Back in January, I reviewed Jerusha Hess’ “Austenland,” a charming romantic comedy starring Keri Russell as a Jane Austin fanatic who spends all her savings at the one vacation destination where Austin dreams can come true. The comedy played well to the Park City faithful and Sony Classics picked up with plans for a summer release. In the seven months since the heat has cooled on “Austenland” and Classics finds itself also pushing a breakout hit with “Blue Jasmine.” How audiences take “Austenland” remains to be seen, but it was fun revisiting the flick with Russell last week.
“The Americans” star shot the indie six months pregnant, but didn’t complain. She had a great time playing with a cast including secret weapon Jennifer Coolidge (“a force to be reckoned with”) and Bret McKenzie who shows some impressive chops as a romantic leading man. Even if he needed a lot of direction for their makeout scene. The conversation also covered this writer’s obsession with her hit FX TV drama and more.
You can watch the entire interview embedded at the top of this post.
“Austenland” opens in New York and Los Angeles Friday.