Mansfield Park (2007 TV Movie)

★★★

The more screen adaptations I watch, the more I realize how much of an image for each character I already have in my mind for having read the book first. In this case, I thought Miss Crawford and Edmund (the same actor who played Mr. Elton in a version of Emma) were well-portrayed, but the rest of the cast fell short of my expectations. Fanny's dark eyebrows were distracting, and she was much more gay and lively than the timid and frail creature presented in the book. Mrs. Norris was not at all the selfish, bustling busybody and Fanny's cruel oppressor that she was in the book, and she was actually rather reserved. Lady Bertram was improved upon nicely, but several characters were entirely omitted.

The movie managed to stay very true to some scenes in the book while taking very great liberties with others. Fanny hardly seemed to be the second-class family member that was so central to her character in the book, and maybe because of that, the movie did not include her visit to her family (as it wasn't necessary for this character's development). The movie also did not include any charming childhood scenes, which set the tone in the book for Fanny and Edmund's relationship. What was included was well-done, and the movie was well-paced.

As for the final scene - I have to admit, I'm not sure what the point was of having Edmund and Fanny show off a new style of dance, nice as it was to watch.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

★★★★½

I very much enjoyed Mansfield Park, even though it didn't have the wit of Pride and Prejudice nor the humor of Emma. It has a decidedly more serious tone, and it is not so much a discourse on love and marriage (as other Jane Austen books are), as it is on morals, principles, and even parenting.

Characters are complex and well-developed. Jane Austen believably depicts shades of character, and though it was sometimes inconvenient to not know exactly how I should feel about one person or another, it was certainly a realistic portrayal of relationships - because how often, in real life, do we ever unchangingly regard other individuals in one single way, regardless of circumstances?

My wished-for ending fluctuated as the story progressed, and at more than one point I wondered how Jane Austen would bring about the satisfactory ending that I was sure she would provide. Not surprisingly, once I finished the book, I was not disappointed!

The King's Speech (2010)

★★★★

An inspiring movie that reminds us that, with just the right kind of encouragement and support, we all have within us the power and courage to face - and overcome - whatever challenges life throws at us.

Persuasion (2007 TV Movie)

★★★

With less than two hours' running time, a bit of condensing is not unexpected. This movie goes further, though, and takes quite a lot of liberties going beyond simply omitting scenes or combining multiple scenes into one - both of which do occur in this movie. A lot of additional dialogue not in the book was created to fill in some backstory (I have to admit, at least a few scenes were well-done and added to the story's flow), and a lot of memorable dialogue in the book was unfortunately left out. Surprisingly, a particular conversation towards the end of the book that serves a very significant purpose is relocated to much earlier in the movie, and one of the speakers is substituted with another character. Moreover, the movie went so far as to create its own drama beyond that of the book. Finally, a lot of understanding that might have been conveyed through acting was instead conveniently and straightforwardly explained via an internal monologue as Anne writes in a diary.

Except for Mary and Sir Walter - both of whom I thought overacted - the rest of the characters were well-cast. Lyme, however, was not so picturesque. The overall story, though somewhat jumbled, did follow the basic arc of the book. But I just couldn't get past all the deviations from the book. And I wasn't too fond of the shaky camera trick, either.

Persuasion (1995 TV Movie)

★★★★ Hm. There were a few minor omissions for which I really can't fault the movie, but increasingly more liberties were taken as the movie progressed. Overall, it is faithful to the book, and it includes the most memorable dialogue from the book. Lady Russell was well-portrayed, and Admiral and Mrs. Croft were perfectly cast. Anne took quite a bit of getting used to, mainly because she was made to look so homely at the beginning. I was impressed, though, with how she became more attractive as time went on, just as she had done in the book. Other than those characters, everyone else had to grow on me - and some never did. I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to make of Mrs. Clay in the movie, and both her and Mr. Elliot's parts didn't get resolved. Elizabeth came across as over-the-top unlikeable. And what was with that circus procession at the end?!

Persuasion by Jane Austen

★★★★

It's really remarkable that Jane Austen consistently wrote so many excellent books that I honestly love. Up until now, any time I was completely won over by a book, and tried reading other books by the same author, I was disappointed. I absolutely loved A Prayer for Owen Meany, but none of John Irving's other works even came close. The same goes for Paulo Coelho; after I read The Alchemist, I kept buying more and more of his books, only to be continually disappointed. Persuasion is the fourth Jane Austen novel I've read, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first three.

Like Sense and Sensibility, it starts off kind of slowly, giving background information on rather unlikeable characters. But, I was in no way deterred, and Jane Austen came through, as expected. I probably sound like a broken record by now, but in Persuasion - as in all of Austen's books that I've read so far - I was pleased with and entertained by how keenly Austen understood and could put into words the delicate and complicated emotions that are as common today as in her own time. Even though all her books are about young women in the English countryside and their adventures in securing a suitable husband - including perhaps a jaunt to London or Bath - Austen manages to come up with fresh characters and situations for each book. Where her other novels had young, fresh-faced, optimistic young men and women, Persuasion had mature characters who viewed love and marriage from a perspective that appreciated loss and regret.

Persuasion is a comparatively short novel, and I dare say I didn't get quite as invested in the characters as I did with those in other Austen books. The dialogue wasn't as memorable, either. But, given the relative length of the material, I have high hopes for the screen adaptations!

Emma (1996)

★★★★

1996 was apparently a good year for Emma, what with two movies having been made!

While I think Gwenyth Paltrow captured Emma perfectly, none of the other character portrayals particularly impressed me. Mr. Knightley didn't have the air of importance I expected, and though Harriet's part was well-acted, she had to grow on me.

The movie took quite a few liberties with the book. But even while some important scenes were omitted, I was impressed that several good lines and scenes that both other adaptations left out were included. The "added" scenes served to increase the role of Harriet, but unfortunately that was done at the expense of Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax, who were marginalized.

As a Hollywood production, the costumes and sets were especially lovely compared to other productions, and there was a bit of humor that matched the book's.

Emma (1996 TV Movie)

★★★★★

Despite being less than half the length of the more recent mini-series, this adaptation is far superior, in my opinion.

At least one minor character was omitted, but every other character was so well cast! Every single one, but especially Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill. Maybe I wish Mr. Knightley had darker hair, but he did have the proper air and presence that I expected. Not surprisingly, scenes were condensed, but the result is a very well-paced movie. Obvious omissions did not detract from the development of the story, and I was pleased to see many of my favorite lines included. The harvest festival that concluded the movie was not in the book, but I liked the scene, and I actually much prefer the way the movie left Emma and Harriet's relationship over the way it was left in the book. The final scene even had me tearing up!

Emma (2009 TV Mini-Series)

★★★½

Another mini-series. Thank goodness for the BBC!

This adaptation is light-hearted like the book, though it stops short of being funny. It starts with a narrator like those characteristic of French films, and he served his purpose well by filling in a lot of the back story. The story was faithful to the book, though a few liberties were taken, and some of my favorite lines and scenes were omitted. A couple times the screen version of a scene opened my eyes to the greater significance of some dialogue in the book, and I liked how the mini-series frequently incorporated small scenes to set up more important later scenes, even if the earlier scene was not in the book.

Even though the adaptation was true to the book, I wasn't completely won over by it, I think because of the portrayal of Emma herself. The actress playing Emma reminded me of Drew Barrymore, which was unfortunate, in my opinion, and she wasn't as elegant or as gentle-mannered as in the book. She came across as immature and confrontational and, to me, not as endearing. The actor playing Mr. Knightley did a good job, though it took me a couple episodes to warm up to him. Mr. Woodhouse and Mr. Elton were perfect, and I liked Harriet Smith more than I expected.

Emma by Jane Austen

★★★★★

I enjoyed this book at least as much as Pride and Prejudice - maybe even more!

Where Pride and Prejudice had wit, Emma has humor. Emma is downright funny! It is a light-hearted and entertaining read; very approachable. I was delightfully engaged from the beginning, and Jane Austen's characteristic dialogue did not disappoint. As usual, I was impressed by Austen's keen insight into human nature and by the timelessness of the described emotions. She skillfully leads the reader through the evolution of Emma's self-awareness and feelings towards others, and she ties everything up nicely in the end, in a very satisfying way, just the way I like it. There was a full cast of characters with idiosyncrasies and neuroses, and I dare say I saw in Mr. Woodhouse a bit of what I might become, if I don't keep myself in check!

Addendum: Now that I've watched three screen adaptations, I have to admit that the adaptations opened my eyes to more significant meanings behind several scenes in the book! Many small hints were dropped along the way regarding a surprise towards the end, and I'd like to think that I would have discovered these meanings myself upon subsequent readings. :P In any case, these discoveries only increase my regard for Jane Austen's writing, because she didn't lay everything open at the very end; while she did provide sufficient explanation to answer lingering questions, she still gave her readers credit and left some things unsaid for the readers to interpret themselves.

Sense and Sensibility (1981 TV Mini-Series)

★★★★

This BBC mini-series is very faithful to the book, even though it completely omitted the youngest sister Margaret (which was fine with me; her role in the book was so small I didn't miss her at all). There was some not unexpected condensing of scenes, and a couple of fine details were strangely left out, but at least it included my favorite line about the flannel waistcoat. Only a few liberties were taken, and some even enhanced the story, like the way in which Marianne's growing regard for Colonel Brandon was depicted in the last episode.

Like the Pride & Prejudice mini-series from the 1980's, it has a characteristic 1980's production quality that makes it seem at times like a play that was filmed. Though I loved the casting of the 1995 movie version, most characters here were very well-portrayed and true to the book. Only Elinor was too stoic, and Charlotte Palmer much too prone to giggling.

Sense and Sensibility (2008 TV Mini-Series)

★★★

This is actually a 3-hour mini-series, and being a bit longer than the movie, it's well-expected that this adaptation should have enough time to incorporate more of the details from the book, including characters that the movie omitted.

Even though this adaptation was faithful to the book, I couldn't help but be occassionally disappointed by it. The opening seduction scene seemed entirely out of place. The pace was sometimes slow, and the music over-dramatic, but on the whole the series did improve as it went along. Strangely, in many ways this adaptation seemed to be based in part on the 1995 movie, as it included multiple scenes from that movie that weren't even in the book. Finally, characters sometimes deviated from the book in ways that seemed not to suit them. For example, Edward was more charming and eloquent, and less socially awkward, than in the book; Colonel Brandon was also more charming and less brooding (he doesn't hold a candle to Alan Rickman's portrayal); and Willoughby is not so dashing or easily likeable, even going so far as having something of an air of some kind of evil.

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

★★★★★

I had read so many positive reviews of this movie beforehand that I was afraid it might not live up to expectations. Thankfully, it did.

The film was well-paced and lovely to watch. The story is faithful to the book, and even though liberties were taken, I actually didn't mind them. In fact, I dare say the screenplay managed to improve upon the book! The movie far better justified Elinor's fondness of Edward and Marianne's developing esteem for Colonel Brandon. It even did an impressive job of incorporating Margaret more so than the book. Scenes and conversations were much condensed, but not in any way that detracted from the story. I always like it when movie dialogue is taken directly from the book, and there were at least a few instances of that here (though one of my favorite lines, referencing a flannel waistcoat, wasn't included).

Some characters in the book were omitted from the movie, but those that were included were well-portrayed and true to the book. I was especially delighted to see Dr. House and Prof. Snape make their appearances!