Film Adaptations - Sense and Sensibility

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Film Adaptations - Sense and Sensibility

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1fannyprice
nov 5, 2007, 1:31 pm

Discuss & compare the film adaptations of this novel.

2compskibook
nov 6, 2007, 7:53 pm

Thanks FannyPrice for getting all of these started!

No one had talked about Sense and Sensibility yet. Is that because we all agree that the Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman version is superb? (I think it was touched on on another thread.) I loved the movie. Ang Lee has to be the most versatile director out there. He has also directed Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and The Hulk! For years after watching Sense and Sensibility I had no doubt that he was a woman. How could a man direct Austen so well?

(Today I just had to explain to my computer students what a semicolon is used for and now I got to use them!)

3foggidawn
nov 8, 2007, 9:06 am

Oh, yes to the Thomson/Grant/Winslet/Rickman version! That's really all I have to say -- I love it!

4Jargoneer
nov 8, 2007, 9:18 am

There is only one problem with Lee's Sense and Sensibility - Emma Thompson! It's not that she's bad, she's very good, but she's just too old - she was 35 when she made and she looks over 30 (in the novel she is 19).

>3 foggidawn: - you can't have seen the two films Lee made before S&S, "The Wedding Banquet" and "Eat Drink Man Woman" - both are funny and touching, and, if anything, are superior to the Austen film.

5fannyprice
Redigerat: nov 8, 2007, 11:47 am

Yeah, it is funny that no one has said much about this film yet. I do agree that it was a pretty enjoyable one - both as a film on its own and as an adaptation of Jane Austen. I was lucky in that I saw this before I'd ever read Austen and then saw it again several times since reading the novel. Maybe I'll have to pull out my book of essays on the 1990s Austen film adaptations and see if there is anything to argue over in there. :)

Edited to say that I think the only problem is in the casting of Alan Rickman - I love him too much to ever believe that he could be an unattractive prospect for anyone!

6atimco
nov 8, 2007, 12:23 pm

I absolutely adore the Thompson S&S. I agree that Thompson looks a little too old for the part, but she does such a good job with it that I am inclined to forgive and love undistractedly.

7PensiveCat
nov 8, 2007, 3:59 pm

Every time she loses it after finding out that it was Robert who got married, I get choked up. Every Time. And I'm not a crier. That's why I'm fine with Emma Thompson playing a 20 year old. Plus, I love Kate Winslet in just about anything.

Didn't Thompson get together with Willoughby after filming?

8andilovehim
nov 10, 2007, 1:40 pm

it is my favorite book made movie adaption!! i think the casting was amazingly good and the film itself is a true classic!

9jagmuse
nov 10, 2007, 3:14 pm

#7 - Yes, Emma and Greg Wise got together after the film - I think they're married now. She had divorced Kenneth Brannagh before S & S.

10jillmwo
nov 11, 2007, 4:06 pm

I just wish there had been more chemistry between Brandon and Marianne. Alan Rickman was wonderful as always as a tormented lover, but I never had a sense that she (was it Winslet?) ever felt any great pull towards him.

I did love the screenplay. Thompson deserved all of the awards for that work.

11TrishNYC
nov 11, 2007, 9:31 pm

Jillmwo, I totally agree with you. I absolutely loved Alan Rickman's performance and I also liked Kate Winslet but while it is obvious that Brandon is in love with her, I always somewhow felt that she just went for him because he was there and now that her true love was gone, she would just settle for Brandon. That part always saddened me because Brandon really really seemed to love her. Its a minor quibble I have with the movie. I guess there are certain things that are best explored in miniseries than in a movie that has a smaller time frame allowed to flesh out so much.

12PensiveCat
nov 12, 2007, 9:42 am

She did look like she was simply resigning herself to life with Brandon, but think about the benefits: she will be close to her family, esp. Elinor, and Brandon is obviously a romantic at heart, but more grounded. And there won't be money troubles. She just needed time to get over Willoughby, I guess.

13fannyprice
nov 12, 2007, 4:35 pm

But isn't that the point? In the book, Brandon has great feeling for Marianne but she does not for him. When reading the book and seeing the movie, one almost suspects that Brandon and Elinor will end up together, since they seem to have so much natural sympathy for each other. I think Marianne grows to love Brandon, but I don't think she is ever in love with him before their marriage. Some critics hate the ending of S&S - they feel that Austen was 'punishing' Marianne by having her end up with Brandon.

14atimco
nov 13, 2007, 12:54 pm

That's crazy! How could marriage with Brandon be punishment?!

*wanders off muttering about the oddities of critics*

15compskibook
nov 13, 2007, 9:46 pm

I think Brandon's previous heartbreak would have endeared him to Marianne. I felt in the movie she was falling for him, but trying to be more reserved, like Eleanor. Marianne had said she was ashamed of her own behavior.

16Jargoneer
dec 29, 2007, 1:47 pm

FYI - the BBC have made new a new 3 part/hour version of S&S. It is being shown in the UK starting Jan 4.

The adapter is Andrew Davies who also adapted P&P, Middlemarch, Wives & Daughters, etc, so expectations are high. This is his take on the novel - "The novel is as much about sex and money as social conventions. This drama is more overtly sexual than most previous Austen adaptations seen on screen and gets to grips with the dark underbelly of the book."
Make of that what you will....

17fannyprice
dec 29, 2007, 8:12 pm

No way! That's cool - thanks for the tip-off. I wonder if/when it will be shown here. I think we are getting close to PBS' broadcast of six different adaptations - one of each novel, including the three relatively new ITV ones.

18Nickelini
dec 29, 2007, 8:30 pm

I guess I could do an internet search to find out the answer, but it's more fun to post here and get comments along with an answer . . .

I've been hearing about these forthcoming BBC Austen movies, and I'm wondering if I should expect to see familiar or unfamiliar actors. Personally, there are very few known actors that I like to see in any historical films . . . I find an unknown face more convincing. With an actor I know, I have trouble not seeing his or her modern persona (for example, I thought Keira Knightly was a horrid casting choice in Pride and Prejudice, because I saw her in soccer shorts from Bend It Like Beckham, or the newlywed from Love, Actually).

19fannyprice
Redigerat: dec 29, 2007, 9:26 pm

I guess it depends on how familiar you are with actors, Nickelini! ;)

But seriously, I checked out IMDB and most of the cast of Mansfield, Persuasion, and Emma are either British actors I've never heard of or somewhat famous British actors, depending on what you watch. Billie Piper, formerly of Dr. Who, is playing Fanny Price, for instance. Anthony Stewart Head, aka Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is playing Sir Walter Eliot.

I think those are the only "new" ones - it looks like Emma will be the Kate Beckinsale one, rather than the Gwyneth Paltrow one (thank god... I found her distractingly unwatchable...); S&S will be the Emma Thompson one, I think; P&P will (of course) be the Colin Firth version.

ETA: Oooh, I finally found a date for this to start on the PBS website - Sunday, January 13, 2008!

20atimco
jan 3, 2008, 9:39 am

I heard (from a UK friend) that the four new adaptations that will be shown were frighteningly modernized. She advised me to give them a "total bodyswerve miss." LOL.

21fannyprice
jan 3, 2008, 10:25 am

I didn't realize until a couple days ago that there is a new Sense & Sensibility that will be shown - I had only heard about three new ones! I am approaching them warily - the adaptations - be they bad or good - do not generally tend to change my impression of the books, so I figure there can be no harm in watching them.

22jannief
mar 28, 2008, 12:44 pm

Reminder - this Sunday on Masterpiece will be the first part of the 2-part new adaptation of S&S. Yippy skippy! :)

23fannyprice
mar 28, 2008, 1:06 pm

FINALLY! I was starting to wonder if they would ever get around to doing S&S. Interesting that this one is a two-parter. I wonder if that means it has a chance of being better than the other new ones, which all felt so rushed.

24compskibook
mar 30, 2008, 7:59 am

I hope you are right, Fanny, but I love the Thompson version so much, I am afraid this one won't measure up.

25ktleyed
mar 30, 2008, 11:12 pm

I just watched Part One of the new S&S and I think it's very well done. I loved the Emma Thompson version and I still think it's better than this one, but this one is "remarkable" so far. All the acting and actors are right on, but Willoughby falls short in my opinion, I much prefer Greg Wise's Willoughby. But, I must say I am swooning over this Col. Brandon! I don't know what it is, but I simply am ga-ga over him! LOL! I think all the women are very good, and I'm glad to see Elinor looks her age in this one. Oh, and good job with Fanny. She is simply horrible and that awful hairstyle of hers - I couldn't take my eyes off of those ugly little curls! *shudder* I think it's very good, not as classy a production as Ang Lee's, but you can't quite expect it to be for a TV production. Still, knowing that Andrew Davies is behind this, I had high hopes. I can't wait for next week's conclusion!

26compskibook
mar 31, 2008, 12:14 am

I liked it to, but not as well as the Thompson version. I did think Elinor sounded a lot like Emma Thompson, though. I was surprised there has been no mention of Lucy Steele. Will she be introduced in the next half? Surely there is no way to not have her in the story! No Palmers either, but that may be easier to do. Brandon and Willoughby were ok, but I really was swooning for Edward Ferrars! Yum!

27PensiveCat
mar 31, 2008, 9:30 am

I liked this one just fine - and I absolutely loved the 95 adaptation. Willoughby is the only disappointment to me - if I'd been this Marianne I'd have gone for Brandon right away. I liked that they brought in the little Dashwood brat and Lady Middleton - characters left out before. So far, this is the most acceptable of the Masterpiece presentations to me.

28atimco
mar 31, 2008, 9:40 am

I have heard good things about this S&S before now. I taped it last night and will probably watch it this coming weekend. It sounds like you all are enjoying it so far? :)

29jagmuse
mar 31, 2008, 12:07 pm

I almost missed my train this morning because I wanted to peak at the new version (which I taped), and got sucked right in. I'm really enjoying it (I really like the Ang Lee version, so I wasn't sure... but then, Andrew Davies has never let me down). I think this one is going to be far superior to the lousy (in my opinion) ITV versions of the others that they have shown on Masterpiece, because it isn't ITV, and it is Andrew Davies.

30MuseofIre
Redigerat: mar 31, 2008, 3:01 pm

I thought opening with a steamy seduction scene was an . . . interesting choice. I don't like the casting of either Brandon or Willoughby, but the latter is the real disappointment -- he's puny and frog-faced. I also don't like the patent hostility between the two men; before the message arrives summoning Brandon away from the picnic at Delaford, Brandon has no idea that Willoughby was Eliza's lover.

On the good side of the equation, I do like that Davies has included characters and incidents that adhered more closely to the book. The scene with Marianne and Willoughby at Allenham, for example, so clearly showed both Willoughby's desire for Marianne and his equal desire for money. I also thank God that they didn't try to cram this into 90 minutes the way they did with Persuasion and Mansfield Park.

I like all the actresses playing the Dashwood family. Compskibook, I agree that Elinor sounds just like Emma Thompson; and Marianne looks like Kate Winslet!

Looking forward to the second part next week.

31jannief
mar 31, 2008, 3:48 pm

I am enjoying this version although the actor playing Col. Brandon is no Alan Rickman. :( I always wished the ET version had more for him to do. :) Something about that voice!!

32Marensr
mar 31, 2008, 9:41 pm

I am afraid I had to miss part I but I will be eagerly awaiting the second part next week.

33chamekke
apr 1, 2008, 1:01 am

My in-laws live in North Devon, so my husband was very excited to see this version!

For anyone who'd like to know more about Hartland (the town and area where most of it was filmed):

Austen drama filmed in Devon (BBC)
Sense and Sensibility at Hartland (BBC - image gallery)
Jane Austen The Dashwood's & Devon (sic)
How sensible to film Sense and Sensibility at Hartland
Map of Devon (Hartland is on the north coast on the faaaaar west of the county)

34jillmwo
apr 1, 2008, 6:45 pm

Those are great links, chamekke! Thank you so much!

35Benet
apr 6, 2008, 11:17 pm

I really like the new S & S so far. I absolutely HATED the Mansfield Park that was just done. I especially disliked the actress that played the main character. She did not look like the fragile girl that Fanny is described in the book. In fact she was a big romping healthy farm girl (with a big wide toothy smile). As far as depicting Fanny's delicacy of mind, her moral fiber, or her reserved/shy demeanor....oh, don't get me going. Somebody wanted the Dr. Who girl to have a go at this and this travesty was the result

36Nickelini
apr 6, 2008, 11:25 pm

Sigh. I totally agree. I have nothing against that actress. I'm sure she's brilliant, and a lovely person to-boot. But talk about MISCASTING. It just makes you think the powers that be are clueless.

37jillmwo
apr 7, 2008, 6:59 am

Watching last night's conclusion to Sense and Sensibility, there was one point where I thought they used the landscape to good effect. I can't be sure if it was in the wake of Edward's brief visit to the cottage or if it was just after she had met the duplicitous Lucy. Elinor goes down and hides in a cave by the shore to hide her own turmoil from all of those around her. The cave is rough (not even a ledge to sink down upon) and the waves are crashing onto the rocky shore outside. Nice visual in my opinion.

38yareader2
apr 7, 2008, 8:02 am

In S&S last night, I just melted as Edward chopped wood in the rain.

39compskibook
Redigerat: apr 7, 2008, 8:59 am

I liked this version of S and S. Not as well as the 90's version, but close. I am glad they could fit in more of the characters, especially Lucy's sister. It was nice they could take more time with things, too. I do feel the romance between Edward and Elinor at the beginning was rushed, but the rest was nicely done. The location of the cottage was beautiful! I thought it was odd when Willoughby showed up at Cleveland and never even asked is she was well, that I remember.

When Marianne was sick, I always think of Jane Austen's sister Cassandra. It must have been awful for her to lose her sister relatively young. Then I think how awful it was for all of us that Austen died that young. She probably could have written more wonderful novels for years and years.

I feel kind of sad that the Austenpalooza is done. What am I going to do Sunday nights now?

40Nickelini
apr 7, 2008, 10:03 am

I feel kind of sad that the Austenpalooza is done. What am I going to do Sunday nights now?

--------------

There are still good things to come (I hope). There's a new Room with a View (although I can't see why a remake of that fabulous movie was necessary), and then in May there is a Cranford mini-series which I hear is excellent. See the Masterpiece schedule at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/schedule/index.html

41chamekke
apr 8, 2008, 12:35 am

You know, I'd really like to see someone take a stab at a film production of Lady Susan. Admittedly it would have to be largely pastiche, since there isn't a huge amount of dialogue in the novel, so that the screenwriters would have to labour to duplicate something of Austen's prose music in their created dialogue. But if they got it right - it would be FANTASTIC. Austen's greatest villainess!

42atimco
apr 8, 2008, 9:44 am

That would be amazing. And such fun, with all the different narrators!

43chamekke
apr 8, 2008, 11:00 am

How does that Hollywood producer joke go? "Get me Austen on the phone - immediately!"

44jillmwo
apr 8, 2008, 11:36 am

That's a brilliant concept! And it would get *great* ratings because it is after all Jane Austen and yet so unexpected. It is so very unlike the rest of her work. But the title female is so very, very wicked. I think the modern world is ready for an adaptation of Lady Susan.

45atimco
apr 8, 2008, 11:48 am

Maybe we can be consultants... :-)

46jillmwo
apr 8, 2008, 4:03 pm

Want to start casting roles?

47AnnaClaire
apr 8, 2008, 4:38 pm

>43 chamekke:
I'll have to dig out my copy of The Friendly Shakespeare. There's a funny quote filling a rather large white space. It goes "Well, can I see the script?" and is attributed to a producer working on a production of Hamlet (or some other such attribution).

48Nickelini
jan 27, 2009, 3:14 pm

If you didn't see my other message, this is just to let you know that Masterpiece is reshowing Sense and Sensibility on Feb 1 & 8.

49AnnaClaire
jan 27, 2009, 3:50 pm

Again?

50jnwelch
jan 31, 2009, 11:25 am

I didn't see it mentioned, but Emma Thompson has written a very enjoyable book about writing the screenplay of Sense and Sensibility and the filming of the move, see http://www.amazon.com/Sense-Sensibility-Screenplay-Newmarket-Shooting/dp/1557047... .

51Nickelini
okt 13, 2014, 9:21 pm

I recently purchased the DVD of the 2008 Sense and Sensibility. I watched it when it originally aired on PBS, but I was browsing through Imdb one day and I noticed that Edward is played by Dan Stevens in this version. I didn't know him back in 2008, but now that I've lived through Downton Abbey, I could recognize him in a dark room! He is a terrific Edward, and I think the romance between him and Eleanor is very well done (in the other version I sort of see Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant just being friends, and don't see the characters). Rewatching this, I think it is an excellent version. The cinematography and sets are fabulous. The only points I don't like are the actors that they found to play Col. Brandon and Willoughby. Especially the later. Willoughby is supposed to be drop dead hunkalicious, and very charming, and as someone said above, this actor has a frog face. Sorry, not handsome enough to tempt me!