What happened
Ellen Page, the Oscar-nominated star of Juno, has been cast as the lead in BBC Films’ new adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre, according to Variety. But some critics are questioning if the 21-year-old actress is right for the part.
What the commentators said
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Ellen Page is perfect for this part, said Michele Graham in the blog Film School Rejects. “Being the regular little spitfire that she is,” she “could completely handle the character’s passion.” And after her role in Juno, she’s “convinced most of the globe that she’s more than able for anything.”
It’s not exactly the most challenging role, said Kristen Anderson in the blog Snarkerati. “Jane Eyre is a much easier to handle novel than sister Emily’s thorny Wuthering Heights, which is again about to go into production, this time with Natalie Portman.” And Page might be too young looking for the part of Jane, which could make casting the lead male role of Rochester “tricky”: Will they really be able to find “someone who won’t look like a child molester next to Page”?
Well, she already got the part, said the blog The Musings of Lady J., and it’s a big step for Page. She “has usually played modern, wiser than her years type characters, so having her play a mousy 19th century governess will be a challenge.” And if she “can nail this role," then she will likely be offered a wider variety of roles and "not be subjected to typecasting.”
