Jane Austen

A collection of my reviews of films adapted from and inspired by the work of Jane Austen.

Northanger Abbey


Catherine Morland allows her obsession with gothic romance novels to influence her thoughts and fantasies during her first excursion into the adult world of love, friendship, and lies.

Northanger Abbey (1987)
Ruby in Paradise (1993)
Northanger Abbey (2007)


Sense and Sensibility


Sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood approach life and love very differently, but their father dies leaving them penniless and over the course of several heartbreaks they learn that maybe being ruled entirely by logic is just as bad as being ruled entirely by emotion.


Pride and Prejudice


The outspoken Lizzie Bennet catches the eye of the pompous Mr. Darcy, but she can't shake her first impression of him as an absolute wanker, and he can't let go of the fact that his station is so much higher than hers.

Pride and Prejudice (1940)
Pride and Prejudice (miniseries) (1995)
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Pride & Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy (2003)
Bride & Prejudice (2004)
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Unleashing Mr. Darcy (2016)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)
Before the Fall (2016)
Marrying Mr. Darcy (2018)
Christmas at Pemberley Manor (2018)
Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (2018)
Fire Island (2022)

Mansfield Park


As a young girl, poor Fanny Dashwood is taken in by her wealthy aunt and uncle. Growing up in their manor exposes her to the lives and manners of her licentious relations and their entanglements of love and lust.


Emma



A spoiled rich girl has fun playing matchmaker with her friends, but when the results go inevitably awry, she learns that maybe she has more flaws than she thought she did and she just might be in love with her brother-in-law who has been trying to steer her straight.

Clueless (1995)
Emma (1996)
Emma (TV) (1996)
Aisha (2010)
Emma. (2020)

Persuasion



A relationship is slowly rekindled between Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth when he returns from the war front.

Persuasion (1995)
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Persuasion (2007)
Persuasion (2022)

Other


Films inspired by Jane Austen's life or her work as a whole.

Becoming Jane (2007)
The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

1 comment:

  1. Herr Klein, having just read your review of LOVE AND JANE on Alternate Ending - I couldn’t post it there because the internet and my own Ambitions towards Wit already gobble enough of my time
    through far too many websites - one wanted to say that it has an excellent hook (‘Jane Austen as Romantic Comedy Spirit Guide’), but fails to realise that since this most excellent author lived out her days as ‘Miss Jane Austen’ and died a beloved spinster aunt, the Best possible use of the character and the concept is to build up to the revelation that, while Miss Jane is a witty & supportive best friend who knows what she likes in a gentleman, she has almost no practical experience of dating.

    In a film based - however loosely - on her own works, it would naturally take Our Heroine some little while to realise this (Miss Austen almost literally wrote the book on Romantic Comedies) and I cannot quite decide if the Big Reveal ought to be played for Drama or Pure Comedy.

    In any case, I would bet Cash Money that Dame Emma Thompson could make this idea work like legion of ants on a sugar high.

    ReplyDelete