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A Charming Family Tableau

A couple of writers understand how funny Jane Austen could be. One is Amy Heckerling, who based "Clueless" on "Emma." Another is Whit Stillman.

Stillman's "Love and Friendship" comes from an early work by Jane Austen, "Lady Susan." (Stillman took that work and paired it with the title from another Austen work--"Love and Friendship." I like this title very much because it so confidently lays out Austen's themes. Love. And friendship. Yep. That's what we're looking at here!)

Lady Susan is like Emma Woodhouse, but more exaggerated in her hypocrisy. She plots and plans. When she has an affair with a friend's husband, she blames the friend for any resulting drama. "If she were going to be jealous, she shouldn't have married such a charming man!" Lady Susan wants power from a nearby family, so she congratulates herself on having spent a few minutes with the small children of that family. "I've already learned some of their names." Susan's gift for manipulation is especially evident when she talks about money. "The fees at my daughter's school are so outrageous, one would never even think of paying them. So, in a way, sending my daughter there is an economy." And, about her enslaved helper: "Since there's an element of friendship here, I'm sure she would be horrified if I ever suggested the possibility of payment."

Kate Beckinsale teamed up with Whit Stillman in the nineties, for "The Last Days of Disco." "Love and Friendship" happened just a few years ago, and it's surprising to me that Beckinsale didn't win some major awards for this one. She is determined, bright, and deadpan: When she encounters a roomful of people clearly appalled by her presence, she doesn't hesitate to say, "What a charming family tableau!" As you watch Lady Susan, you're always wondering to what extent she herself is aware of her own wickedness--and trying to "read" this particular barometer is a big part of the fun the movie offers.

Sometimes, people complain about characters who aren't adequately likable. I think it's fine, in fiction, to write about unredeemable schemers--as long as you have a sense of humor. As long as there is a sense of delight in what you are doing. Jane Austen had this humor and delight, and Whit Stillman does, as well. I'm grateful to Film Forum for pointing me back toward Stillman, and toward this strange, sprightly movie from "my early thirties." Watch! Watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MaSK3POHI0
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