'Jane Austen Wrecked My Life' Brings Realness to Romance

Though she was born in December, Jane Austen fans are celebrating her 250th birthday all year long in 2025. Referred to as "Jane Austen 250," the celebration of Austen's literary works at her quarter-millennium mark has planned new exhibitions in the U.K.'s national museums, special events at the historical sites like the Jane Austen House, documentary specials like the BBC's Jane Austen: Rise Of a Genius, and new adaptations of her books for TV and films, such as Netflix's new Pride & Prejudice. 

However, as noted elsewhere, Austen didn't exactly leave a wealth of material to work with, which means there's another category of series and movies heading to viewers in celebration of Jane Austen 250; call them "Stories Inspired by Jane Austen." These include the BBC's The Other Bennet Sister, slated to debut by year's end; Miss Austen, which will debut on most PBS stations beginning May 4, 2025; and now the feature film Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, which Sony Pictures Classics has given a release date and trailer.

But like all Austen-adjacent material, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life comes with a twist. In this case, it's French. The film's plot was dreamed up (or perhaps was a slightly-autobiographical story from) Laura Piani, for whom this is her debut feature film. Piani grew up in France, loving Jane Austen's novels, and eventually studied filmmaking in the U.K. while working in bookshops. You'll see why that's relevant as soon as you watch he trailer.

The synopsis for the film reads:

As a clerk in the legendary British bookshop in Paris, Shakespeare & Co, Agathe  loves her job. But there are faint stirrings of discontentment when she realizes how long she has been surrounded by stories of others’ desires and adventures instead of chasing her own. Perpetually single, she hopes to find a romance like those in the novels of her favourite author, Jane Austen, in which love triangles, ardent admirers, and reckless unrequited crushes abound.

Agathe’s other dream is to become a novelist. She aspires to finally finish one of the many stories she starts but ultimately abandons when they risk falling short of her lofty expectations. Supported by her encouraging — and conspicuously rakish — best friend Felix, who has recently expressed an interest in her personal life, Agathe leaves for a Jane Austen writing residency. Upon arrival, she meets a distant relation of the author, the handsome — and haughty — Oliver Lowe. Between the writing obligations, realizing that she may miss Felix, and constantly running into the intriguing Mr. Lowe, Agathe’s life has taken a stressful, yet strangely familiar, turn….

Camille Rutherford (Versailles) plays Agathe Robinson, Pablo Pauly (The French Dispatch) co-stars as her BFF Félix, Charlie Anson (Downton Abbey) as Oliver Lowe, and Annabelle Lengronne (Mother & Son) rounds out the lead ensemble as Chéryl. The supporting cast includes Liz Crowther (Miss Scarlet), Alan Fairbairn (Marie Antoinette), Lola Peploe (The Queen), Alice Butaud (The Returned), Roman Angel (Eiffel) and Laurence Pierre (Agathe Koltès).

Writer-director Laura Piani wrote and directed the film, and Gabrielle Dumon produced it. Sony Pictures Classic announced it had picked up Jane Austen Wrecked My Life for distribution before its world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024. The film arrived in France in early 2025, and made its U.S. debut as the opening night film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in early February. 

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life will arrive in U.S. theaters in limited release on Friday, May 16, 2025, and will slowly widen over the holiday weekend.