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.
What line about the flannel waistcoat? I don't think I watched this one...I'll have to add it! I sort of lost momentum for a while, but now I want to watch these, before reading the last 2 novels that I haven't ever read before.
ReplyDeleteThere's this funny part where Marianne points out that Colonel Brandon wears a flannel waistcoat, which apparently makes him old and feeble. I found the quote online, it's in chapter 8:
ReplyDelete"It would be impossible, I know," replied Elinor, "to convince you that a woman of seven-and-twenty could feel for a man of thirty-five anything near enough to love to make him a desirable companion to her. But I must object to your dooming Colonel Brandon and his wife to the constant confinement of a sick chamber, merely because he chanced to complain yesterday (a very cold damp day) of a slight rheumatic feel in one of his shoulders."
"But he talked of flannel waistcoats," said Marianne; "and with me a flannel waistcoat is invariably connected with the aches, cramps, rheumatisms, and every species of ailment that can afflict the old and the feeble."
I started watching it this morning, and saw the flannel waistcoat line. Wait, is she 17? or 27? the text above says 27, the movie said 17?I thought she was 17...
Deleteanyway, I just couldn't get into this miniseries at all. maybe it's the really bad hair, or the stiffness of the acting. I watched 2 1/4 episodes and I had to stop! oh well...I guess it's true to the book, but it just felt really slow. (Then again, I did have some trouble getting into the book as well, because it felt slow). Maybe I need to downgrade my book review. I do like the overall story though!
She's 17. She was saying that Colonel Brandon was too old, and Elinor said that maybe he was too old for a 17-year-old to consider, but if someone were, say, 27, then Colonel Brandon wouldn't be automatically ruled out for her.
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