Does your heart pitter-patter when Gwyenth Paltrow’s Emma Woodhouse makes clipped, eloquent cooings with Mr. Read the full post.
Jan 24
2010
10:23 AM ET
A new 'Emma' on 'Masterpiece Theatre' tonight: What's your favorite Jane Austen adaptation?
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I don’t know what people are talking about. I loved the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice! Keira Knightley was perfect as Lizzie, she was just the right age and filled Lizzie with the youthful exuberance that was lacking in the 1995 miniseries. That was a great performance, I couldn’t believe that fantastic performance came out of Knightley. She was terrific! Though I liked the 1995 version as well, but I liked the movie better. People seem to forget that the women Jane Austen wrote about were very young and still possessed remnants of immaturity. While I loved Emma Thompsons Sense and Sensibility, and she was wonderful, but again the youthful exuberance was missing and it was something that Kate Winslet mainly brought to the movie. However, we are talking about Austin and most of the movies and miniseries that are based on her novels are very good with very high calibre acting. Still the 2005 movie version with Knightley will remain my all-time favourite.
I’m not sure why the author had to include such a nasty dig at Kiera Knightley’s “Price and Prejudice,” which is an absolutely gorgeous film, and a great adaptation of the book. It’s very different from the famous miniseries (which I also love — Firth is a wonderful Darcy), but considering it won several accolades including a Best Picture Oscar nomination, the movie deserves just a little respect. I was dubious about Kiera at first, but she makes for a wonderful Elizabeth Bennett, and was even believably somewhat plain (if adorable), and Matthew Macfadyen was just wonderful as Darcy.
I’ll put in a plug for an earlier (1980) BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice as my favorite and as the most
faithful to the novel, starring Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul with novelist Fay Weldon credited with the script. And the Root/Hinds Persuasion is also superb. Regarding Lee’s Sense and Sensiblity, I love Emma Thompson but she was too old to play the 19-year-old Elinor.
1995 miniseries adaption of Pride and Prejudice was simply fantastic. I loved Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle’s Elizabeth Bennett. The supporting cast was spot on, especially the Bennett parents. I loved Benjamin Whitrow’s Mr. Bennett, he was so much better than Donald Sutherland’s mumbling henpecked family patriarch. As Mrs.Bennett, Alison Steadman was as social climbing and boorish as the character was supposed to be from the book. She was hilarious! There has never been a better Mr. Collins than David Bamber. His sucking up to Lady Catherine De Bourgh was a treat. It was so much better than 2005′s Kiera Knightley whiny bitchfest. Matthew Mcfayden needs a better hairpiece, BTW.
Sorry! wrong place. Meant this to be it’s own comment!
While Pride and Prejudice introduced me to the great Jane Austen (and a very sexy, wet Colin Firth), my vote would be either the 1999 or 2007 versions of Persuasion. While it isn’t as comic as Emma, the romance is beautiful and completely understated.
Hands down my favorite Austen adaptation is the 1995 Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. The music , the casting, the whole look and feel of the movie (yes even the jerky camera movements) made the movie feel so authentic to its time. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Emma looked too perfect and there were several casting issues (the only one I liked was Jeremy Northam’s Knightley) and while I loved Ang Lee’s S&S, Emma Thompson was just too old to play a young twentysomething. I have yet to see anything to surpass Amanda Root’s amazing performance as she transforms from a pale ghostly shadow to a glowing energetic heroine at the movie’s conclusion.
Sheila – I so agree with you! Root’s transformation was such a subtle, beautiful piece of acting (and make-up I suppose!). She just blooms.
Also, the voiceover when Wentorh reads Anne’s letter makes me misty every time.
Hinds/Root were dazzling. The physical pull between Wentworth/Anne can be felt through the screen.
Back when I started getting into classic movies I watched the Greer Garson/Lawrence Olivier Pride & Prejudice. I enjoyed it so much that I gave the 1995 miniseries a try. And I enjoyed that so much that I watched all the subsequent adaptations. My favorites are the mid 90s adaptations: P & P, Emma (with Gwyneth and Jeremy Northam), Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility. I enjoy them all so much. But P&P and Emma are my faves.
1995 miniseries adaption of Pride and Prejudice was simply fantastic. I loved Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle’s Elizabeth Bennett. The supporting cast was spot on, especially the Bennett parents. I loved Benjamin Whitrow’s Mr. Bennett, he was so much better than Donald Sutherland’s mumbling henpecked family patriarch. As Mrs.Bennett, Alison Steadman was as social climbing and boorish as the character was supposed to be from the book. She was hilarious! There has never been a better Mr. Collins than David Bamber. His sucking up to Lady Catherine De Bourgh was a treat. It was so much better than 2005’s Kiera Knightley whiny bitchfest. Matthew Mcfayden needs a better hairpiece, BTW.
Sense and Sensibility with Kate Winslet is my overall favorite, but I love both Pride and Prejudice versions (1995 and 2005) for different reasons, love Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam. I once watched the 1940 Pride and Prejudice and didn’t like it at all, Greer Garson as Lizzie, no, I don’t think so.
I’m madly in love with the 2005 Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley. The music is beautiful, the cast is perfect, and the story is intact despite being stream-lined. It’s one of my favorite literary adaptations to ever hit the big screen.
Like most poeple: Pride & Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle & Colin Firth. Didn’t like the Keira Knightley version in the beginning. I liked it a bit more, a few years later and after I had seen Matthew MacF. in Spooks.
I also love, love “Bridget Jones Dairy”, “Emma” with Gwyenth Paltrow (loves Mr. Knightley) and “Clueless” is always fun to watch.
Something that always bugged me with “Sense & Sensibility” with Emma Thompson ist, that she was to old for the part. I just couldn’t get in to it. Therefore I was really surprised how good the latest BBC adaptation was.
I abolutely loved the Sally Hawkins version of Persuasion, I thought it was absolutely brilliant and perfect! And as far as the P&P debate that seems to be going on, I’m for the 2005 version! Although I’m forever torn between Colin Firth and Matthew Macfayden for Darcy, I thought the supporting cast was just incredible. Brenda Blythen as Mrs. Bennet was spot on!
Can Becoming Jane please count??? I know it’s not an adaptation, but it is my all time favorite movie! Anne Hathaway and James Mcavoy are absolutely perfect! Love it.
My favorite part of the P&P movie was Rosamund Pike as Jane. Put her into the BBC miniseries and it would be perfect!
Am a huge fan of the Emma movie with Gwyneth, so I am looking forward to tonight’s adaptation of Emma. Already programmed my DVR!
I recently went on one of my Pride and Prejudice binges, where I devour anything remotely linked to the true story (I’m looking at you Bride and Prejudice), and discovered the charming mini-series Lost in Austen. It was a refreshing take on the story, and the man they got to play Darcy (while no Firth) was a pretty fantastic Darcy.
My favorites remain Pride and Prejudice with Firth and Ehle and Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility.
I also like the Emma with Kate Beckingsale and Mark Strong.
I liked both the Gwynnie and A&E versions of Emma. Each have their pluses and minuses, but I do have to say that the A&E one got the age difference between Emma and Mr. Knightly much better. Although I’m not sure whether Mark Strong really is several years older than Kate Beckinsale, the fact that he appears to be, for me, better captures the feeling of the relationship in the book.
Jeremy Northam is about 11 years older than Gwyneth Paltrow so the age difference–while about 5 years short–was just fine.
Oops! I didn’t realize Gwyneth Paltrow was that much younger than Jeremy Northam – she seems older, somehow.