Lost in Austen 迷失奥斯汀 EP01 Recap

《迷失奥斯汀》（Lost in Austen）是去年9月份ITV播出的一部四集迷你剧。根据最新消息，不久的将来它将被翻拍成一部电影。《迷失奥斯汀》的类型很难定位：爱情？古装？维多利亚风情？幻想？科幻？时空旅行？这些元素都沾点边。最重要的是，「奥斯汀」这个名字本身就具有极高的号召力。

在这部剧集里，《Hex》迷熟悉的Jemima Rooper扮演居住在伦敦（Hammersmith区）的现代女孩Amanda Rrice。除了去银行上班之外，她整天都沉溺在简·奥斯汀的代表小说《傲慢与偏见》（Pride And Prejudice）当中，几乎「与世隔绝」。用一个当下很流行也很时髦的字眼来形容，那就是……「宅女」。Amanda自我解嘲地说，书中的世界是「一个我如此……熟悉的世界（a place I know so ... intimately）」。

有一天，她突然发现《傲慢与偏见》书中的女主人公Elizabeth Bennet……活生生地站在自家的浴室里！她是通过一扇「密门」进来的，门的另一端连接着Bennet家的阁楼。怎么会发生这种事情？她不知道。在这样一间再普通不过的「Hammersmith老式住宅」中，Elizabeth穿越由裤袜和依然没有撕标签的M&S牌内裤构成的「森林」，来到了我们这个世界。不仅如此，她还「强迫」Amanda与她「交换」生活！Elizabeth在繁华的现代社会当上了「保姆」，对一切现代发明深感好奇，比如「互联网」……而Amanda却一头栽进了奥斯汀笔下的虚幻世界。

Amanda的到来打乱了奥斯汀所设定的一切情节－－Jane Bennet嫁给了Collins牧师，与Lydia Bennet私奔的对象变成了Bingley先生，而男主人公Darcy居然爱上了「无法无天」的Amanda。

Amanda当然不是在做梦，这也不是《火星生活》（Life On Mars）那样的「梦境随想」。究竟这算不算「童话」？没有关系－－这要这个故事足够「可爱」，足够感人，就够了。其实……应该说「够乱的」。 Amanda带着一身21世纪的味道，风尘仆仆地钻进那个女人依然在紧窄的束身衣里艰难呼吸的维多利亚时代。她时髦的红色头发上戴起了又大又土的「淑女帽」，吸烟，一见别人就喊「Hello」，参加聚会＝不停喝酒，发现自己不合群就放声大哭…
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在第一集结束的时候，Amanda稍加振作。虽然Bennet夫人对这位「不速之客」百般刁难，言辞甚是难听，但Amanda出人意料地得到了Bennet先生的信任和Jane的友谊。

Amanda嘴上总说「不要干涉」，却又经不起诱惑，屡屡「说漏了嘴」。她对这些人的「预言」非常正确，让他们不能不起疑心。Amanda对自己的「不小心」非常沮丧，她担心自己会影响这些长期钟爱的人物。她说：「我觉得自己像发现了石器时代部落，却又将普通的感冒传染给他们的家伙。」

第一集给人的总体印象是：既要有现代感，又要有古典感；既要有幻想元素，又要有经典文艺元素。我看到有人给本剧取了三个十分形象的别名：《It's You Can Heal Your Bustle》＋《Feel The Bonnet》＋《Wear It Anyway》，十分搞笑。这三个名称实际上印证了本剧的三大要素：时空旅行，交互式文艺，文化混杂。

OK，看这样的剧集基本不用想事，不用像看《Fringe》那样费脑子。我喜欢《锦绣佳人》（Wives And Daughters），当然也会喜欢《迷失奥斯汀》。

Jemima Rooper写了一篇文章来描述自己参演本剧的感受，全文如下：

As soon as I read the script for Lost in Austen, I could see this was a gift of a character. It's unusual to have a lead role that is as interesting as the character of Amanda Price is - often I find that leads are very bland, especially for women.

Playing a character part is normally more fun and, to be honest, it's something I had assumed was my lot. I've always been a bit too weird for people to class as the main part. Happily, this has slotted nicely into place because Amanda is meant to be a bit of a disaster. I've compared her to Bridget Jones and Basil Fawlty, for although Amanda is the heroine of the piece, she is really funny and a bit scatty.

I guess the best way to describe the programme is that it is about a modern-day, young woman living in London who is slightly obsessed with Pride and Prejudice. She loves the idea of the Georgian lifestyle - the etiquette and morals of it - and is very dissatisfied with her life. Her boyfriend is a bit crap, she's tired of the hustle and bustle of London life and people being rude on public transport - she is feeling a bit lost.

Then she thinks she is going mad because Elizabeth Bennet appears in her bathroom (I know it sounds strange, stay with me here) and she is shown through a door that leads her into this weird house that turns out to be the Bennets' home. She starts to meet all these people she has imagined vividly for years and realises she is in the beginning of the novel - and her presence is sending everything off kilter. Lizzie is not there to meet and fall in love with Darcy - Mr Bingley is paying Amanda a bit too much attention - so she is ruining the novel she loves most in the world. Does she go for Mr Darcy herself or is she keeping the way open for Lizzie? That's the big dilemma.

I was already a big fan of Austen novels and this breathes new life into these characters. Guy Andrews' script is so clever and beautiful. I guess it is vaguely a comment on our times. Through Amanda's eyes we are comparing our society with the Georgian world, but it's not overly romanticised, otherwise she would live happily ever after with Darcy.

I did costume dramas, like the Railway Children, when I was younger but it's funny - a lot of the time now I get comments like "she looks too modern" from producers. So maybe doing this might mean I can do period pieces. At least people will see that I can wear a dress.

I've been acting for 13 years and this is something that is that much more high profile - a bigger lead than I have had in a while. I'm usually the comedy sidekick - lesbian comedy sidekick normally - so it's nice to play a heterosexual lead for a change.
作者：天涯小筑

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