Becoming Jane (PG) Period romantic drama about Jane Austen's love life, starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy.

JANE Austen (Anne Hathaway) lit up the world with her words, wit and wisdom. But her life, too, was stoked by passion and romance.

Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) want her to marry for money and in 1795 England that was the way of the world for a young woman.

But when the 20-year-old meets the dashing young Irishman, Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), his intellect and arrogance ignite Jane's curiosity and her world spins head-over-heels.

Can Jane afford to spurn the offer of Lady Gresham's (Maggie Smith) nephew, defy the authority of her parents and fly in the face of social convention?

In Becoming Jane, a young lady on the first rung of literary greatness risks a romance that was to shape her life and her work. "I hope Becoming Jane works as a fresh and interesting take on the world of Jane Austen," says director Julian Jarrold.

"I hope the poignancy between the happiness she allows her heroines and the reality of her life resonates with people. I hope it brings even more people to her books and reveals another side to an author, who is seen by some as being remote, a bit prim and obsessed with propriety."

Anne Hathaway did not need to be convinced to take the title role: she was already an avid fan of Jane Austen's work from the age of 14. The author's work was part of High School.

"I did a comparative paper on Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility," she says. "I just fell in love with Jane Austen and the world she created."

Reading the screen-play reawakened in Hathaway that world, bound by class and circum-stance. The big surprise for her was Jane's passion - traditionally represented as a cold spin-ster - and she knew nothing of the author's relationship with Tom Lefroy.

"I was so impressed with how intelligently written the script was and how emotional and passionate it was," she says. "It's a story about one of the most famous English women of all time and people don't necessarily equate the English with passionate emotions.

"What I also loved about it was that it captured a young couple falling deeply in love with each other. That appealed to me and also the fact that it didn't have a fairytale ending. In a way the ending is absolutely heartbreaking. But it is such a classically written drama, almost like Casablanca in the way it has a timeless quality."

For Anne Hathaway the task of bringing her literary idol to life on screen was a major challenge. Not only were there technical obstacles - accent, etiquette - to master but there was also the pressure of playing one of the most beloved writers in English literature.

"It was daunting for several reasons to play Jane Austen," she says. "I had done an English accent before in Nicholas Nickleby but that was a small part and I had never really taken on any kind of role that required this much accent work for such a sustained period.

"There was a lot of research that had to go into it and also the pressure of playing someone so beloved and of whom people are so fiercely protective was nerve wracking. But I wanted to do justice to the role, not just as an actress but someone who is true fan of Jane Austen."

James McAvoy, who plays Tom Lefroy, defended the decision to cast Hathaway in the title role: "People have asked me how do you feel about an American girl playing Jane Austen? Well I'm Scottish and I'm playing an Irishman! I think it's the same as in every film. You get the best actor for the job and we've undoubtedly got the best Jane for this film."

Julie Walters portrays Jane's mother, Cassandra Leigh, a woman who married for love. In Regency England this was neither popular nor profitable. Now Mrs Austen doesn't want her daughter Jane to follow the same path: she just wants what she believes is best for her. "She wants her daughter to be OK in the world and to be looked after," says Walters.

"Back then women by and largely didn't support themselves so this was absolutely vital. It wasn't a neurotic or greedy desire by Mrs Austen for her daughter to marry somebody wealthy. She just wanted Jane to be safe in the world. It was unheard of that a woman would survive on her own writing. It was extraordinary what Jane did."