Earlier this week, I was home on my own after a long day at work, and as there was nothing on telly I wanted to see, and I felt neither like playing my favourite computer game nor like reading, I watched the DVD.
Mine is the 1995 version (I am sure the book has been adapted before), starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman and a host of other more or less well known actors, such as Gemma Jones, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, Robert Hardy and Elizabeth Spriggs.
I enjoyed the film very much, and although some bits from the book have (naturally) been left out, and others changed, I still find it a very good adaptation. For instance, Lady Middleton and her children are missing completely, as is Lucy Steele's sister Ann. Also, Elinor Dashwood - 19 years old in the book - is 27 in the film, which was not only done because the actress (Emma Thompson) portraying Elinor was already 35 and would hardly have made for a credible 19-year-old. Another reason was to make it more plausible to a modern audience that Elinor does indeed fear to be condemned to spinsterhood and a life of poverty and loneliness, something less difficult to believe of a woman approaching 30 than of 19-year-old.
My favourite character in the book remained a firm favourite in the film: I just love Elizabeth Spriggs as Mrs. Jennings, having known her until now only from two episodes of "Midsomer Murders". And of course, who could watch Robert Hardy and not love him? He is incredibly funny as Sir John, and one of my favourite scenes is when the two of them (Sir John and Mrs. Jennings) explode with laughter at their own jokes.
Do I need to tell you that I adore (just to avoid inflationary use of the word "love") Alan Rickman? While I couldn't care less for Hugh Grant (simply never been my type), Rickman is - to me - super sexy, most of his appeal coming from his wonderful voice. If he were my husband, I'd make him read even the most boring bits (such as the stock index) in the newspaper to me every morning, just so that I could bathe in the sound of his voice.
Costumes, houses, furniture, landscapes - everything is done with an extremely good and faithful eye for period detail, and matching the characters.
In short: It was a pleasure to watch, and I am certain this wasn't the last time I've spent a relaxing and entertaining evening with this DVD.
I saw this movie, Hugh Grant is one of my favorite actors!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome to him, Caramella - as long as I can keep Alan Rickman :-)
DeleteI love this movie, I have seen it several times. My favorite actor is Colin Firth! Mr. Darcy:)
ReplyDeleteHe is not in this movie, though, Francesca. That's a different story :-)
DeleteI like Colin Firth, too.
I know that the film can never be like the book but I guess it should be viewed as a work of art in its own right. I was very disappointed to see Far from the Madding Crowd recently (the new version) and it was so full of cliches, I was really sad.
ReplyDeleteI don't know Far from the Madding Crowd, neither book nor film. Good to know it is not really worth watching!
DeleteI have read the book several times and as it happens I'm listening to an audio reading of it now (mostly falling asleep to it at night, but it doesn't matter much if I miss a bit here and there as I'm familiar with it anyway!). Actually I'm in a sort of Austen-listening-marathon, as I've recently also /re/listened to Mansfield Park, and Emma. I think I also have this film version of S&S recorded on dvd from TV... And I have another version too, a BBC 2-disc TV series. I think Emma is my favourite, perhaps because we studied it in one of my English courses at University (back in my 20s). But I like the others too - also Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. I think I can safely say I've read all of them at least twice, if not more.
ReplyDeleteA true Austen fan, Monica! Like I said in my review of the book, this was my first direct Austen experience... But it won't be the last.
DeleteI must have been very tired when I wrote my comment last night because I made a mess of mixing up Sense & Sensibility with Pride & Prejudice. I have a tendendy to do that with those two titles! The book I'm listening to at the moment is actually P&P. I do have the S&S film you're writing about, but the BBC mini series I was thinking of is also P&P. - My brain must have kept very busy while I slept, sorting it all out (and placing Alan Rickman in the correct context! - I do like him too...)
DeleteIt's probably easy to mix the two up, with such similar titles, and you did write the original comment rather late, so I am not surprised you were tired :-)
DeleteI haven't seen the film nor read the book but I am in complete agreement on the subject of voices and, whilst Alan Rickman holds no sexual attraction whatsoever for me, I agree with you about his voice. I also agree that voices can make people "super sexy".
ReplyDeleteAlan Rickman is only a few years younger than my Dad and - as far as I know - very happily married. So any sexual attraction he holds for me refers to when he was quite a bit younger, and of course it is all in the abstract; just an actor I really, really like.
DeleteAs for voices, a squeaky or shrill voice can make even the most beautiful woman totally unattractive, I think.
This is a lovely film and I'm glad you enjoyed it....After you had mentioned so many others in it, I was just saying to myself, "Why isn't she talking about Alan Rickman?" when you did. He is my favorite here and does this part wonderfully. I'm a true Janeite and used to belong to JASNA, the Jane Austen Society of North America where I met some delightful people.
ReplyDeleteAlan Rickman deserved his own paragraph! But the others were really good, too. It is funny how I knew most of them already from either the Harry Potter movies or from Midsomer Murders (except for Hugh Grand and Kate Winslet who did not appear in either).
DeleteWow, you actually belonged to a Jane Austen Society!
This is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I'm delighted to see another favorable reaction to it! This adaptation made me fall in love with two things: Emma Thompson's remarkable wit, and Alan Rickman's quiet sophistication. Such a stellar cast all around. But that moment with the Colonel sees Marianne playing the piano for the first time? Or when at long last she finally shows him some gratitude?? *swoon* In fact, my infatuation with Alan Rickman/Colonel Brandon was so thorough, I spent middle and high school with a photo of him taped up in my bedroom--you know, that shot where Colonel Brandon is wearing a hat among the reeds. Anyways, thanks for posting this review, so as to remind me of the depth of my love for this movie. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome, Bree, and I thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment! I believe this is your first time at my blog, so: Welcome!
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