About a month ago one of the US channels was passing all episodes of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice in one day (Colin Firth! The ultimate Mr. Darcy...) and I confess I parked myself on the sofa and marathoned the entire thing. Love that adaptation!
Jane Austen
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Ray McCarthy
Sentient Marmite: The Truth may make you fret.
You know the BBC doesn't have advert breaks though ...
(It's on DVD too. We have several versions).
(It's on DVD too. We have several versions).
I was living in England when the series came out - my University years - and my whole house of unruly students would sit quietly to watch it. We didn't miss a single episode.
Thank you for the link, Extollager!
Emma was spoiled and conceited (her circumstances practically guaranteed it), but she meant well, and
did learn the error of her ways and admit her mistakes
I think that Colin Firth was as sexy as heck, and he smoldered beautifully, but he never matched my idea of Mr. Darcy. I am sure that the fault was in the script and direction (and the costume department -- his clothes never quite fit!) and not with Firth. Had those responsible not been so intent on making the story sexy enough for modern viewers I think he would have done a commendable job. (While remaining easy on the eyes.)
I must admit that while the scene with Colin Firth swimming in the pond
was very pleasing, it has never really fitted with my idea of Mr Darcy in general. I did like the dancing scene, though. And Jane was so perfect. I loved the adaptation (I was doing a postgrad degree when it came out and our whole house of students behaved exactly like Juliana's) but I detested the adaptation's version of Mrs Bennet. She was much too much.
I also love Jane Eyre, and I liked the 2006 adaptation a lot.
and meeting Elizabeth in a dripping wet shirt
I also love Jane Eyre, and I liked the 2006 adaptation a lot.
AnyaKimlin
Confuddled
Colin Firth's Dad was my personal tutor at university when Pride and Prejudice came out. He disappeared on a sabbatical shortly after
I loved Pride and Prejudice - have never liked a screen adaptation.
I loved Pride and Prejudice - have never liked a screen adaptation.
Poor Colin Firths's dad!
AnyaKimlin
Confuddled
I don't know if it had been planned beforehand - I just know it wasn't long after I got a note in my box telling me I had a new personal tutor.
On reading Northanger Abbey, I'm struck once again by how verbose prose was back Austen's day. There was one remarkable paragraph I read last night, taking up perhaps 14 or 15 lines of text, in which Austen conveyed one action. These days the editor would strike it through and suggest the revision: "she got up and left the room"! Austen found use for perhaps 200 words. It's very enjoyable though.
hopewrites
Crochet Streamer
While I can barley think about Emma without wanting to scream and throw things, I love the other books I've read. Persuasion and Mansfield Park being among my favorites.
Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson was my introduction, and when my mom found out I had watched it so often I had it memorized she bought me The Completed Works for my birthday. While I loved it even more dearly in print (and it was my reigning favorite until perhaps 3-4yrs ago) I found that it was not the only one that spoke to me. Northanger Abby had me smiling slyly at a Heroin much like my 16yr old self, but I was drawn in by Fanny Price and Anne Elliot as being most like me at the time.
I think I liked that While Fanny Dashwood is horrid, Fanny Price is darling. For me it was nice to see someone ascribe two opposing sets of characteristics to women with the same name. It made me think about life and responsibility differently.
At the back of The Completed Works was one that I've only read once, but found much enjoyment in the mental stimulation of trying to make sense of a woman's life and her complete story when only presented with her correspondence. Lady Susan decidedly had an interesting life, though I'm not sure I like her.
I would say that my best friend is a Jane Bennet and I once had a roommate like Charlotte Lucas. I think I've seen 4 or 5 screen adaptions (large and small) and find it difficult to settle on which big budget production I like best. Any one out for a good laugh (and not mortally offended by period inaccuracies) should look up the 1940 version. The scene in the dress shop is my favorite in that one.
Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson was my introduction, and when my mom found out I had watched it so often I had it memorized she bought me The Completed Works for my birthday. While I loved it even more dearly in print (and it was my reigning favorite until perhaps 3-4yrs ago) I found that it was not the only one that spoke to me. Northanger Abby had me smiling slyly at a Heroin much like my 16yr old self, but I was drawn in by Fanny Price and Anne Elliot as being most like me at the time.
I think I liked that While Fanny Dashwood is horrid, Fanny Price is darling. For me it was nice to see someone ascribe two opposing sets of characteristics to women with the same name. It made me think about life and responsibility differently.
At the back of The Completed Works was one that I've only read once, but found much enjoyment in the mental stimulation of trying to make sense of a woman's life and her complete story when only presented with her correspondence. Lady Susan decidedly had an interesting life, though I'm not sure I like her.
I would say that my best friend is a Jane Bennet and I once had a roommate like Charlotte Lucas. I think I've seen 4 or 5 screen adaptions (large and small) and find it difficult to settle on which big budget production I like best. Any one out for a good laugh (and not mortally offended by period inaccuracies) should look up the 1940 version. The scene in the dress shop is my favorite in that one.
Is the 1940 film the one where Lady Catherine De Bourgh winks at Elizabeth at the end, just after she's given her a dressing - down for aspiring to marry her nephew? The wink throws a whole new light on her personality.
The 1940 one stars Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. She was far too old for the part, of course, but they were more interested in names than any attempt at accuracy, and she's certainly sparkling enough. As for period authenticity *hollow laugh*
I don't recall Lady Catherine winking at Lizzy, but the scene immediately afterwards is a travesty. I suppose I should put the next bit in spoilers, but more than half of me wants to shout it loud, so no one is rendered as apoplectic as I was when I first saw it... so even if you don't normally read spoilers, read this and retain your sanity.
I don't recall Lady Catherine winking at Lizzy, but the scene immediately afterwards is a travesty. I suppose I should put the next bit in spoilers, but more than half of me wants to shout it loud, so no one is rendered as apoplectic as I was when I first saw it... so even if you don't normally read spoilers, read this and retain your sanity.
Lady C gets into her carriage where Darcy is waiting. She is happy for him to marry Lizzy, and the scene with Lizzy was only an attempt to test her, to find out her true feelings. Quite apart from being wholly implausible, it makes Darcy an absolute plonker as far as I'm concerned. Even if it is Larry Olivier at his most gorgeous.
Ray McCarthy
Sentient Marmite: The Truth may make you fret.
The Kings speech is a film I'd not be able to watch. Too much inaccuracy and lack of period authenticity.
Is Hollywood getting it right the exception rather than the rule?
Oh and a recent fantasy featuring Alan Touring and Bletchly Park. The fictional "Enigma" spy thriller (Book or Film, the MC is fictional) is more accurate!
Generally I tend to have read books and relevant history years before films. Still, no shortage of other films to enjoy, but with poor hearing, dialogue subsiduary to effects and lower volume than effects and music, badly done photography, too much special effects, in modern films, I now enjoy books far more than films anyway. I have no difficulty at all with the dialogue in older films.
Yes, I heartily disliked that scene, too. I know it was supposed to be charming and endearing, but it was just silly and out of character for both of them.
An excellent cast (even if, in some cases, a bit long in the tooth) and some lovely costumes (even though the wrong period) but everything else is so jarringly wrong, I found it hard to watch.
hopewrites
Crochet Streamer
@Kerrybuchanan I'm reasonably confident that she winks in that one, because I cant think of another one where she might go so far off Jane's character to do so. I must admit that the inaccuracies, both period and character, is what caused most of my giggle fits. I would venture to say that the 1940's version focuses more on the adults in the story.
On the other end of the spectrum there was an LDS-Indi version released back in 2003 where the adult characters are cut out all together. The Bennit sisters are recast as room-mates with only Lizzy retaining the Bennit name. I dont tend to recommend this one to fans outside the LDS community because I feel there are too many inside-cultural-stereotype winks in it. That said, I'm not above putting it in to fold laundry when I'm at my moms (it's her copy not mine)
I've started watching the 1980 TV series at least three times, but (like many other 1980's things) it doesnt hold my attention past episode 2. I want to remember that I had a similar problem with the 1967 TV version, but when I looked it up (to get the year right) none of the snapshots look familiar, so it might have been some 70's version of another Austen book that I'm thinking of.
[Edit] Yeah I found it, it was the 1971 Persuasion. I've watched the whole thing, but have yet to see an adaptation of Persuasion that I love anywhere near as much as I love the book. The most recent one would be my favorite except
On the other end of the spectrum there was an LDS-Indi version released back in 2003 where the adult characters are cut out all together. The Bennit sisters are recast as room-mates with only Lizzy retaining the Bennit name. I dont tend to recommend this one to fans outside the LDS community because I feel there are too many inside-cultural-stereotype winks in it. That said, I'm not above putting it in to fold laundry when I'm at my moms (it's her copy not mine)
I've started watching the 1980 TV series at least three times, but (like many other 1980's things) it doesnt hold my attention past episode 2. I want to remember that I had a similar problem with the 1967 TV version, but when I looked it up (to get the year right) none of the snapshots look familiar, so it might have been some 70's version of another Austen book that I'm thinking of.
[Edit] Yeah I found it, it was the 1971 Persuasion. I've watched the whole thing, but have yet to see an adaptation of Persuasion that I love anywhere near as much as I love the book. The most recent one would be my favorite except
The shaky cam gets to me in places, and I detest that she runs after him. It's too obvious that the kiss is uncomfortable because she's out of breath from running, and my suspension of disbelief cant countenance them kissing IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET! And it had already had a hard knock done to it when Mrs Smith ran up to Anne -invalids dont run along side their healthy counter parts to pant out exposition- but I guess they were running out of time or had dismantled her set *wanders off muttering darkly*
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My daughter watched the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modern slant on on P and P, but I never went looking for them myself. There have been so many spin-offs and takes on that book, Jane would have been as rich as Croesus had she been writing today.
hopewrites
Crochet Streamer
*giggle* Ok I'm going to see if I can watch that just because wiki makes it sound like something I would enjoy laughing over.
hitmouse
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I think The King's Speech is acceptable for period accuracy, and more importantly, it is interesting for historical context. Apart from that it is quite a good film.
Is there a connection here with Austin, apart from Firth?
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