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.
I just finished watching this one, and I really liked it! Which characters did they leave out? It's been a while since I read the book. I actually liked this colonel Brandon and Edward better. (I've only seen the Emma Thompson one besides this one), more likeable, and they made me want to root for them getting the girls. maybe hugh grant and alan rickman are just to familiar, i couldnt really believe them as the characters, after seeing them as actors in so many other moviesand I just liked the overall dramatization of it. It IS quite long though. And a bit slow the first episode, but the other two really drew me in. They added quite a few scenes, but I think they fit well enough,
ReplyDeleteI wish I had provided more details when I wrote these reviews, like which characters were omitted. :P I think I was trying to avoid spoilers by not being explicit! Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteI think in this case, I was saying that this mini-series DID include some characters that the Emma Thompson movie left out - but I can't remember which characters were left out of the movie and included in the mini-series. :P
I wish I could remember, too, which scenes were in the movie and also the mini-series but were NOT in the book!
I'm pretty sure that the Emma Thompson one left out the younger sister, and maybe Lucy's older sister? I'm not sure that they really ADDED to the story anyway though, they're just kinda minor, so I don't think it bothered me that she wasn't there. In this mini-series, there were a lot of scenes added, like the dueling, and showing Colonel Brandon when he finds his ward with the baby, and kissing (which they don't mention at all in the book!) and showing when Lucy's sister blabbed about Lucy and Edward's engagement.
ReplyDeleteI do think sometimes the characters in these novels/movies are a bit too much of a caricature...i mean, do people REALLY act that outrageously? (like Anne, and Mrs. Jennings, and Sir John Middleton) I guess I've seen first hand some gossips and over-bearing personalities, so it's not completely out of left field....and I suppose that's all part of 'entertainment' right? memorable and ridiculous characters that couldn't really be real...i don't know...somehow i feel like this historical ones should be more real and less ridiculous, but I guess there's ridiculous people in every era! I guess you could say Luna Lovegood was ridiculous, no person REALLY acts like that, yet it's just fun to have that personality in the story.