This is a lovely adaptation of the Jane Austen book that despite not bearing too much resemblance to the original plot in the book still manages to get across the main message about the dubious nature of standing flirtation and the public humiliation of adultery in the late 18th and early 19th century.
To be brief, Fanny is poor, goes to live with rich cousins, is treated as inferior, Fanny loves Edmund (a bit wet), Edmund loves someone else, Henry loves Fanny but sleeps with her cousin, social shock and outrage follows cousin is exiled, Edmund realises he loved Fanny all along, Fanny lives happily ever after. Since the plot has been described better in another review I won't go over it again.
I found that although this was a great period film to watch and enjoy it was the first recent adaptation that was very different to the book. This was the first time I'd read an Austen book first without seeing an adaptation before so maybe this has biased my judgement.
In this film Fanny is a little too spirited for me, she was a lot less wild in the book and didn't really enjoy the great outdoors. Her great love however was learning which she aquired through Edmunds tuition and this has been the side of her character developed in the film, a little over developed as in the book she was really anxious, shy and quiet. Fanny in the book was more accepting of her circumstances and I felt in the book her lack of frustrations made me seeth on her behalf. In the film though she seems to show more of her anger at the circumstances she finds herself in leaving me more ambivilant to her.
I did feel though that all the other characters were translated very well from the text, in particular Mary Crawford (Embeth Davidz) and Lady Bertram (Lindsay Duncan). The free spirited Crawfords are both really well played and the lack of morals associated with their sensibilties really gets across Jane Austens message in the book about the unacceptable nature of adultery. Mary Crawfords last speech about the furture of the Bertrams and her place in it is so well acted she just makes your skin crawl.
The film is shot in beautiful surroundings and the whole feel of the piece transports you to Mansfield Park and embroils you in the plot that unfolds. Not the best of the recent adaptions in my opinion but definitely worth watching again.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2000 - Drama - Director: Giuseppe Tornatore - Original Language: Italian - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana
Patricia Rozema is a Canadian director with the nerve to helm smart, big budget movies, as ... more
she proves again inMansfield Park. She hadher first hit with the quirkyI've Heard the Mermaids Singing(1987) in which the heroine, a mouse among art gallery shar...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Patricia Rozema is a Canadian director with the nerve to helm smart, big budget movies, as ... more
she proves again inMansfield Park. She had her first hit with the quirkyI've Heard the Mermaids Singing(1987) in which the heroine, a mouse among art gallery sha...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Spirited Fanny Price is sent by her poverty-stricken mother to live with her prosperous ... more
aunt and cousins at their grand country estate. Here, she struggles to adjust to aristocratic protocol and the daily reminders of her inferiority to her relatives. ...
![Mansfield Park [DVD] [2007]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78120607.jpg "Mansfield Park [DVD] [2007]")
![Mansfield Park [1999] [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78545416.jpg "Mansfield Park [1999] [DVD] [2000]")
Feb 11th, 2005
helpful by (75%):
somewhat helpful by (25%):
