Staring at one of their two human servants who’s actually working, thinking how poor they are. “Are we not happy? Have we not been happy here, and we as poor as the gypsies?” (Based on the 2008 miniseries. In the book, they had three servants, “two maids and a man.”)

Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon's age gap is 17-18 years, and more importantly, Marianne is 16 when they meet. Before you warn me not to project modern sensibilities on historical contexts, teenagers marrying adults or such big gaps were not as common as people believe. The law required parental consent until 21 in Wales and England (hence why everyone thought/hoped Lydia and Wickham went to Gretna Green to get married). Mean age at first marriage for women was roughly 23–25, and men married at about 25–27. Big gaps were more common for second marriages, when a widowed man married a younger woman, not a teen (Mr and Mrs Dashwood's situation). In fact, every man who has a relationship with an underage girl or ends up with a teen bride is a villain in Austen: Willoughby seduces a 15 y.o. ward of Col. Brandon, Wickham goes after then-15 y.o. Georgianna and marries Lydia, who just turned 16. Elinor, the epitome of sense, while disagreeing with Marianne's hilarious perception that Brandon can't fall in love and marry because he's basically on the brink of death from old age, says, “thirty-five and seventeen had better not have any thing to do with matrimony together.” In fact, Marianne doesn't marry Col. Brandon until she's 19, one year older than Catherine Morland. This doesn't make it okay for me, but likely made it much more acceptable for Jane Austen and her contemporaries.

Knowing all that, I still always rooted for Colonel Brandon. Logically, I felt ok about that because I didn't think Col. Brandon started to actually pursue Marianne until after her experience with Willoughby, which made her grow up quite a bit. Perhaps more subconsciously, I felt she was more of an adult because of the language and the manners I did not associate with actual children. Now, a bit of a spoiler for the new adaptation, in this movie, they made Marianne behave like a modern day teen. With all the drama, eye-rolling and big teenage feelings, she reminded me of a 13 year old me. I also didn't feel she grew up after the Willoughby experience; instead, she started romanticizing Brandon instead of W. This, combined with the fact that Eliza still being alive at the time he meets and starts pursuing Marianne, gave me actual heebie jeebies and made me extremely uncomfortable. (So, you're saying, this adult man came back from the West Indies, looked at his brother's widow who was still young and attractive enough to tempt Willoughby, and was like, "nah, I'd rather look for a child who reminds me of her." Yikes.) I was quick to be mad at people who wrote and directed this, but on second thought, was this the point? Did the script writers expose my hypocrisy about this particular age gap relationship, removing the veneer of fancy "adult-like" language and manners, and rub it into my face? What do you think?

Well, I failed to convince my 17-year old granddaughter and her 24-year old step sister to see Sense and Sensibility with me tomorrow so I could introduce them to Jane Austen. Not the type of movie they want to see I was told. I'm gutted. It's times like these I feel so lonely when I can't share something I love with someone I love. Am I the only one who feels this way? You're excited about Austen but nobody you know cares a hoot?

So learning about the Regency era, especially high society in London, we know the types of debauchery they got up to. Men openly having mistresses, etc. Could lead to the man going on his merry way, but the woman, for example Maria Bertram, having to leave her country and family behind.

But were things different in a more Austenian setting, like a country village with a close-knit community? Particularly, what if the lady in question was unmarried, a 'virgin', and the man she was entangled with was married? Would her reputation be severely damaged were it to come out?

Would deeeaaarrllyyy appreciate any and every context regarding this, real life examples, or other examples from literature.

I know a lot of emphasis is placed on Charlotte already being an old maid when she jumps at the chance to bag Mr Collins, and how her family doesn't have a lot of money & she is worried about being a burden as a spinster, etc--but, Charlotte has brothers. She might be something of a burden as she grows older & remains unmarried, but she won't have to leave her home, & she has brothers who will presumably work to support the family, even if Charlotte remains one more mouth to feed.

The Bennet sisters, on the other hand, have no such fallback. They will be forced to leave their home upon Mr Bennet's death, they don't have any brothers to generate income, etc (& yes they could probably go live with their Uncle Gardiner or Uncle Phillips, but it's not the same thing).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Bennet women are hypothetically in much more dire straights than the Lucas women, despite having more income while Mr Bennet remains alive, aren't they?

Edit to add: I really appreciate everyone's input! This is exactly the kind of interesting conversation I was hoping to generate, & it has given me a broader perspective on the topic 🤓

Does anyone know what this is? The little packet was handed to me at the theatre last night. I can't figure out its purpose!

I'm on another read-through and I'm astonished by how objectified Harriet is - "A Harriet Smith" and so many instances of the word "use." Seems much more project-based than a real friendship to me.

This post has no point except to say: THE BIRD SOUNDS!

The 2005 pride & prejudice is my favorite movie and having seen it for the 200th time this evening, I have to say:

Other than the BEAUTIFUL music, the wonderful acting, the incomparable British country scenery, obviously the iconic Jane Austen’s story - the cherry on this amazing cake for me is the bird sounds!!!
It just adds so much romance, nostalgia, feeling; it’s everything to me. Once you start listening for them, they’re there throughout the entire movie.
Does anybody feel the same???????

There are many, many, many hidden, easy to miss, or neglected details in Austen. These are a few of my favourites.

Pride and Prejudice

Ageism - Mr Collins is younger than his wife, Charlotte Lucas (aged 27), by a couple of years. That means all that pomposity and hot-air windbaggery is from a man of just 24 or 25!

The title - Most people assume that Darcy is Pride, Lizzie Prejudice, but the title is far more multifaceted than that. The reader herself is also Prejudiced, making assumptions about Darcy from the moment we meet him, instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt about his true character. Lizzie is prejudiced against a number of characters because they do not fit preconceived moulds, but she is also proud and easily offended by the Bingley sisters. She can’t see ahead that alienating them is only going to damage Jane’s chances.

In fact, entire books can be written about the doubling of this title. By the end, both are broken of their pride and prejudice and the happiest characters have done likewise.

Class - The Bingley sisters are busy looking down on Jane’s relations for being in trade, but their own father was a tradesman. They are very much nouveau riche and it shows. Like any newly elevated bitches, they make damn sure to class themselves above their recent peers.

Fairy-tale ending - P&P has the same overarching plot as Cinderella, with Darcy as the handsome Prince (could be more) Charming.

---

Persuasion

Silent partner - Captain Benwick is never given direct speech, as in the normal role of dialogue we see between the other characters. We have reported speech, but at no point does he actually give a line straight to the reader. Which is surprising as he is not that minor a character.

We’re also left wondering whether Captain Wentworth would have had the same meteoric career if he hadn’t been spurred on by lost love and thus proved Lady Russell right.

---

Emma

Emma has a number of fascinating features.

An early detective novel with a terrible detective - Emma's actually a mystery novel, one without a crime. Who is Jane Fairfax’s secret admirer who sends her the piano? Who are the parents of little Harriet Smith? What is Frank Churchill really up to and why has he come to Highbury now?

Reading it for a second time, you realise there are many, many clues that are dropped throughout, if you know how to read them. Emma has no Sherlock to her Watson, however, so flails through the whole book with no idea what’s going on.

Wilkie Collins’ Moonstone may represent the first true English detective novel, but the foundations are laid here.

Snogs on the sofa - One critic believes there is a hidden kiss in a scene where a pair of spectacles are fixed. The fixer takes an awful lot of time to fix what could be “done in a trice”, and someone else looks a little rumpled. On re-reading, I was convinced. A dozing granny, and a very sneaky snog.

Gender flipped - Emma is Austen’s attempt at an unlikeable and realistically flawed heroine, but I think she is also a female version of one of Austen’s most loved characters.

---

Mansfield Park

Plantation life - It’s implied but not stated that Sir Thomas Bertram owns slaves and that’s where much of his money comes from. His “interests” in Antigua are most likely those of a slave-owner, something which is mentioned in passing by Edmund.

By the time the book was published in 1814, the slave trade was in the process of being abolished across the British Empire.

So in a way, the Bertram sisters can be seen as a model for the Scarlett O’Hara type Southern belle. Perhaps Fanny’s reluctance to ask questions of Sir Thomas is in fear of discovering just how morally corrupt the whole family is.

Austen herself supported the Abolitionist cause and there are jabs at the slave trade in Emma too.

---

General details

Names - If a woman is married at the beginning of the novel, we are very unlikely to learn her first name. The few exceptions are usually purposeful to indicate either animosity between characters (Augusta Elton vs Emma), or status (Lady Catherine de Burgh). We learn several male character names because of their signatures on letters (Frederick Wentworth, Fitzwilliam Darcy) while their love interests will often continue to call them Mr Surname. This leads to the excellent ending of Emma where Emma can’t bring herself to call him anything other than Mr Knightley.

Italian, the language of rotters - One wonders what Austen had against Italian, as she uses it to mark out the bad apples repeatedly. For Augusta Elton with her “caro sposo”, her use of Italian phrases dropped into English sentences is seen as the ultimate mark of pretension and bad taste.

Mr Elliot begs Anne to apply herself to translate Italian love songs which are both indelicate and impossible to “convey the meaning of” without being impolite. His own sensibilities do not hold him back from asking. In general, they never do hold him back.

Italian songs can’t all be that depraved however as Miss Bingley plays one before changing to a lively Scotch tune. Her accomplishment here is seen twice over - in being able to sing in Italian and play too. She throws the Bennet girls’ lack of accomplishments into sharp relief.

---

There are many more caught by other eagle-eyed readers, which I look forward to reading about.

I may add more later myself, as this gives me excuses to re-read the whole canon.

Obligatory spoiler alert!

"Emma's services" -Austen does not let up on the narration being fully aligned with Emma's delusional viewpoint.

"He will connect himself well if he can." -A shining example of Emma seeing as factual something that she wants to believe to be true.

"it would not have disgraced a gentleman; the language, though plain, was strong and unaffected, and the sentiments it conveyed very much to the credit of the writer." is awfully similar to "The subject followed; it was in plain, unaffected, gentlemanlike English, such as Mr. Knightley used even to the woman he was in love with,"

"or is it too short?" "and it is but a short letter too." -Emma, like us all, feels the bad taste in this. Harriet may be very sweet, and Emma using her as a sort of project to fill the blankness of her life is all very bad and so she deserves some pity for that, but I can't say I ever have warmed to her character, and certainly never felt a pang when we get to the end of the novel and read that their "friendship" will fade to nothing. I know that there are some who interpret the novel as a sort of romance between Emma and Harriet, but for my part, I see such an inequality ability and a sort of lingering sense that Emma does find Harriet a bit tiresome, that I have a hard time calling what they have, even at its height, friendship.

"I think one of his sisters must have helped him." -More evidence of Emma persisting in turning what should be speculation into fact.

"it is too strong and concise" -I thought it was interesting that Emma feels strongly that concise writing is in the style of a man, yet never recurs to this idea in the face of Frank Churchill's lengthy missiles later in the novel.

"Your meaning must be unequivocal; no doubts or demurs: and such expressions of gratitude and concern for the pain you are inflicting as propriety requires," -How much of this line is Emma's purposefully guiding Harriet, and how much of this is coming from an assumption that she and Harriet are on the same page?

“I lay it down as a general rule, Harriet, that if a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him. If she can hesitate as to ‘Yes,’ she ought to say ‘No’ directly. It is not a state to be safely entered into with doubtful feelings, with half a heart" -I thought this was very wise as a teenager. Emma does manage to say very sensible things, though her context is usually very off.

"I thought it my duty as a friend, and older than yourself, to say thus much to you." -If you ever doubted how faithful of an adaptation Clueless is, know that this line is directly referenced in the screenplay!

"and though the letter was still in her hand, it was now mechanically twisted about without regard." -This deserves a sadface emoji. Poor Robert's good (but short!) letter!

"While you were at all in suspense I kept my feelings to myself, but now that you are so completely decided I have no hesitation in approving." -Did you really keep those feelings to yourself, Emma? See also: "I said nothing about it."

"Dear Harriet, I give myself joy of this." -An interesting inversion of the standard congratulations of "I wish you joy"

"and though Emma continued to protest against any assistance being wanted, it was in fact given in the formation of every sentence." -Ha!

"Hitherto I fancy you and I are the only people to whom his looks and manners have explained themselves.” -Beautifully ironical.

"How cheerful, how animated, how suspicious, how busy their imaginations all are!" -I wonder who else this could apply to? Perhaps the speaker?

I was thinking today about Emma, and how Isabella has named all her children after everybody she knows- father the name of the first and sister the name of the latest- I thought this may highlight or remind the reader how unimaginative Isabella is and further drive home how isolated (mentally, socially) Emma would have been growing up, with a father who could not at any time be her equal and a sister just like him

If/when Emma has kids I don't think she's naming them George or Isabella lol

A musical tribute to Jane Austen, my first literary muse, the Queen of World Literature

Song Excerpt:
[Verse 1]

It is a truth universally acknowledged —
by every devoted reader of Austen’s worlds —
that she is not only a sovereign of romance and psychology,
but a warm, witty soul
with an ever-present, winking narrator’s smile.

[Verse 2]

It feels like strolling through an English garden
in a soft midsummer afternoon
lazily breathing flowers and breeze
while reading Pride and Prejudice.
Parries and thrusts of brilliant wit,
Elizabeth and Darcy in their sparkling quarrel —
and above them, like sunlight behind the leaves,
the spirit of Jane Austen herself,
watching with twinkling eyes
and that mischievous smile
reading every page along with me.

[Pre-Chorus (Dialogue Interlude)]

I hear her voice saying,
“Yes — you caught that —
it was quite fun to use ‘sanction’
instead of plain approval.”
And I answer,
“I know… I heard your laughter
in the double-negatives and the courteous barbs,
in every gentle sentence
that hides a delicious, unexpected thrust.
How can I not smile,
when I can feel you smiling
as you penned those lines?”

....

Fellow fans of Austen. You are invited to listen to the full song at:
Jane Austen – The Narrator–Smile (Water-Moon Edition)

Thank you.
Hoàng Phong

Rereading Mansfield Park for the first time since my teens, and I find Mrs. Norris’ behavior to Fanny so strange.

Why the dislike? Or is it just coz Fanny is lower in the social hierarchy?

I’m kind of just perusing Amazon Prime right now because I’m sick, and I paused when I saw this and was like “…she looks kind of… sinister?????” 😂😂😂

Emma is my all time favourite Austen book.

Like many here, I suspect, I've read it multiple times but only recently resorted to screen versions.

The Netflix version I found almost unforgivable - nearly put me off any adaptation but . . . . I'm now in the middle of watching the BBC 2009 adaptation starring Romola Garai as Emma.

She is perfect!

I love her wit, combative nature, subtle eye rolling and liveliness!

She captures the part brilliantly - Emma's flaws are there for all to see but her eventual humanity and good nature shines through.

Can't praise the BBC enough!

EDIT: My error! Not Netfix, but the 2020 version I objected to!

Just finished watching the 1999 movie and I Am shook!

Is the book this scary? I mean I’m a new Jane Austen fan (trying to get around the books) and her stories transport me to a different world full of longing. But MP opened me up to the horrors of being a woman in those time. If anything this book is more of a gothic compared to Northanger Abbey.

Anyways is the book this dark? Was the movie accurate in character representation?

I’ve been rereading it and noticing how much of the book lives in single sentences. The famous opening line is obvious, but I keep getting caught on smaller ones, like Elizabeth’s quieter retorts or the moments when Darcy’s pride slips.

Which line, for you, is doing more than it looks like? Doesn’t have to be famous.

Disclosure: I’m building a small free reader called Margin where you can swipe through the text and tap any sentence to react to it, and Pride and Prejudice is the current book of the week. It’s very early, so if any of you want to try it and tell me whether line-by-line reacting adds anything, I’d be glad to hear it. No pressure, and happy to take this down if it doesn’t fit the sub.

The review I found is written by W.J. Kimble on the 1995 movie, Sense and Sensibility. It received four out of five stars rating the romantic drama; morally good. Kimble states the movie is aimed towards adults and teenagers. Kimble advises seeing Sense and Sensibility if you’re looking for a movie that’s sure to be clean but an entertaining watch. 

Balance 

Rated four out of five stars, Kimble found Sense and Sensibility to be a gentler paced movie that will keep adult's interested yet on the flip side found it is not the right movie choice for younger teenagers. Kimble states "If an action-packed adventure is your preference, don’t see this one." But he goes on to say, "However, if you want an evening out with your spouse, friend, etc., go see Sense and Sensibility”

In the review Kimble goes into the differences found in the movie stating, while it is rich in satire it is a romance filled with disappointed heartaches. Whether it’s the passing of the father in the beginning, losing their house or unrequited love. 

Attitude 

According to Dr. Gan, in this key we should ask ourselves what attitudes, values, or biases we bring, and how those might shape our understanding when reviewing or consuming media. We should recognize and reflect before we take that step forward and review or consume. As I looked at the review on Sense and Sensibility, I see that the review written by Kimble, put forth from the site Christian Answers is lacking in the Catholic sense. The Dashwood sisters themselves, Marianne especially, had to avoid men who were harmful or misleading just like we everyday have to do with media. 

Dignity of the Human Person 

Dr. Gan emphasizes that seeing dignity in every person is an essential principle in the media keys when consuming media or reading reviews. When looking at this review I tried to see if it is respectful of that and of good content. Being that one of our mission's in life is to seek the good, the true, and the beautiful I wanted to find a review from a site that seemed as though it supported that mission. Being that the name at the top of the site reviewing Sense and Sensibility says "Christian Spotlight on Entertainment" it gave the idea that the material can be of good repute. The review itself advertises that Sense and Sensibility is a clean romance that will not leave you feeling ashamed after watching. A win in our society when these days the movies being produced are usually not clean and more importantly are not affirming human worth or dignity. 

Truth-Filled

Finding movies in our world today where the content is truthful, avoids deception and turns away from distortion is a struggle. In the review, Kimble gave Sense and Sensibility a morally good rating proving that he found the movie to be aligning with truth. However, Kimble does not go into Christian teaching when discussing his thoughts on the movie quality itself. Kimble doesn’t not ask the questions that we should ask when reviewing and consuming media: is this content truthful? Does it distort facts? Should this content be avoided or encouraged? 

Inspired

In the review Kimble goes into how the Dashwood family had been thrown several misfortunes, each of them handled it differently yet with grace. They are all learning lessons from each of the stumbling blocks that were in their paths. Kimble writes: "ingeniously scripted it reveals that the choices we make can determine whether we will face lifelong misery or happiness" Just like when seeking after the dignity of the human person we should be asking the question does this media or review that we are consuming honor what is good? Does it honor what is truth filled? Ultimately is this honoring God or bringing us closer to him? 

Skillfully developed 

Dr. Gan teaches through this key that the principal part of the Church’s call to use media as a gift, not a distraction, and to ensure it contributes to us all becoming more skillfully developed in our everyday life. In the review Kimble speaks on how the Dashwood sisters are learning how to become more skillfully developed, not in media but in how to "...mix sense with sensibility. The remainder of the movie is their attempts to commingle between these two concepts." A more skillful review might go into how the Dashwood sisters grew into virtues throughout the movie. The sister go through lots of hardships in the movie, whether its losing their father, to have to move out of their home right after his death, to troubles of the heart. In that sense of not diving deeper into how the sisters grew in virtue, the review seems to be lacking where it could have developed profoundly into the sisters change. 

Motivated and Relevant to Human Experience 

Because we are all human, it is inspiring when we find media that resonates with the real experiences that we all go though, helping us to see our own lives reflected and inspiring us to live more fully as Catholic human beings. In the review for Sense and Sensibility it goes into the character of each of the sisters showing us all that the sisters too had temperaments, flaws and feelings. Whether its Elinor who is the cautious, responsible and realistic child or Marianne the passionate and impulsive second daughter. The review reminded us that were all growing and learning every day. At the end of the movie and the review we learned that the sisters have grown in virtue just as we can do every day if we chase after what God wants using the media keys.

Tonight I finished indoctrinating my 2.5 year old into the ways of 1995 Pride and Prejudice. It’s also the first time my husband has watched the whole way through, and he adored it! Thank goodness, no need for divorce.

I posted a few days ago about noticing Lizzy’s similarities to her mother for the first time. This next observation was my husband’s upon seeing Mr. Collins in his own home as he describes Lady Catherine’s observations on shelving.

“That guy… good for him. He’s just living his very best life, isn’t he? He loves every second of that horrible lady’s attention and meddling in his life, he married way out of his league, and he’s going to inherit Longbourne.”

And I realized… he’s right. Odious and laughable as we all find Mr. Collins, he’s kinda got it all figured out, for his own unique weird self and tastes.

May we all be as fulfilled in our lives as Mr. Collins.

This post is for rants and generally critical discussion about Sense & Sensibility (2026), which is currently being released to theatres in Australia, Canada, US, etc.

Nuanced opinions are still welcome, but please direct generally rave reviews, gushing, etc. to the sister "Yay!" megathread. Moderators reserve the right to remove overly apologist or combative comments.

Questions about this format? Please see the mod announcement.

No spoiler tags required.

UK Release Discussions: Yay and Nay

This post is for rave reviews and generally positive discussion about Sense & Sensibility (2026), which is currently being released to theatres in Australia, Canada, US, etc.

Nuanced opinions are still welcome, but please direct generally negative reviews, complaints, etc. to the sister "nay!" megathread. Moderators reserve the right to remove overly negative or combative comments.

Questions about this format? Please see the mod announcement.

No spoiler tags required.

UK Release Discussions: Yay and Nay

I recently read and then watched all the S&S adaptations I have (71, 81, 95, 08) and so here's my thoughts on it:

Things I Want In An Adaptation

• showing how deeply and privately Elinor feels- while she is very internal she does withdraw to express and I don't think it's laid down enough in any adaptation yet the way Austen lays it down in the early book that Elinor and Marianne are equally deep feelers and share equal sense and reason- Marianne being more romantic and Elinor more reserved.
• breakfast at Delaford! The outing to whitwell is always shown interrupted in the courtyard which yes Marianne and Willoughby were already on the move but idk it bothers me none of them show the breakfast, I feel it would help cement Brandon as a proper estate owner and gentleman
• in London when Marianne won't eat any breakfast after the Willoughby ball, Elinor doesn't draw any attention to her but takes up all of Mrs Jenning's attention with conversation, I think all the adaptations have the table silent and awkward except for Jennings, but Elinor draws her out so it would be great to see to what extent this equally heartbroken 19y/o exerts herself for the sake of Marianne being unable to exert herself at all
• When Brandon tells Elinor of his offer to Edward, and takes her hand, and speaks so seriously to her by the window, Mrs Jennings is sure he is proposing. Afterwards, "all hilarity ensued" when Elinor clears up her misunderstanding- for whatever reason I would love to see this as shot through a window, maybe over Brandon's shoulder as he descends the stairs outside?? Idk the idea of these 2 women engaging in a proper laugh together is so fun and I like the idea of maintaining some of the distance Austen produces in her narration- there is no dialogue or detail of how they talk and laugh about it all, so I like the idea of "through a window"...
• and then maybe the camera could pan up to Marianne watching Brandon leave because she has started to view him as a Romantic Character after his confession about Eliza and information about Willoughby- I think only the 2008 version does a half decent job of showing that Marianne truly begins to see him differently and doesn't just settle for him but it begins too late, after he has helped her at Cleveland. The pity and romance of his story in London is what first softens her to him imo
• after Willoughby's engagement is announced everyone is careful not to mention Mr W around Marianne at all and everyone succeeds, and Elinor is upset she can't figure out a way to get them to not talk about it around her as well- I don't know that any adaptation showcases this, or the continuing theme that for every hardship Marianne doesn't shoulder (not hearing about her heartache) Elinor suffers double (hearing about her own AND her sisters)
• when Edward proposes it would be so simple to follow the stage direction in the book- it's revealed he isn't married while he mangles the scissor sheath, Elinor leaves to cry. he leaves to walk to the village- and in the course of 3 hours he's asked for permission from Mrs D and proposed and they are sitting down to dinner engaged- like I want to see her hit the hall and him hit the front yard, scissors and sheath in shambles, and then maybe he finds resolve and turns back around

1971 - the one with the lashes

• I like how early on Edward snaps back at Fanny, as diffident and wishywashy as he seems all novel he is in the end a man of character, and, very different to his family- I thought it was a great showcase of their sibling relationship
• overall probably the best, the most faithful adaptation. A little stage-y but once you get used to the blocking of each scene its a pretty smooth ride
• all the men have the same very big hair so love that for whichever wig maker made bank in 1970

1981 - the one with the makeup

• I find this one the worst, but I would watch it over the 2008 one- the sick recovery scene is lifted right out of the 71 version? Mariannes makeup while sick is too much. "teach me the ABC" i cant
• least favourite jennings and lady middleton, would also take this edward over 2008 for book accuracy
• I think my favourite willoughby confession though

1995 - the one with no anne steele

• the runtime is concise, production value is amazing, and while changes are made it wraps up the story very nicely
• in the book and every other adaptation Marianne gets to bring her instrument to the cottage, in this version Brandon buys one for her near the end after finally finding one small enough to fit their space. I think it cheapens the ending for them
• Marianne's sickness becomes overtly about Willoughby. In this version she is still completely pining for him and becomes sick over being in the weather over him- I think in the book she is becoming a bit more embarrassed and regretful and more generally self neglectful than actively throwing herself into heartache like when he left Barton or after the London meeting. She's beginning to wonder what his intentions were and to doubt herself, I think her romantic notions bundle this shame with the heartache of losing W so she just snowballs it all into greater self neglect instead of changing her wet socks after gazing in the direction of his house in the rain

2008 - the colonel brandon show

• very male centered production i thought. Every closeup of Brandon (and the whole duel scene) I shout at my screen WHY
• the young women characters all look too similar- this is a pet peeve of mine in film and tv, I want each character to be very visually distinct unless its otherwise necessary to have characters be similar or ambiguous. Whenever Lucy came on screen I was like whats fanny doing here?
• this adaptation (and 1981) just have Elinor wandering around saying yes and what and repeating the last thing someone else just said. She is constantly plying people with the niceties of conversation in the book, her efforts are unending! Give this woman some chatter!
• the duel?????? not even book accurate duel if you are gonna include one anyway????
• what even was the point of mr palmer in this one????
• why are we following Brandon around to see him break Eliza's heart instead of drawing out Marianne, Elinor, and Mrs Dashwoods changing opinions of Willoughby instead???
• loved the steele's accent in this version. Anne is described as "vulgar" and that could well mean she hasn't learned to drop her locational devonshire accent, while Lucy has more tailored speech. I thought their accents in this version were a good call!
• Jean Marsh as Mrs Ferrars 👌chefs kiss
• I'm always interested in how Austen describes her characters and Elinor has "delicate" complexion / skin, I think the actress in this version fit that description well!
• I don't really like Dan Stevens as an actor like its a mark against me wanting to watch the work, so Edward has that going against him, but I also think Dan has too much natural charisma to portray Edward properly, combined with the kinda masculinization of the character in this version and its like its not even the same guy as in the book so least favourite edward unfortunately
• this is my least favourite. I've watched it I think 3 times and probably never will again... I like the middletons (wish there was more lady middleton) and mrs dashwood, and john henry. Too much brandon, too much on the men, and too many silent close ups with minimal facial expression where there's SO much wasted opportunity to translate the interior experiences Elinor is having . Instead we get one thousand establishing shots of seashells and waves. Austen's dialogue is apparently notoriously difficult to adapt and instead of trying here just admire the Devonshire coastlin-

Favourite Elinor- 1971; she's posh and young, 1995's is just too collected and mature for a 19y/o desperately trying to hold everyone together; 81 and 08 are too bland and agape for me (they're not fanny price for petes sake!)

Favourite Marianne- 1981; I liked the actress's choice to have a bit of an affectation while she spoke, like a romantic person of that time would have. Like my generation's alt rawr girl, or the one after mine's girls reading twilight and saying you dont GET me and if you dont read you arent deep lol. I liked their return to Barton and how this version highlighted her turn-on to Brandon with his book recommendations

Favourite Lucy- 1971. The cut eye she gives Anne at Barton ommmggg. and I loved her and Anne together pinching and squabbling, shows just the difference in class to the Dashwood sisters

Favourite Fanny Dashwood- 1995; "I am the soul of discretion.... viper in my bosom!"

Favourite John Dashwood- actually I like them all, I think 71 is the weakest but thats the script timing and not the actor imo

Favourite Edward- 1971; particularly like the part where he's dismayed to find Marianne finds him reserved, it pushes this adaption's Edward to the top. He is trying to be as candid and saucy as possible with her and still she calls him reserved!!

If you've seen the new one, spoil it for me in the comments- are they seen having BREAKFAST at DELAFORD?! Or even someone coming down the stairs saying "wow what a yummy breakfast colonel I do declare" ?????

Christiana Mary Demain Hammond, known by name Chris Hammond, (1860–1900) was an English painter and illustrator. She received her first training in drawing from her governess, and then attended the Lambeth School of Art and Royal Academy Schools. She was one of the most productive illustrators of the 1890s. Best known as an interpreter of classic fiction, she embellished texts by Jane Austen, Maria Edgeworth, W. M. Thackeray, George Eliot and a number of others, as well as contributing to Cassell’s Magazine, The Quiver, and St Pauls. She was also a painter, exhibiting genre pieces at the Royal Academy, The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, the Grosvenor Galleries and in the galleries in Suffolk Street.