Austenland (2013)

There’s plenty poking fun at Austen’s unread fans in Austenland, the movie adaptation of Shannon Hale’s novel. The obvious choice Jennifer Coolidge performs this role suitably well, even for those tired of her shtick. But there’s supposed to be more here than shooting fish in a barrel (or stuffed birds thrown in the air). The actual protagonist of the film knows her Austen, or, at least, says she does, so it’s an even greater disappointment that director Jerusha Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), who co-wrote the screenplay with Hale, fails in the execution of what could be a satire as satisfying as one of Miss Austen’s novels. Read the full review here.