Does your heart pitter-patter when Gwyenth Paltrow’s Emma Woodhouse makes clipped, eloquent cooings with Mr. Knightley?
Do you grind your teeth in annoyance when Keira Knightley swans into a scene from Pride & Prejudice?
Do you re-watch Clueless a thousand times, comforted in the knowledge that you’re actually viewing a contemporary comedy based on Emma?
There are scores of Austen adaptations, and tonight, we get another one: Masterpiece Theatre (‘scuse me, Masterpiece Classic — oh, sad little PBS, branding is not your forte, is it?) is offering what looks like a dandy version of Emma. Haven’t watched it yet myself (oh, parsimonious PBS, don’t you think you’d get more publicity if you sent a TV critic a copy to review?), but I’m looking forward to seeing how good or bad this one is.
Mind you, I don’t care if an adaptation is scrupulously faithful to its source. Filmmakers in both TV and the movies have to drop characters, and trim or expand plotlines, to make their projects work. No, all I ask is that a Jane Austen interpretation possess some of the mordant wit of Austen’s work, whether it’s in the adapted screenplay and/or in the actors’ performances.
The new one stars Ramola Garai (Atonement) in the title role, and Jonny Lee Miller, late of Eli Stone, as Mr. Knightley. The invaluable Michael Gambon plays Emma’s father.
Here, I’ll toss out another example to spark your thoughts: I think one of the best Austen performances ever is Emma Thompson’s in the 1995 movie of Sense and Sensibility.
But I ask you: What’s your favorite movie or TV version of a Jane Austen book?
Please do me the kind favor of a response, dear readers. I thank you.
(Do you think Jane Austen would have used Twitter? Anyway, follow me on the damn thing: @kentucker )
Hands down, it must be the 1995 BBC production of Pride & Prejudice, with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.
I know a lot of people swear by the BBC miniseries of Pride & Prejudice, but I don’t really care for it. I don’t think Colin Firth captures the essence of Mr. Darcy and why oh why is Lizzy so much prettier than Jane, when Jane is supposed to be the most beautiful woman around? Those are basic necessities for a good Pride and Prejudice. In the 2005 movie, Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy is perfect, Simon Woods’ Mr Bingley is absolutely faithful to the book, and Rosamund Pike’s beautiful and sweet portrayal of Jane is far superior to the BBC miniseries.
I agree. I don’t know why people seem to hate the 2005 version so much. It was 2 hours, not 5, so they had to make a lot more changes, but I thought the casting was much better. Elizabeth is 20, not 35, and she is so much livelier than Jennifer Ehle made her out to be.
I absolutely agree. Although the BBC version has its merits, I felt like I was taking crazy pills while I was watching it simply because, in my opinion, lizzy was much prettier than Jane. It wouldn’t be a huge deal if they didn’t make such a fuss in the book/movies about Jane being the prettiest one in the family. Rosamund Pike was an AWESOME choice for Jane. She is extremely gorgeous as well as being able to act the part perfectly.
And going into the BBC version, I was supremely excited for Colin Firth to play Mr. Darcy because we all know how well he can play a sweet guy disguised as a jerk, but somehow was a little disappointed that I never really fell in love with him as much as Matthew Mac. in the other one. I honestly cannot pinpoint a reason why, but it is just how I reacted. They were both good at playing the jerk, but I felt that Matthew outdid Colin in the other side of Mr. Darcy.
Dear Musica1,
In the spirit of friendly debate, I could not DISAGREE more vehemently!
As written by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet always struck me as “grace under pressure” personified. Through wit and absolute mastery of words she could be pointedly emphatic without ever becoming animated or indignant, regardless of extreme provocation. Elizabeth Bennet is the sort of woman who repels a tirade, to win an argument, by remaining perfectly calm, thereby stoking the frustration of her opponent to the level of self-destructive apoplexy. Witness the deflection of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Elizabeth Bennet, throughout the book and most especially at the end. By contrast, Keira Knightley almost shouts her lines in the scene where Elizabeth refuses Mr. Darcy. From reading the book, I always imagined those lines delivered in clipped, even tones, with utmost formality. Keira Knightly seems ever at the brink of stamping her foot and pitching a hissy-fit. How unladylike!
Likewise, this film gets Mr. Darcy all wrong. He would never go traipsing about with his shirt open. What is more, I feel that Matthew Macfadyen was not sufficiently reserved in his portrayal of Mr. Darcy. He gives us chaleur (heat) where sang-froid is is called for. Mr. Darcy should be glacial, not fiery. Mr. Darcy is not a smitten school-boy, as Matthew Macfadyen portrays him. Judging from the book, Mr. Darcy strikes me as sufficiently mature to think himself beyond the age of romantic infatuation and then he surprises himself by falling for Elizabeth.
Most importantly, Colin Firth looks distinguished with sideburns while Matthew Macfadyen looks like Shaggy from “Scooby-Doo” instead. Zoikers! You could accessorize his haircut with a skate-board. I have mingled truth with sarcasm here.
The characters in “Pride & Prejudice” have been my life-long companions. Take it from me, the uncouth version with Keira Knightley is apocryphal. They have taken my favorite novel — a nuanced, intellectual romance — and tried to make it a dime-store, bodice-ripper. It is a wonder that Fabio was not cast in the role of Mr. Darcy. Gracious!
Sincerely,
[:-)] Mark
Mark Zajac
Shame on anyone for chooshing the 2005 Pride & Prejudice over the 1995 BBC version. There is absolutely no comparison both with the standard of the acting and with the writing of the 1995 version.
Right off, I like both versions of P&P. Compared to the 40′s movie, the 2005 did an exemplary job telling the story in just 2 hours. The Miniseries however captures the novel with greater depth and faithfulness, using its 5 1/2 hours very well. But to criticize the Mniseries because E. is prettier than Jane misses the point. To Regency sensibilities, blond, fair skinned, demure Jane is undoubtedly the prettiest, even if modern viewers may disagree. People of the Austen’s era would have favored the Miniseries Jane over E. by huge numbers. I love MacFayden (and Olivier, by the way) as Darcy (even if I find him more pleasant looking than undeniably handsome); but Colin Firth was absolute perfection.
I agree with this reader. The 2005 Pride and Prejudice is better than the 1995 BBC version. “There is absolutely no comparison both with the standard of the acting and with the writing of the 2005 version” as compared to the 1995 one.
Mathew who? Seriously – he made no impact on me at all. Colin Firth was the definitive Darcy. I also agree based on some knowledge of Regency history, that while we might not think the woman who played Jane was as pretty as Elizabeth, in Regency times she would have been considered a ‘diamond of the first water’.
I love the 2005 version- Matthew Macfayden was awesome. The scene where he helps Elizabeth into the carriage when they are leaving Netherfield and he flexes his hand, gets me everytime. And it is shot so beautifully, Joe Wright did a wonderful job with the direction. All the long shots, and they way he captures the landscape- amazing!
I actually thought Firth’s Mark Darcy was a better portrayal of Mr. Darcy than the Mr. Darcy he played in P & P. I know, that barely made any sense.
I’m with you – the 2005 movie version of P&P is hands down, one of my favorite movies of the last 10 years. Better than the TV version IMHO. Matthew M. was the perfect Darcy to me, and I also really liked Keira Knigtley as Elizabeth. Agree that the cinematography was gorgeous — so many images that literally took my breath away the first time I saw it. Liked the Emma Thompson version of S&S too, but I’m a bit more partial to P&P. Will be watching Emma tonight — I’ve been missing Jonny Lee Miller since the end of Eli Stone!
Maybe I’m just old, but does no one else remember and love the 1980 BBC P&P with David Rintoul and Elizabeth Garvie? That is my favorite one by far. They are both WAY more compelling (and better looking!) than the Firth version, and I think the humor in it — Mr. Collins, the mother — is much better done than in the newer miniseries or the movies.
I have to concur with Mark Z. I too prefer the BBC P&P. I love the Keira K. version but the BBC version’s portrayal of the characters is closer to the book. In the movie, Mark Z. is correct in pointing out that McFayden’s Darcy is not as reserved as he should have been. It does not mean however that he is a rotten actor, it just means that he had a different take on Darcy. Both versions are awesome, I just prefer the BBC one
I lived and breathed the BBC P&P when I was in high school, until the Keira Knightly P&P came along. I nearly died when MacFayden stutters “I love you” to Keira’s Lizzie. And the actors are much closer in age to the ages of the characters in the book. Claudie Blakly’s Charlotte was also much more genuine. Her speech to Lizzie reeked of her desperation.
Your missing the Jane Austen Boat, the Jane in the 1995 BBC version is a beauty according to standards back then. Long neck, blond, blue eyed, etc.
I can’t begin to describe how much my skin crawls whenever someone has the audacity to put the 2005 version on par with my beloved 1995 BBC version. My sneaking suspicion (pardon me if I’m wrong) is that they don’t appreciate Austen as she is and want her stories to be nuance-less, unsubtle, hit-you-over-the-head-obvious romances. Jane Austen writes of a closeted society where reputation and reserve were of the utmost importance. The genius of her Pride & Prejudice (and the brilliance of the 1995 version to get it right) is that she still manages to tell a timeless romance without the story (or protagonists) ever stooping to be inelegant, coarse, or cliche. I watched the 2005 version with the lowest expectations imaginable (seriously… I think I watched Clueless with greater expectations) and still wanted to scream. Firth’s Darcy didn’t HAVE to walk half-dressed across a field at dawn to express his undying love. You KNEW it to be true, without him having to turn into the cover of a paperback romance novel.
The 1995 miniseries is undoubtedly excellent and faithful to the source material closely, but I find it stylistically lacking. The soundtrack pales in comparison to Marianelli’s Oscar nominated score, and the cinematography feels extremely conventional.
While I dislike Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, I adore the ensemble from the 2005 film. Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn were particularly outstanding; Blethyn managed to make me actually like Mrs. Bennet when Allison Steadman made me want to strangle her.
I agree. The casting in the 2005 version was much more accurate than the 1995 version, particularly with the Bennet sisters and Bingleys.
I personally find the 2005 film tolerable only by giving it the MST3K treatment – it was that laughable and so completely unlike the book that I think zombies could only have made it more faithful.
i would agree that the casting of the feature film p&p was a little better than the bbc one (jennifer ehle and colin firth were just too old) but it doesn’t stop me from loving the bbc one! i thought that one had a better wickham and lydia, and a better mr and mrs bennett.
@Anne–He may not needed to walk through a field in his night close, but apparently in the 1985 version he needed to hop out of a pond dripping wet? Same thing, really.
Errr: night clothes.
People who loved the novel first are more likely to like the BBC version better because it is so true to the book. I agree with those of you who said that Elizabeth is by far prettier than Jane in the miniseries. I feel sort of shallow that I was so bothered by this, but it is ridiculously obvious. And don’t give me that it was considered to be more attractive to be blonde and fair-skinned during the time. Anyone, from any time would agree that Jane’s face was….ick!
I heartily agree with Mark. All I know is that the good for nothing director (sorry!) of the 2005 movie stated in the commentary that Darcy was actually just shy. sigh. if that’s what he thinks, then he missed the whole point, and i can only wonder if he even read the book? I did think Rosamund Pike was a lovely Jane. but it wasn’t enough – I don’t think Keira was right for Elizabeth, and if you don’t have the right Elizabeth, I don’t think you can have a good, even adequate adaptation of P&P
I love the 2005 version. I also love reading the book itself (and all of Austen’s books). I am really annoyed by people like the poster Anne who claim that those who like the 2005 version better than the BBC version must not be able to appreciate Austen or have read the book. Yes, things have to be a little different when condensing to a two hour movie versus a five hour movie. However, I thought the 2005 version did a great job and I love it. I think it is fine if your opinion is that the 1995 version is better (even though I don’t, just a matter of taste). However, those that are actually offended by the 2005 version and criticize those who like it better are probably just the type of people that want to feel superior to others.
Having seen both, I liked Jennifer Ehle’s Elizabeth a million times better than Keira Knightley’s….and the Darcy’s are a toss-up (although McFayden did make me swoon more). As for the rest of the cast….I generally liked the 2005 better. I particularly thought that Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins were far superior! Mr. Collins’ scenes in the 2005 movie are still some of my favorite for their pure comedy, as Austen intended. The BBC version of Mr. Collins wasn’t funny at all, just gross. And Mrs. Bennet’s screeching in the BBC version made her hard to watch. And Jane (in the BBC version), well, she seemed like she had some head trauma, she just sat with one look. I preferred Rosamund Pike. And cinematically, it wasn’t as artfully done as the new one. But Keira Knightley’s presence practically negated all positives from the 2005 movie, as I just thought that Keira looked like skeletor most of the time, and had an obnoxious pout. Two cents put in! I can’t wait to watch Emma! (My favorite of all the novels)
Amen and amen to Mark!! You have expressed it completely and more eloquently than I could ever dream to. And may I add that Keira Knightley’s depiction of Elizabeth was far too silly. Lizzy was a sensible and passionate girl, but never silly. And Colin Firth is the quintessential Darcy. No one can or ever will nail it like he did.
Both versions have their merits. 2005 had the cinematography, the score, a superior Jane, and a freakishly adorable Mr. Bingley. The BBC version had 3 and a half hours (!) more of Jane Austen and did better justice to the novel because of the emphasis on wit rather than tortured emotions. I loved Jennifer Ehle’s performance but she was a bit older than the role called for. But honestly, I just want more Jane Austen in any capacity. Best adaptation ever? 2008 BBC Sense and Sensibility, it was gorgeous.
Could not disagree more! Colin Firth ‘s Darcy is the definitive performance. Matthew MacFadyen moped about as a weird contemporary interpretation of a Byronic hero mixed with Mr. Rochester. Knightley is simply playing a variation of Elizabeth Swann, not Elizabeth Bennet. Girl can’t act. And Ehle was in her late 20s, which is not a terrible age difference between the actress and the character.
I don’t understand how the people who read the book can actually think that the 2005 version has any merit or worth! There are so many glaring inaccuracies for the period that I wanted to scream. Just to name 3: 1: Mr. Bingley comes into Jane’s bedroom when she’s sick, when she’s lying around in her night gown that would NEVER EVER HAPPEN! 2. Mr. Bingley calls himself an “unmitigated ass” during his proposal to Jane. Now I admit, that was cute, and I liked the actor, but, c’mon, really? Gentlemen would never curse in front of a woman. 3. (As someone already mentioned) Darcy’s sunrise half-clothed stroll over to the Bennett house UGH just, really? (And I believe someones rebuttal was Firth’s Darcy’s wet shirt scene: the difference BEING that Firth’s Darcy didn’t think that anyone was home besides his servants so it was perfectly natural to go for a little swim to cool off, whereas Matt’s Darcy was specifically coming to look for Lizzie with half of his clothes off – BIG DIFFERENCE)
I feel like they were trying to modernize something that should not be modernized. Its different if they were to do an actual AU (like Clueless which I thought was AWESOME) but if you’re going to keep it in the time period at least keep it accurate. I will admit the score was incredible. And Rosamund Pike was my perfect Jane: so delicate, beautiful and sweet. But Keira Knightley in that role was like nails on a chalkboard. Must she always look like a vulture? There is no redeeming quality about her performance, how she got nominated for an Oscar I’ll never know. If they had cast a different Elizabeth and fixed some of the glaring historical inaccuracies I would probably like the 2005 version, but, alas, they did not. Colin Firth, will, and always will be, the perfect Mr. Darcy.
On a side note, I think that Romola Garai looks like a fantastic Emma
I agree with you.
DaniVT – I LOVED that scene as well. I love both versions. To me the give you two different experiences. There is no denying that Colin Firth is a fabulous Darcy. But Matthew also played the part to perfection. The viewer starts out looking at Darcy the same way Elizabeth does. As she begins to warm to him so do you. I was absolutely in LOVE with Matt’s Darcy by the end of the film. Both gentlemen did a great job and both productions made this avid Jane Austen reader happy.
AMEN!
opinions may vary…but the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice introduced me to Jane Austen {i was on a trip to the UK visiting family when the series was being aired and saw 3 of the 4 parts there}….and it will always be my favorite…the actors and directing is the best in my *opinion*.
Agreed. 1995 miniseries = best. Watching it is like eating dessert.
I’m sorry, but Keira Knightly as Elizabeth just did not do it for me.
I think I liked both the miniseries and the new film- at first I hated the film (too short) but I have to confess my real dislike of it is spawned from the casting of Keira Knightly. I think the woman who played Lizzie in the 1995 miniseries was spot on. Keira Knightly bugged me and I kinda hated the film’s casting of Mr. Bennet- too much bumbling…
That said, I loved some of the other casting I thought that the rest of the Bennet girls were very well cast (though I love lydia from the mini series) and I thought the Bingleys were well cast (if not one short) but I’m a big Colin Firth fan- just loved him in the mini-series the new guy just wasn’t quite right… plus he wasn’t walking out of a lake now was he? No. So I think overall my vote goes to the mini-series because I think it more correctly captured the atmosphere but there were aspects of the new film that were well done and it did them in half the time.
The irony of it all really, was that Keira Knightly actually said she was scared of doing Lizzie because so many girls loved her. She should’ve gone with her instincts and passed that up. I wish they’d have done Pride & Prejudice with Kate Winslet back in the days.
I agree…I think Keira Knightly is one of the most annoying actresses on the planet, and I couldn’t stand watching her in the 2005 adaptation.
Preach. The Keira Knightley version was a tragedy. The 1995 with Colin Firth is perfect down to the smallest degree. And it doesn’t end with some cloying “I love YOU” moment sitting cross-legged outside Chatsworth.
Keira Knightly was a disaster as Elizabeth. Jennifer Ehle played the role perfectly and looked more the part. Colin Firth is unmatched as Darcy- a true blueblood and snob as he is supposed to be at first- though McFayden grew on me towards the end of the 2005 version. But the real strength of the BBC version is in the supporting characters. You are supposed to dislike Caroline, Mrs. Bennett, Lydia and Wickham. The 2005 version watered all of them down way too much. Mr. Collins was well played by both actors (cannot remember their names) and I liked Rosamund Pike better as Jane, but overall the cast of the BBC version head and shoulders above the 2005 cast.
Couldn’t agree more! The 2005 version trimmed too much of the witty dialogue from the book- it’s one thing to cut scenes or characters but trimming fabulous dialogue and replacing it with mediocrity is a crime against intelligence and good taste.
I agree! I also had the drawn out ending in the field. If they were going for sexual tension, they could have done it with SOME subtlety. Also someone said that Jennifer Ehle was 35 when the they filmed 1995 version but she was only 25.
You took the words right out of my mouth!
100% Agreed. There is nothing more accurate and true to both the spirit and the literal translation of the text.
“Pride & Prejudice, with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.”
Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Far and away my favorite adaptation. I make watching it an annual event and never tire of it.
Me too… Can watch Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle over and over again.
I watched that yesterday for the hundredth time and I totally agree! A masterpiece! So true to the book.
I ABSOLUTELY agree!!!!!!!!!!
Totally agree. Love and own this one.
I second that, followed closely by the Emma Thompson/Kate Winslet version of Sense & Sensibility
i have to say that the masterpiece version of S&S from last year beats the Emma Thompson one hands down (except for Kate Winslet, who I would watch read the phone book.) The PBS one had a compelling Col Brandon, which made Much more sense for the ending, and again, actors who were actually appropriate in age to the characters they were playing. Emma Thompson, again, love her, was Way too Freakin Old to play Elinor Dashwood. Hands down.
That being said, the best best best adaptation is the 1995 version of Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. That is absolute perfection from beginning to end, with perfect casting and perfect script and direction.
To welshgirl, I too adore the 1995 Persuasion, but it’s a bit of a double-standard criticizing the 95 S&S on account of Emma Thompson’s age, but not acknowledging the fact that Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds are *far* older than their characters. They’re meant to be in their late 20s!
I love both films and think Thompson, Root and Hinds all do great things with their roles, but age-appropriate casting isn’t a strength of either film.
Word for word what I was going to write!
Yes, yes, yes!
Top 3:Colin Firth as Darcy does the best interpretation of any Jane Austen male character. Jennifer Ehle is very much prettier that ‘Jane’ and a spirited and perfect Lizzie. This P & P from 1995 is an awesome adaptation of the book and stands the test of time. Persuasion from 1995 is also a wonderfully developed and very down to earth adaptation. A must see. And Sense and Sensibility. In addition to Emma Thompsen, Kate Winslet is perfection. That scene on the hill in the rain overlooking Willoughby’s estate…..
I loved that one, but I’ve watched the Keira Knightley version a million times. I think the version of Emma with Gwenyth Paltrow is my favorite, but I will watch the one with Romola too. Sense and Sensibility is another fave of mine and Emma Thompson’s version is a hands down favorite. I’ve watched it so many times.
Absolutely – the A&E Ehle and Firth Pride & Prejudice is the best and most enjoyable.
Thank you! I thought it was A&E.
I loved this version as it was ture to the book. I thought Keira Knightly version was too much desinged as a vehicle for her.
I also loved the A&E version of Emma with Kate Beckinsale.
The BBC version of Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth is no doubt the best. It was understated and perfectly acted. The Hollywood version does what it does best – everything over the top and as about as subtle as a sledgehammer over the head.
I agree. I have the 2 DVD set and still rewatch certain scenes. The actors playing Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine are just as well cast as the 4 main characters.
Your absolutely right – Pride and Prejudice is the best PBS presentation of a Ms. Austin classic. Miss Bennett & Mr. Darcey- oh, my!
Agreed, by far my fave adaptation! But I also love ‘Lost in Austen’ with Jemima Rooper that also gives the Colin Firth version a little love.
I couldn’t stomach watching Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth, and the BBC version was exquisite. As a faithful Jane Austen reader since I was twelve years old, I think the BBC version captured the wit and social juxtaposition of class vs. wealth that Jane Austen so beautifully explored in her novels. Colin Firth, in my humble opinion, will ALWAYS be Mr. Darcy. Whoever they used in the recent movie version coudn’t hold a candle. It is beyond comparison.
I concur…Pride & Prejudice w/ Colin Firth
To Lea:
Emma Thompson was 35 when she filmed S&S – you make it sound as if she were an old woman of 78. How old are you? 14?
What she’s saying is that while she may not be an old woman she was far too old to play the part of Elinor, who is supposed to be 19! The ’95 version is beautiful, haunting, and full of amazing acting, but Emma Thompson really was a little old to be playing a teenager. The newest BBC version was pretty awesome actually (and I’m a huge fan of Emma Thompsons version) they made it longer and therefore were more faithful to the novel and the casting was perfect and more accurate to age (Though I did like Charity Wakefield, NO ONE can play Marianne like Kate Winslet. That performance was amazing)
I have to agree about Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility. She did an excellent job of cutting it down to the essentials without losing Austen.
I forgot to add that there was an excellent adaptation of Northanger Abbey done in 2007 by ITV. The casting was perfect, especially JJ Feild as Henry Tilney. He played the role exactly as I imagined when I read the book. Felicity Jones was also wonderful as Catherine.
I really enjoyed that version of Northanger Abbey too and I agree that the casting was perfect. Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility is my favorite Austen movie though.
I adored Northanger Abbey. I’m ashamed to admit that I had never read the book; regardless, I fell in love with it. Most of the new BBC adaptations since 2006 have been fantastic. I also liked Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion and Emma. Romola Garai was surprisingly great in this new version!
Hated Romola Garai, much preferred Gwyenth Paltrow but loved the Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion
I absolutely agree with this one. I just watched Northanger Abbey a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was fantastic! Catherine Morland was played with such naivete, and Tilney was adorable. With so many of these adaptations, people don’t realize how much you get right just by casting characters the right age.
Sense and Sensibility is my all time favorite Austen adaptation – totally brilliant from top to bottom. A perfect movie in every way. But I too also loved Northanger Abbey – it was great fun, and J.J. Field was perfect as Tilney. Also loved the 2007 version of Persuasion with Sally Hawkins, and the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, which had better casting all around than the BBC version (with actors who were actually the right age and temperament to play their parts), was more realistic with the class differences, and the music and scenery were gorgeous!
The version of Persuasion they did with Sally Hawkins was also very good.
The Emma Thompson ‘Sense & Sensibility’ is probably my favorite Austen adaptation, but I very much enjoyed the latest ‘Northanger Abbey’ as well. The new version of ‘Persuasion’ was OK, but having Anne run around at the end was just stupid, and the captain buying her ancestral home for her was ludicrous. The end sort of ruined it for me. The 90s ‘Persuasion’ was much better.
I agree with Martha–not only did Anne have to run around like a crazy person (Austen heroines may be passionate but I don’t think they ever lose it), but they took out the pen-dropping scene which is the climax of the whole book and symbolic of Wentworth giving up his “authority,” his version of events, to defer to Anne’s wisdom. I couldn’t believe they changed it. Also, the Wentworth dude did not look capable of being a sailor and Sally Hawkins is not really pretty enough to play Anne.
2nd favorite adaptation is definitely Emma Thompson’s (with Alan Rickman as Col Brandon) ‘Sense and Sensibility’. I watch it annually too.
I fell in LOVE with Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon. Emma Thompson’s “Sense and Sensibility” is a gem of a movie and a real treat for any Austen fan.
Rickman as Brandon has totally fueled my crush on the actor
Do not neglect Kate Winslet’s fervent Marianne or Greg Wise’s picture-perfect Willoughby as standout performances as well.
I love Sense & Sensibility so much that when I’m flicking thru channels and happen on it, I always finish watching it.
I have two complaints, though and the more I watch it the more they annoy me. First, Emma Thompson is way too old for the part. I think she was wonderful, but she just looks so old, way too old. Second, Hugh Grant stands out in comparision with the rest of the cast. He doesn’t capture that part, he plays Edward as a mealy-mouthed, scaredy-cat loser. In the book Edward is not so extreme and it just stands out since the whole cast is so excellent. Plus Hugh Grant is too also old, but I figured they had to get somebody old to play against Emma Thompson so she wouldn’t look even older.
I agree with the Hugh Grant comment. It was sort of random to see him in there. I like him as an actor, but he was a little distracting to watch, as compared to the rest of the cast, who were all brilliant. Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, and Kate Winslet especially.
I love every single actor in S and S except Hugh Grant, sorry to say. He was the weak link in that movie, IMO. Kate Winslet was brilliant as always, Alan Rickman was surprisingly good and Emma Thompson was excellent.
Jonny Lee Miller was in Mansfield Park(the one that was like partly based on Jane Austen) right?
I have always been fond of Mansfield Park and I really enjoyed the newest version(starrng Rose..something..from Doctor Who) even with that bleached hair, I still really liked that tv movie.
I love the Jonny Lee Miller version of Mansfield Park! Reason #1 why I am watching the new Emma tonight.
He was great in Mansfield Park. I loved that movie, even though I have trouble getting over the fact that they’re cousins and they fall in love. But I guess that was common back then.
Mansfield Park is an interesting conumdrum: the movie took huge liberties with it, but somehow got away with it. Wheras the TV version was very faithful, but suffered because their Fanny was more vivacious and strong than the Book’s Fanny appears. It’s a hard role to cast correctly Too bland and you lose interest, too charasmatic and you don’t believe how she is being treated. That problem was excellently solved in the movie version of Persuasion (with a female lead much like Fanny in her reserve and being ignored). I blieve the actress playing the lead there was Amanda Root, and she got the balnce just right.
Amanda Root was amazing in Persuasion – just about the best film interpretation of an Austen heroine, and that’s really saying a lot considering the competition.
U R right about Miller in Mansfield, i mention that later in my post,kudos 2 you fellow Austen fan for remembering….the actress who played Rose on Dr Who is Billie Piper.
Agree with the above sentiments, but I also LOVE the 1995 adaptation of PERSUASION. Quite faithful to the source material, and it quietly grows on you. No big name stars, either, but Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds are fabulous.
I have to agree with you on this one. I think I’ve watched my VHS tape of “Persuasion” about 200 times. Each time I love it more. I’m an equal-opportunity lover of all the P&Ps out there. I’ll even watch them back to back when I’m in the mood.
I’ve never seen that version (and I love Ciaran Hinds) but I did see the recent version of “Persuasion” with Sally Hawkins and I really enjoyed it.
YES! Captain Wentworth is my favorite of all of Austen’s men and Ciaran Hinds was perfect. I loved this version. All the actors were amazing.
Persuasion has always been my favorite JA book and the movie version with Ciaran Hind and Amamda Root is amazing. They are both age appropriate and have so much chemistry.
Loved the 1995 version! Wasn’t crazy about the 2007 version at all, the quality of that production was sub par for such a recent release. Persuasion is tied with Sense and Sensibility as my favorite Austen novels and I honestly just want people to release a new adaptation of them every couple of years.
I loved this adaptation, too, but Amanda Root still seems too old for Anne. However, Fiona Shaw and Sophie Thompson more than made up for it with the sublime rightness of their casting.
I absolutely agree. The best and truest adaptation is this version of Persuasion. Ciran Hinds writing the letter towards the end, and then the voiceover of him reading it. BEST EVER.
Not exactly an adaptation, but Lost in Austen is a clever new take of Pride and Prejudice.
I agree. Persuasion with Ciran Hinds and Amanda Root is my favorite of them all. It’s hard to rank them but it wins.
Hot damn, liookng pretty useful buddy.
My favorite is probably the Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley. The music was amazing and each shot was more gorgeous than the last. I love Austen adaptations…especially ones with Jonny Lee Miller, so I am glad you reminded me of the new one. However: I would like to request that for articles like these where we can express our opinion from a list, you put some sort of poll/voting type option on the article. That way we can simply express our opinion if we choose without having to post it on the message board. The reason is this: the boards are always full of ridiculous fights, arrogant people, and advertisements. Yes, we can write on the board if we want to defend our position, or expand upon some thought, but by clicking on our favorite, we could see the results pretty easily summed up (percentage) and avoid the silly rabbit hole.
Can I just say my major issue with the latest P&P was the way the Bennett family was portrayed in general. In the book they were middle class, but in the movie they made them so slovenly. Pigs and dogs running through the house…sucking their fingers at the table…EB’s depressingly drab clothing. That was so off-putting to me. I suppose it was meant to heighten the desperation of finding a wealthy husband, but Austen manages to do that through the mother alone just fine.
Enjoyed last night’s Emma. We had an office debate over Northam v. Miller. He seems to be filling those shoes quite well. Looking forward to next week!
Thank you for bringing this up. It bugged me so much while watching the film. Lizzie was a gentleman’s daughter – not that of a poverty stricken farmer.
And while I think Jonny Lee Miller is fine as Mr. Knightly, he isn’t a patch on Jeremy Northam or Mark Strong. He just seems too young to me. But otherwise, I find this new version acceptable, if not the best. Still it’s so much better than the 2005 P&P that they shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence when discussing Austen adaptations.
I am also enjoying the new Emma–Jonny Lee Miller is actually the perfect age to play Knightly (who was in his mid-30′s in the novel; Miller was born in 1972.) BTW, the age spread between Garai, and Miller, Paltrow and Northam, and Strong and Beckinsale, is about the same: 10 years (with Strong being 11 years older than Beckinsale.) In the novel Knightly was 16 years older than Emma who was about 20, so casting has skewed slightly younger, which I am fine with personally, since a substantially older looking actor might get into “icky” territory.
Thanks for the clarification. It’s been awhile since I read Emma, but I thought the age difference was around 15 years. (Which doesn’t really bother me, but then again, I’ve always like much older men.) I guess, to me, Jonny Lee Miller just seems younger than he actually is, and Gwyneth Paltrow seems older.
I admit I love the 2005 Keira Knightley Pride and Prejudice, and enjoy the miniseries. I also liked the BBC adaptation of Persuasion from 2008.
My hands down favorite adaptation has to be the 2005
version of Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightly. I thought the acting was superb, and the moiv e did a fantastic job of capturing the tone of the book. Whenever it’s on TV, I’ll stop and watch it, even though I own the movie and I’ve seen it countless times. My second favorite would have to be the 1995 Sense and Sensibility. I love Alan Rickman in that role!
Dear FNL,
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I must respectfully dispute your assertion that the 2005 adaptation captures the tone of the book.
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I read an interesting commentary at the IMDB web site, which explained that the time-line for the 2005 production had been rolled back twenty years, relative to the book, in order for the film to coincide with the year in which Jane Austen wrote her first draft. Consequently, events unfold in the Romantic Era, rather than the Regency Period. Supposedly, this change justifies greater use of outdoor settings, including wide shots of natural vistas. Also, the dancing in this Romantic Era production is more vulgar and less choreographed, in contrast to Regency Period standards. It was some comfort to learn that deviations from the book were based on scholarship, rather than caprice. On the other hand — Jane forgive me! — “if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it” as the grammatically abominable adage wisely counsels.
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Consider the scene in which Elizabeth refuses Mr. Darcy. In the book, this scene transpires at the Hunsford Parsonage, in a room which had been previously been described as small. Significantly, from the entire book, I can think of no instance when Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy met in a smaller room. I believe that Jane Austen deliberately put her characters in a box, in order to heighten the tension between them with a sense of claustrophobia. Mr. Darcy is described as pacing about the room, as if he were a caged animal. To me, transferring this scene to an outdoor setting is utterly contrary to the deliberate and carefully planning of Jane Austen. Bah! Humbug!
.
Note that when Mr. Darcy delivered his letter of explanation to Elizabeth, the next day, he did not revisit the confines of Hunsford Parsonage. Instead, he caught Elizabet outside, by loitering along the path of her favorite walk. His corporeal freedom coincided with greater freedom of expression and perhaps he was gallantly allowing Elizabeth more room to maneuver as well. He did not wish her to feel backed into a corner. Jane Austen knew her business. All of this was lost in the 2005 film.
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Sincerely,
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[:-)] Mark
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Mark Zajac
P.S.
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Oh, wait… The parting of Darcy and Elizabeth at Lambton also transpired in a small room but, of course, that was a scene of high tension as well.
Mark, you are my comment-section hero. Well done, sir, well done.
Also, I thought the casting of Bingley and how he was portrayed in the 2005 movie was absolutely wrong and problematic.
I agree that Bingley in the 2005 movie was all wrong. He was portrayed not as easily persuaded, but as a bleeding eejit.
Even though I enjoyed the hotness of Colin Firth in the BBC Pride & Prejudice….I can watch Sense & Sensibility a million times all because of the wonderfully smart and endearing Emma Thompson!!! Definitely my fave!
No doubt. S & S is fantastic, definately the best movie and neck and neck with the Miniseries P&P in my estimation. But really, I’m happy there are so many good Austen adaptations out there!
Not an adaptation, per se, but the miniseries Lost in Austen was a cute re-envisioning of Pride and Prejudice, as a young woman obsessed with the novel finds a portal into the Bennetts’ world.
I love this version too! I’m a HUGE fan of the 1995 miniseries and I love Colin Firth, but Elliot Cowan’s Darcy was unbelievable.
The writers did a superb job manipulating the story to create plausible reactions to Amanda Price’s involvement in P&P. Definitely one of my favorites…
It was certainly interesting, I enjoyed the way they dealt with Whickham- it was nice not to feel bad for actually liking him in this version, if you will.
Elliot Cowan was fantastic, and hilarious! He wasn’t really playing Darcy, more like spoofing Colin Firth’s version of Darcy. Genius.
yeah i watched this,thought it was cute.love Jemima from other BBC shows
Favorite film adaptation of a Jane Austen work would definitely be Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility, likely because Sense is my favorite of Austen’s works, but also because it manages to catch all of the vibrancy of the novel while making few compromises. Amy Heckerling’s modernization of Emma comes at a close second for its inventiveness, its great young cast (many of whom have had bright careers since–Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Brown Bear…), and its ability to infuse new wit and vitality to a story that didn’t even really need to be given new wit and vibrancy (though, after the 1996 adaptation one could be mislead into thinking that it might). One question: When when Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Based on the Novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Graham-Green Based on the Novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen makes its way to film, can that be considered for an Austen film adaptation list?
I forgot to mention The Jane Austen Book Club. Not the best movie, but it was fun and it gave Austen enthusiasts plenty to geek out to.
haha…by chance I caught this movie on TV and loved it. The themes of Austen that ran through each character was endearing. I really liked the movie.
I adore Jane Austen Book Club. I have lost track of how many times I’ve watched it.
aah & book club had Hugh Dancy who so obviously belongs in the Austen universe w/ his charm & good looks.
I am so enamored of that film – Emily Blunt as Prudie – awesome!
I suppose if Clueless can be considered an Austen adaptation, then Pride and Prejudice and Zombies can be too. Hope they make it work. Could be fun. Could be a horror show in all the wrong ways. But I’ll be seeing it when it comes.
I’m waiting for the film version of Shannon Hale’s Austenland but only if audiobook narrator Katherine Kellgren gets to play the heroine. Fantastic fun!
The Ang Lee S&S, all the way. It was faithful in all the ways that it needed to be but bold enough to branch out from the novel just enough to make the story truly cinematic. And perfect performances all around.
My second favorite is the 1995 “Persuasion” with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. Utterly beautiful.
The first interpretation of Pride and Prejudice that I ever saw was probably the first one made back in the 1930′s with Greer Garson and Sir Laurence Olivier. I’ve read P&P a 100 times and always imagine Olivier as the real Darcy. Love that version – really hated the Keira Knightly version….
Olivier was SO GOOD as Darcy. OMG! Too bad the movie gets it only 2/3 right, but what it gets right is absolutely marvelous, and the rest is still fun.
Glad someone else likes that version. When ever they mention any of the interpretations of her books no one ever mentions this version. Colin Firth is probably my second favorite Darcy. But nobody has managed to eclipse Laurence Olivier….
Agreed! I’m a huge fan of P & P and she was awful! When she was yelling at Darcy, she actually looked like she was about to go: Oh No you DIDN’T.
Olivier was note-perfect as Darcy but screenwriter Aldous Huxley committed the unpardonable sin of turning Lady Catherine de Burgh into a positive character. This completely ruins the entire production for me. That, and the fact that Greer Garson is too queenly for the light, bright Lizzy Bennett. To me, Jennifer Ehle is the best of the Lizzy portrayals.
The latest version of Mansfield Park, with Billie Piper, is actually a joke in my house. I guess I should add SPOILER ALERT: It’s a perfectly adequate show, but ten minutes before the end the hero still had not fallen for our heroine. We were all a bit concerned about this, but then in a scene that will live on forever in my memory, Fanny’s aunt asks her if she should use purple or maroon thread in her embroidery. Fanny tells her to use the purple thread, and the camera focuses on Edmund as the dramatic music swells. Clearly, he now knows she’s the one for him. The four of us watching burst into laughter, and to this day if one of us is in need of a chuckle all you have to do is mention purple thread. I’ll admit that this is the one Austen book I’ve never read, so if this is a faithful reproduction from the book, well, that’s somewhere a diversion from the source would have been a smart thing to do.
Mansfield Park is hard to adapt. The Billie Piper version is reasonably faithful and still manages to lose its way somehow. The movie version with Jonny lee Miller takes great liberties – Austen faithful beware! – but it manages to work as a movie.
The version of Mansfield Park with Billie Piper had me trying to stifle giggles and making smart-arsed comments because it was so absurdly bad. What was with all of the running, her heaving bosoms, and badly dyed hair? Ugh…I’d much rather watch the loosely-based on MP version with Jonny Lee Miller than that.
As for the rest, Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson is my absolute favorite movie of all time. I did like the newer TV version even if Willoughby and Brandon weren’t as good.
After that I fell in love with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in Pride and Prejudice. I actually enjoy the version with Kiera Knightly, too.
I’m looking forward to Emma with Romola Garai even though I love Jeremy Northam’s Mr. Knightly.
Persuasion would have to be Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. With the new one the letter at the end was completely omitted and again, what’s with the running all over Bath?
Finally, the recent Northanger Abbey was fun, just like the novel…good adaption.
Mansfield Park is the hardest Austen book for me to deal with, mostly because…they’re FIRST COUSINS! I know that was a norm back then, but it’s hard for me to stomach. Fanny is also a hard character to root for since she’s such a milque toast. I agree that the latest version with Billie Piper was just laughable – she was completely miscast, and they made her aunt and uncle much more sympathetic than they should have been.
The newer TV version of S&S lost me the moment Col. Brandon made his entrance. I know the pianoforte/singing bit from the Ang Lee film isn’t strictly how it happens in the book (that I remember, anyway) but that scene so beautifully captures Brandon’s immediately falling for Marianne in a way that D. Morrison gaping at her chewing never could. It didn’t stand a chance.
I loved the version of “Persuasion” that PBS showed a couple years ago, as part of the Jane Austen series. I didn’t know that story very well, and I got totally sucked in. For movies, I agree with the others – Ang Lee’s “Sense & Sensibility” is my favorite.
If you liked that one, you should try the movie version of Persuasion from the 90s, with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds… it’s much better, and really captures the more subdued and expansive spirit of Austen’s last novel.
Agree. The Root/Hinds movie gets it right. The TV movie felt like a pale copy at best by comparison. Not that it was bad, it just didn’t do much that was different and did everything else less winningly.
I hated the 95 version of Persuasion. Anne was not 40 and Captain Wentworth was not 50. Horrible casting. Persuasion is my favorite novel, so I could not forgive the liberties that they took with this version.
This is probably my favorite film adaptation of Austen. I loved Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds…they had amazing chemistry!
Amanda Root was 32 during Persuasion (1995). Sally Hawkins was 31 in the 2007 version. Anne Elliot is supposed to be 28. The 1995 version was very close to the novel, and even used both endings that Austen wrote. The 2007 version screwed up some of the plot order more than once, and then there was the Sally H. running during the end, and “Mrs Smith” running into Anne in the nick of time.
WILLOUGHBY!!!!!
I have to agree that I don’t love the 5 hours version of P and P, the main characters were off for some reason. I don’t understand why more don’t like the 2005 version. I really like S and S, but Emma Thompson as Elinor bugs me. Elinor is supposed to be 20. Emma was in her thirties, right? Part of Elinor’s charm was that she was so young and yet so levelheaded, especially when you compare her to her peers (her sister, Lucy, and Lucy’s sister). I am excited for a new Emma, but I love Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightly.
OMG!! Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightly was AWESOME!!! I rented that Emma version on a whim and loved it. I think I’ve watched it a billion times
Sure some of the actors cast didn’t have the good looks that the characters they played supposedly possess (I’m looking at you Polly Walker and Alan Cumming — Mr. Elton is suppose to be “dreamy”) but I did not mind at all. I just love, love, love this version. It is not perfect nor is it the best BUT there is just something about it that I love 
You don’t think Polly Walker is classically beautiful? Wow. I think she’s stunning, and I’m guessing the director of Emma did too.
I vacillate between this version of Emma and the A&E version with Kate Beckinsdale, but Jeremy Northam brings me back every time. Not that Mark Strong wasn’t an excellent Mr. Knightly, but Jeremy is just perfect.
hot damn does Jeremy Northsam do it for me, making this “Emma” my favorite adaptation. The costumes, the casting of cheeky Ewan McGregor and Toni Collette, love love love this Austen.
Hate to say, the newer BBC version of Emma, mmmm… I couldn’t get into it (I live in the UK)
Does Pride and Prejudice and Zombies count?
Does Bridget Jones’s Diary count?
It has yet to be adapted into a film/television production, so no? I think? But I can’t wait until it has. I loved P&P&Z.