story. Our protagonist, Jane, is an Austen fanatic who turns up at the house, only to find the place doesn’t live up to expectations. I could have made a lame Dickens themed joke there, but it would be far too sophisticated for this movie's brand of humour. Instead Austenland gets its laughs from having a fat character who says crass things and farts sometimes. That’s not to say this sort of comedy couldn’t work; in fact a well-timed fart could be a hilarious punchline to undercut all the 18th Century sophistication and propriety, but timing and delivery are one of this film's many weaknesses; Austenland constantly sets up and bungles its jokes. For instance, we learn that Jane has only bought the most basic holiday package, and she is now going to be treated like a piece of shit by the park owners. This takes the form of her being allocated the character persona “Miss Erstwhile”, which isn’t even a terrible name, and also getting put up in the most basic lodgings, which actually still looks like a nice room. Why not call her “Frau Baubag” and shove her in the broom closet? At least then the joke would work on a conceptual level (despite still not being funny).
The whole thing is just a mess. Comedic characters and plot elements are introduced far too late, such as an out of place sea captain character and some element about how the Park's actors are struggling to keep up the kayfabe. Things kind of happen and ideas are thrown around, but nothing to progress the plot or even be particularly funny. Meanwhile, it never occurs to Austenland to use its setting to actually parody any of the classic scenes from Austen’s works, which is perhaps the most frustrating thing.
Even on a technical level this is an incompetent film. The cameras are zoomed in awkwardly close to actors faces much of the time, and the film often fails to follow basic editing and continuity principles. Overall, it feels like a clumsy student project, but with a budget somehow large enough to give it a veneer of quality, whilst still looking really cheap. Austenland is a whole bunch of not things; it is not a real parody, it does not understand Austen, it is not a good movie.