I thought it might be helpful to start a new thread for the US viewers who are just getting to see this film now. The other thread for initial reactions is very long, on multiple pages, and therefore not easy to navigate.
shareI liked it when Edmund realized he loved Fanny. It was very good and I'd say the best part of the movie. Before that, it was only ok. The other version is so much better in storytelling and especially Frances O'Connor's performance. So, I like it and I loved the end, but the other version was better.
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I haven't read much of other people's reactions but I must say that I rather hated this version. I'm sorry I've never read the book and this did not inspire me to go to the library and get it.
My most general complaint is that everything felt (and was) too modern. No one felt convincing about anything they said or did and I was especially amused during the "Play" scene when everyone was "pretending" to act and still performing as horrible as when they are supposed to be in their normal characters. The hair, clothes and the way they carried themselves/spoke was too modern. They looked like they were playing dress up.
Aunt Norris' acting was annoying. Her speach pattern never varied! She...*breathe* always... *breathe*...talked...*breathe*...like this? ugh!
Fanny's dye job was terrible, she didn't look right as a blond. Her eyebrows were distracting.
The camera was NEVER still! Following them everywhere and bobbing up since someone was actually carrying it.
I'm sorry to sound like a hater or a troll because I'm not I just sincerely did not like this. It might just be that I'm spoiled and watch Pride/prejudice all the time but I honestly don't think this was a good movie in general, let alone a good adaptation for a book which I will need convincing is any good.
Those willing to give up liberty for security, deserve neither
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OT:
That might be a good Wheel of Fortune puzzle haha.
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Maybe i'm just in love with the other version that I was bias. I just didn't enjoy this one at all. I yelled out loud every time i thought something was dumb, acted badly, or just stupid.
I felt that the whole movie was rushed, and that made the relationships unbelievable.
The only positive thing i found was I thought the actor who played Edmund was attractive.
This version is the one I've seen. I liked it, except for the choppy transitions. I agree with the seen when Edmund realized he loves Fanny. It was priceless.
I do have a question for anyone who has finished the book. (I haven't gotten that far into it). Does the aunt really support Edmund and Fanny? Is her uncle that kind? It seems to me they weren't very nice to her as far as I have read. I could be mistaken, as I started it at the end of summer, so it is sad that I haven't finished it yet.
Lady Bertram is unhappy at the thought of Fanny marrying Edmund, because Fanny will move away from Mansfield. This means the selfish Lady Bertram won't have Fanny on hand to keep her company/run around after her while she lazes on a sofa. Fanny is replaced in this role by her sister Susan.
Sir Thomas isn't actively kind to Fanny as a child, but begins to appreciate her when he returns from abroad. He is really angry when she won't marry Henry and tries to pressurise her into accepting him, but when the story ends and Fanny is proved correct in her judgments, they become very close and have a great relationship.
You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hopeshare
I sincerely *hated* the way they portrayed Sir Thomas. In the book, he seemed like a gentleman ill equipped to deal with the feelings of young ladies, especially as young as Fanny was when she first came to Mansfield. He eventually realized how harsh he was being towards her though, especially after the Henry/Maria debacle, and eased up immensely. In this version however, he seemed arrogant, snide, pompous and indifferent, quite how I pictured Mrs. Norris to be actually. And Mrs. Norris barely spoke as well. She said her snooty lines, but without *more* there was a lack of edge to it. I got the feeling that "Oh, gee. She just doesn't care much for Fanny" in this version, rather than who she really was, which was arrogant, snide, pompous, indifferent and overly concerned with social ranking.
I did love the ending though. I thought it was romantic the way they both bolted from the table at the same time. :D Though, I thought the kiss was stupid, cos unmarried couples DID NOT KISS in JA's day. It was highly improper! Especially for two who are as good and proper as Edmund and Fanny.
Rose Movie - I also loved the part where they jump from the table and run out of the room, unrealistic as it was. It was cute.
I agree with your thoughts on Aunt Norris. And I don't believe it was made clear the relationship between the Bertrams and Norris until the very end when Fanny refers to her as aunt, tho I may have missed it. And I suppose it wasn't important to the storyline.
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Unfortunately, I thought the whole movie was kind of weak. Aunt Norris was too young and too tame. Rushworth wasn't annoying enough. Mary Crawford was a little too nice and her brother wasn't slimy enough. It was kind of Mansfield Park Lite. The whole purple thread epiphany that Edmund had just didn't do it for me, but then Edmund wasn't a character to make my heart go pitter-pat. I know condensing the book down to a 90-minute movie wasn't easy so I can't be too hard on the movie. I'm not sure I liked the actress who portrayed Fanny - somehow she just didn't seem to fit into the picture I had of the character. But of course, the beauty of reading the story is you get to use your imagination so I'm sure there are many out there who thought Billie Piper (sp?) was brilliant.
I guess I'd give it three out of five stars. But to be fair, this wasn't one of my favorite Jane Austen stories. On the other hand, the movie was better than 90% of the other stuff on tv!
I actually watched a few minutes of it last summer on a British Airways flight. It looked interesting then.
But having watched the movie all the way I must say I didn't like it. It moved through the story too quickly, the transitions were choppy, and I couldn't get a feel for most of the characters (for example, if I didn't already know it, I wouldn't have known Henry Crawford was a cad). And it was as if Aunt Norris and Sir Thomas switched personalities. And the way they had Edmund fall for Mary was so unbelievable given how rude she was to his face (Mary could be pleasant when she wanted to be but they didn't show enough of that in this version).
I really liked the 1999 version better.
I agree with you on them switching personalities. I honeslty haven't read the novel all the way through, but Mrs. Norris was hardly as cruel as she was there.
Regarding how Edmund came to fall in love with Mary - I know! Every word out of her mouth is basically, "I want you to change for me and I'm going to be as smug about it as I can." There were no reedeming qualities about her at all.
However, I did enjoy the rekindled romance between Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram at the end. I'm pretty sure Austen didn't write that, but it was nice just for the movie.
I think the '07 version made Fanny very...blah. While reading the book, I got annoyed with Fanny, angry at Fanny, sometimes wished Edmund wouldn't fall for Fanny. The book made me care. But in the movie, I just didn't care about her. I didn't really care about any of the characters. I don't think they did a great job at showing us what everyone's personalities and aspirations were. I didn't see the love Edmund initially had for Mary or just how horrible Mrs. Norris truly was or how relenting Henry Crawford could be. And I miss the scene where Fanny goes back home! I was very sad they left that out.
But on a more positive note. I loved the romance between Fanny and Edmund at the end. It's the way you hope two people will fall in love. In the novel, it almost seemed like Edmund was settling for Fanny, though we do know love is there. The ending was kind of wishful thinking and I can appreciate that.
renamed "Jayne Mansfield Park."
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I watched it for the way it was presented to me, by this screenwriter, by this director. I try not to compare films to other versions or their books, because I will surely start disappointing myself. I have not read the book, but I have scene the 99 version. I can't say that I hated it, or disliked it, because I did like it. I don't know what it would take for me to hate a film or period drama, I am easy to please. If I were to choose, it would be the 99 version. I will go out and purchase this version's DVD just like I have with the other multiples, like Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Jane Eyre and others. It wasn't as masterful as the 99 version, and cannot stand beside it, but it can stand alone.
Did PBS cut anything from this like they did Persuasion and Northanger Abbey?
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I am an american viewer who has never read the book or seen the other adaptions but I loved the movie. I especially loved Edmund at the end when he realized he was in love with Fanny. His face lit up and Fanny and I breathed asigh of relief. The scenery was beautiful especially the rows of flowers leading to the door of the home. One question though is How Do They heat these huge houses in the winter.?~~Dottie~~~
I've only read half of the book, but enough to know that a whole lot was missing. However, overall I enjoyed this adaption very much; as another poster has said, I am also easy to please. I don't mind chopped up versions, well, unless they are completely disasterous(sp?)
I do have some complains though:
Mrs. Norris wasn't presented as her true self- If i recall, it seems like she hardly says anything at all in this!
That 'purple thread' scene! It was like as if Edmund fell in love with Fanny because she chose the purple thread over the maroon! Maybe it's his favorite color....?
I did love those few scenes after Edmund realizes he is in love with Fanny. Oh, and it seemed like Fanny was praised so as to make Edmund see her, since he was 'blind': "Fanny is the best girl alive!" - Tom
I can see why people would hate this adaption, but I liked it, well enough to wish to see it again.
I'm an American viewer and I just saw MP last night on PBS for the first time. I'll just cut to the chase and say that I thoroughly dislike this adaptation. Now I'm a big fan of the 1999 version for several reasons, despite the fact that it might not have portrayed Fanny Price the way Austen envisioned it. Here are some of the reasons why I think the 1999 versions are much better than this one:
- The casting. I love the 1999 version almost entirely because of the cast. Frances O'Connor played a much more likable heroine, someone I empathize with and admire. She's smart & witty and conveys her emotion for Edmund in a very subtle yet sincere way without resorting to a jealous, covetous woman (the way Billie Piper's Fanny constantly peeped over Edmund & Mary Crawford is just pathetic). I also prefer the the movie's casting of Jonnie Lee Miller & Alessandro Nivola, as they both nicely convey the Edmund's righteousness vs. Henry's superficiality/fickleness. Embeth Davitz is also wonderful as Mary Crawford, she made a character you love to hate so that makes her an interesting 'villain.' On the other hand, Billie Piper didn't make me care for Fanny at all, and the romance at the end between Edmund and just seemed forced, it's as if he loves her because it's said so in the script! Some people went so far as criticizing Billie's buck teeth, it kind of distracted me a bit at first but it's her acting that annoyed me more, she just doesn't have the subtle nuances that Frances brought to her role.
- The style/art direction. I like how the movie takes us through the journey with the story's heroine. As the whole events are seen from Fanny's eyes & her journals, it's as if we're given access to go inside her head which helps us relate to her character more. I also love the use of slow motion in the movie to emphasize a point (i.e. when Aunt Norris singled Fanny out to do house chores as everybody was preparing for the play, they showed Fanny walking out in slow motion), plus the cinematography and costumes were just superb. I agree with some posters (either in this thread or others) that says this should be called Mansfield Park (in reference to Jayne Mansfield heaving cleavage of course) and what's with the dark eyebrows & blond hair? Looks like a bad dye job!
- Lack of important scene. I'm really disappointed that they cut the part where Sir Thomas sent Fanny home after she refused Henry to make her see how poverty isn't such an amiable alternative after all. I think it's an integral part of the whole story and makes her struggle regarding Henry all the more prominent. It's great that the movie didn't shy away from the slavery theme also, Fanny was a worldly woman with strong opinions about morality and that theme helped brought that to the surface.
- Aunt Norris. She should have more say in this and ought to be much more mean to Fanny than was portrayed in this one. The movie version captured this from the start when Fanny first came to Mansfield Park. There's also a humorous scene at the end of the '99 version where she ended up living with Maria and hating each other.
- Henry's portrayal. The movie showed Henry's constant pursuit of Fanny (even so far as dining with her poverty-stricken family), which proved to be quite effective as she almost accepted his proposal. It's such a test of character for Fanny, that she tried to love Henry but in the end she simply couldn't trust him. I like how the movie version showed Fanny catching Henry & Maria in the act, which then led to her running off to Edmund for comfort. The 'almost kiss' scene between Fanny & Edmund was heart wrenching and made it believable that the two protagonists finally got together in the end. I also liked the scene where Sir Thomas and Edmund was conversing, and Edmund thought his dad was talking about Fanny, whilst he's actually referring to Mary Crawford. It showed that Edmund's feelings for Fanny already extended beyond friendship even then – but her father's attitude hindered him from acting on it.
- The music from the movie. This may seem trivial for some people but to me, the score actually plays a huge part in setting the mood of the movie. I love Lesley Barber's lush, romantic yet playful theme.
There are many more that I can't think of right now. Overall I think it boils down to the casting though, no matter how faithful the adaptation is, if we don't believe in the characters, then it's hard to connect with the story.
If I had not paid good money to see the 99 version, I would have walked out. Yuck! Edmund was adorable in this latest effort. I was pleased with the adaptation and found it the most watchable of the new PBS series.
share"Embeth Davitz is also wonderful as Mary Crawford, she made a character you love to hate so that makes her an interesting 'villain.'..."
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I question, though, whether Austen's Mary Crawford is the villain of the piece: she grows, changes and learns throughout her stay at Mansfield Park (arguably more than Fanny, who doesn't have to grow very much); she appreciates Fanny in a way that few of the natives of Mansfield Park do until very late in the game; her love for Edmund is not false, comes on her in stages, and almost against her will. Austen is very careful to give us background on the Crawford sibs which informs us of why they are they way they are, and it's interesting to note that Mary's background and education is a sort of parallel and contrast to Fanny's and that, as the novel progresses, both young women run along more or less parallel lines. Mary is sorry to lose Edmund, and has been influenced enough by her experiences that they guide her after the closing of the novel. She's in opposition to Fanny, but is not her enemy (certainly not the way Lucy is to Elinor in S&S). She begins as a superficial character, but deepens as we go on and she grows closer to the Bertrams; also, though she lacks tact, many of her observations about the world outside of Mansfield are not untrue, and come from her background, which is one of extreme disillusion.
I have read the book several times, and seen all 3 of the adaptions. I must say that this is my least favorite by far. As other people have pointed out, the characters, especially Fanny, vary from the book, sometimes wildly. Honestly, if you have read the book, can you envision Fanny running all over like some sort of wild child! I just found this version annoying, and the by far the
least likable of the 3 adaptions seen on Masterpiece so far.
The oldest one, from the 80's should be watched just to see Anna Massey's wonderful take on the parsimonious Aunt Norris, something the other two versions left out. She is hilarious, and leaving that out takes out the cutting edge of Austen's wit.
"One question though is How Do They heat these huge houses in the winter.?~~Dottie~~~"
Well, they had fires but in reality the homes were very drafty and cold. You were well taken care of indeed if you were allowed to have a fire going in your room.
Thank you for answering my question. I realize that they could not have fires in all the rooms but I am thinking of the bedrooms. It must have been dreadful getting into your bed freezing. I remember in my grandfathers cottage it was so cold we would go to bed with hot water bottles so yes I presume it was very cold in those days
I believe in the wealthier homes, the maids warmed the beds with bottles or bricks and held the nightclothes of their mistress/master up to the fire to warm them before they were put on. I remember reading about the water in the bowl for washing up being frozen in the morning!
I can't imagine being a servant in those homes and having to wake up in a fire-less room! I'm cold all winter long, even with central heating. Eek!
I started watching this having never read the book, nor seen any previously filmed versions of it. I am, however, familiar with the regency time period, and with three of Jane Austin's other novels. Any well adapted/filmed period drama has the ability to make me forget that I am living in 2008. This drama completely failed in this respect. In fact within five minutes I wondered if I was even watching a story written by Jane Austin.
With the exception of the actor who played Edward, none of the younger cast were able to convince me that they lived in Regency England. Billie Piper in particular was totally miscast. She neither looked nor acted like a Jane Austin character. I kept feeling like the Tardis had accidently dropped her off in the 1800's and she was trying to blend in (and doing a poor job of it) until The Doctor rescued her. She's just way too contemporary for this role.
The entire production felt very meaningless and lightweight. So disappointing! The only thing it accomplished is that I now feel I need to read the novel to discover what it could have been and to erase the bad taste this adaptation left in my mouth.
As to those houses being cold, yes they are! I've stayed in an old stone house without central heating during a cold miserable wet June over there. We could see our breath in the mornings when we awoke.
I think this version of Mansfield park was simply terrible. It moved way too fast and just bugged me altogether. I own the complete Novels of Jane Austen and as far as I can tell, the 1999 version is closer to the novel then the 2007 version. I had to stop watching after half an hour.
shareI'd need to watch it again to be sure, but I thought this one was a SMIDGE closer to the novel than 1999. But certainly they both stray VERY far from Austen's novel.
Have you seen the miniseries?
Lets face it, it would be hard to get further away from the novel than the '99 version .
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While I agree that this wasn't a great production, and the budget was clearly tiny, I would point out that this adaptation is nothing to do with the BBC. It was made for the British channel ITV (a commercial channel and a rival of the BBC). I understand BBC America is distributing the DVDs of MP, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey for sale in the Region 1 area, but that's the extent of their involvement.
Blame/credit should be given where it's due . The BBC did produce the recent adaptation of Sense & Sensibility, which I thought was very good indeed!
The people have appointed me. I am their leader. I must follow them.share
And I will point out that Exxon Mobil pulled their backing from Masterpiece Theatre nearly ten years ago--years before this film was ever made.
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