Jane Austen's Burlesque

Pretty Funny. Christina Aguilera channeling Marianne Dashwood, and Cher channeling Mrs. Jennings.

Mr. Palmer, Clips from Sense and Sensibility

Hugh Laurie as Mr. Palmer. Surely his performance as this man is unrivaled by other actors who have played the part.

Lucy Steele Comes Clean about Sense and Sensibility

Remember Lucy Steele in 1996's Sense and Sensibility? As played by Imogen Stubbs, she was a conniving mean spirited b--tch, er, witch. Imogen is currently playing Anna in The Glass Menagerie at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. In a recent interview, she fondly recalled playing as Lucy opposite Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson:

“It was a terrific cast, it was a bit like the Harry Potters, you know. On the whole British actors are lovely so it’s always a good atmosphere.

“Ang Lee was gorgeous and Emma Thompson, along with Judi Dench, is up there with the nicest women in the history of the universe. And I knew Hugh anyway because his mum was a great friend of my mum’s, and we grew up in Chiswick together.”

Surely another plus when working on a good old British period drama are the costumes. However Imogen found she’d been a little left out when it came to dress rehearsals – and the less said about her bonnet, the better.

“I had rather silly costumes. It looked as though I had a bucket on my head! Initially I was blonde and we started like that but I looked too much like I was related to Kate (Winslet) and Emma. We were all too blondy, so I had to go dark. So I had this silly little mean wig and a bucket on my head and no make-up – I looked slightly piggy.”

Imogen went on to say about Lucy: "Everyone thinks, ‘oh, awful little Lucy’, because everyone loves the two main girls, but Lucy’s a survivor – almost more like Becky Sharpe in Vanity Fair.

“I’ve played a lot of heroines but I think villains are a lot more fun." - Cambridge News Co.UK

Austen Shopaholic – Sense and Sensibility featured in ‘The Books on Film Collection’

Need a great holiday gift or treat for yourself? Barnes and Noble Booksellers have just released The Books on Film Collection featuring six great classic movies paired with a new edition of the classic novel that it was adapted from. The highlight of the collection for me is of course director Ang Lee’s 1995 film Sense and Sensibility staring Emma Thompson (Elinor Dashwood), Kate Winslet (Marianne Dashwood) and co-staring Alan Rickman (Col Brandon), Hugh Grant (Edward Ferrars) and Greg Wise (John Willoughby). The DVD of the movie and a new edition of the book are presented in a beautifully designed box set and would make the perfect Janeite holiday gift.

Also included in the collection are such literary and movie classics as Kenneth's Branagh's 1994 film Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 film Little Women, Sidney Lanfield's brooding and atmospheric 1939 adaptation of The Hound of the Baskerville and Martin Scorsese’s 1993 powerfully romantic film The Age of Innocence.

For a limited time each boxed set in the collection is $13.48, or if you can’t choose just one, then buy the entire collection as a set for $53.95. Such a deal for six classic movies and novels that will supply many hours of enjoyment.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Sense and Sensibility and Harry Potter

Q. Which six actors from the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility directed by Ang Lee have been featured in the Harry Potter movies? If you can list them, you are indeed a true Austen/Potter movie buff. Answer to be posted tomorrow.

This pop quiz is brought to you by Jane Austen Film Adaptations Locations page at Sara Eastle Locations: the good folks who represent thousands of historic homes in England available for the next movie or television show that you are producing.

Visit the locations used in several Jane Austen movies and thousands more at their beautiful website.

A. The six actors in S&S '95 who were also in Harry Potter movies are...

Alan Rickman: Col. Christopher Brandon/Professor Severus Snape
Emma Thompson: Elinor Dashwood/Professor Sybil Trelawney
Robert Hardy: Sir John Middleton/Cornelius Fudge
Imelda Staunton: Charlotte Palmer nee Jennings/Dolores Umbridge
Gemma Jones: Mrs. Dashwood/Madame Pumfrey
Elizabeth Spriggs: Mrs. Jennings/Fat Lady

Great job to those who answered.

Jane Austen Movie Throwdown

Yesterday's post dealt with Regency style weddings. Which Jane Austen inspired movie wedding did you enjoy the most? The one in Pride and Prejudice 1995 which shot the double wedding of the Bingleys and the Darcys in the snow? Or Colonel Brandon's bell chimed wedding to Marianne in 1995's Sense and Sensibility? Both, you must agree, are incredibly romantic!

Favorite Jane Austen Inspired Wedding

Pride and Prejudice, 1995, with Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) and Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle), and Mr. Bingley (Crispin Bonham Carter) and his Jane ( Susannah Harker) in a double wedding. Artificial snow had to be carted in for this scene.

Sense and Sensibility, 1995, with Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) and Marianne Dashwood (Kate Winslet) getting married by Hugh Grant (Edward Ferrars), who had shortly before married Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson). Villagers carry the wedding cake in a procession while waving ribbons. Willoughby (Greg Wise) looks on from a distance, and turns away when Colonel Brandon throws six pence in the air for good luck.













This YouTube clip is not visually pretty, but it showcases the music that was played during the wedding scene.

pollcode.com free polls

Favorite Jane Austen Inspired Wedding

Pride and Prejudice 1995 Sense and Sensibility 1995

St. Mary's Berry Church Bells Will Ring Soon Again

In September we reported that St. Mary's, Berry Pomeroy church bells had been condemned. Viewers heard the bells ring during Colonel Brandon's wedding to Marianne in Sense and Sensibility, 1995.

The eight bells, some of which date from 1553, were banned by an architect for being too dangerous. Work to restore them at a foundry in Leicester took six months and cost £45,000.

Re-installing the bells inside the church is expected to take until the end of April, when a special bell ringing service is planned to celebrate their return.

• Read more about the restoration at Bells Are Back at Austen Church.

• Read: The Wedding Procession in Sense and Sensibility

Congratulations, Revolutionary Kate Winslet

The sixth time is the charm for Kate Winslet, who won an impressive two Golden Globes on Sunday for ‘Best Actress’ in Revolutionary Road and ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for‘The Reader’. What a singular feat. At the age of 22, she broke the record for the youngest person to receive two Oscar nominations, and at one point tied the record for the most Academy Award nomination for an actress before the age of 30 (she has thus far garnered 5 Oscar nominations). Considered one of the best actresses of her generation, there is absolutely no doubt that Kate will receive many more nominations, wins, and honors in her acting future.


Kate's association with Jane Austen is through her role as Marianne Dashwood in 1995's Sense and Sensibility, for which she received an oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. For my part, her interpretation of Marianne is my favorite.


Read more about Kate's Golden Globe wins at these links:

• Celebrity Gossip

• Kate Winslet: Slider

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Sense and Sensibility Church Bells Silent

Oh, dear, the bells of St. Mary's, Berry Pomeroy, have been condemned and the church will remain silent until Christmas, when repairs are set to be completed. Click here to read the rest of the story.

View Sense and Sensibility (1995) on Hulu.com

Watch Sense and Sensibility (1995) instantly on your own computer by streaming video at Hulu.com (US residents only). This stunning, and award winning adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel stars Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson as the Dashwood sisters, romantic Marianne and pragmatic Elinor. Here is Hulu.com's slightly erroneous description!

Emma Thompson stars in the captivating romance based on Jane Austen's classic novel of two sisters' search for love in strict Victorian society.

Did you catch the slip? Why do people often think that Austen's novels are Victorian? Ack! The future Queen Victoria was born two years after Jane Austen died in 1819, and did not ascend to the thrown until 1837, ushering in the Victorian era. So get a clue, people!

Enjoy the movie. It's FREE

posted by Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Great Sales on Jane Austen Inspired DVD's

JANEITE SHOPPING ALERT

For those of you who are bored with television's summer re-runs, you might be interested in a few of the great selections of Jane Austen adaptations and spinoffs available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. I have narrowed down the field based on the price of $9.99 or less, and their lasting appeal and curiosity factor. So check it out. Start the Austen collection that you have always wanted, or fill out your library, because one can never have too much of a good thing!

Persuasion 1995: Unarguably, the BEST version of this Jane Austen classic love story gone astray by bad advice and a bad family. Amanda Root is luminescent as Anne Elliot, a baronet’s daughter whose decision to decline the marriage proposal of the young unproven naval officer Frederick Wentworth (Ciaran Hinds) haunts her even after seven years. Now considered an old maid, and with her once-rich family on the verge of bankruptcy, Captain Wentworth returns with a new fortune under his cap and marriage on his mind. Will their bitter sweet reunion rekindle their romance, or has Anne lost her bloom and Wentworth only has eyes for younger women? Other standout performances are Corin Regrave as Sir Walter Elliot, Sophie Thompson as Mary Musgrove, and Samuel West as William Elliot.

Sense and Sensibility 1995: It’s easy to see why this visually stunning and emotionally captivating version of Jane Austen’s tale adapted by actress Emma Thompson, (who also stars), won the Golden Globe Award as Best Picture of the Year (Drama) in 1995. The Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor (Emma Thompson) and passionate Marianne (Kate Winslet) chances for marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Greg Wise co-star as the well-intentioned suitors who are trapped by the strict rules of society and the conflicting laws of desire. Still my favorite of the three versions presently available solely due to Winslet’s searing performance.

Clueless 1995: ‘As if’ anyone could ever forget Alicia Silverstone as Cher, the rich and clever matchmaker of Beverly Hills high whose penchant for helping others with their relationships and self-esteem is a cover for her own loneliness. Director Amy Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) made a smart, funny variation on Jane Austen's novel Emma, sweetly romantic and gently satirical of 90210 social manners. The cast is unbeatable: Dan Hedaya as Cher's rock-solid dad, and Paul Rudd as the boy who has always been Cher's surrogate brother—who is a real ‘Baldwin’ in disguise. Brittany Murphy is hilarious as Cher's ditzy protogee Tai and Stacey Dash shines as Cher's so hip friend Dionne who is also named after a 1960's pop star! 'Whatever'! If you don’t like it, we can shop on without you!

Emma 1996: Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow) might be handsome, clever and rich, but she is clueless about relationships! Against the better advice of her friendly neighbor Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northam), she endeavors to match make for her young protégée Harriet Smith and makes a hilarious tangled mess in the process! This delightfully fun and lighthearted comedy is a lighter interpretation of Jane Austen’s masterpiece. Emma may be as silly as a goose, but you'll enjoy all the comic confusion ... until Emma herself falls in love. Hated Toni Collette as Harriet, but Northam as Mr. Knightley makes up for her with his charm and guile. Alan Cumming and Juliet Stevenson make the perfectly pompous Mr. and Mrs. Elton, and Greta Scacchi as Mrs. Weston rounds off an excellent cast.

Mansfield Park 1999: Imagine Jane Austen’s simple and strong heroine Fanny Price infused with the personality of her witty, sparkling and sharp Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, and you might understand writer/director Patricia Rozema’s unique interpretation of Jane Austen’s often misunderstood novel. Young and impoverished Fanny (Frances O’Conner) may have been sent to live with her rich and privileged cousins the Bertram’s at Mansfield Park circa 1800, but that is where the similarities in the stories end. At least the producers fess up on the DVD cover and admit that the story is based on Jane Austen’s novel, letters and journals. Since there are no known journals by Jane Austen, this may account for the creative script!

Bridget Jones’s Diary 2001: Loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, dear Ms. Jones may actually have very little in common with her doppelganger Elizabeth Bennet, but she will always be the ultimate singleton in search of a life and her Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth as Mark Darcy) to many fans of Helen Fielding’s best selling novel. Featuring a blowzy, winningly inept size-12 heroine, Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is a London-based publicist who divides her free time between binge eating in front of the TV, downing Chardonnay with her friends, and updating the diary. Delightfully funny, watch this one with your friends, and escape into Bridget’s slightly booze hazed world! I love it when American actress Zellweger trys her best at a British accent, but ends up sounding like Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle with marbles in her mouth!

Bridget Jones – Edge of Reason 2004: Renee Zellweger is back as everyone's favorite witty heroine in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Not that Bridget's counting, but it's been six wonderful weeks, four fabulous days, and seven precious hours with one flawless boyfriend, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). But when mischievous and devilishly charming Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) arrives on the scene claiming to be a reformed man, can Bridget find a way to make true love last forever? Not quite as fresh and funny as the first one, but the reprise of the Firth vs. Grant girly fight is well worth the money, and the laughs. Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent star as Bridget's middle age maddness parents, and Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, and James Callis all return as Bridget's zany friends.

Bride and Prejudice 2005: A Bollywood musical of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? Ok. This I had to see, - and - I did not regret it for one moment. All of Austen’s famous character’s are there, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Lizzy Bennet and her sisters, but the story has been transplanted to modern India and it is a perfect match of the retelling of a young spirited girl Lalita Bakhsi’s (Aishwarya Rai) search for her Mr. Right (Martin Henderson as William Darcy). Some of you might recognize Marsha Mason as Catherine Darcy, Naveen Andrews as Balraj Bingley and Alexis Bledel as Georgiana Darcy. When this one ends, you might go buy yourself a sari and the CD of the music to continue the magic!

Pride and Prejudice 2005: One of the greatest love stories of all time is condensed to a slim two hour major motion picture staring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew MacFadyen as Mr. Darcy. Tisk, tisk! The Bennet family are much earthier in this version, with pigs running through the house, and a grubby peasant-like appearance, but it makes for a deeper contrast to the wealth and social aspirations of their new neighbors the Bingley’s and the pomposity of Mr. Darcy. I understood where director Joe Wright was trying to go with this, but it was painful to see the Bennet’s brought down so low in society. The Netherfield ball dance between Darcy and Lizzy is stunning, and saves this version for me.

Happy Fourth of July to all. Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Sense & Sensibility: A Head to Head Comparison

Gentle Reader, When Kaye Dacus agreed to write one of her wonderful posts comparing two Jane Austen film adaptations, we rejoiced. In this instance, Kaye compared Sense and Sensibility, 1995 to the latest adaptation of S&S that is currently being aired on Masterpiece Classic. Watch Part II this Sunday at 9 p.m. on your local PBS station. Meanwhile, enjoy Kaye's take on both films:

When new film adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels are made, there is no sense in pretending we don’t compare the actors and actresses from the various versions. Since Barbara Larochelle did such a good job of reviewing the new adaptation concerning the story and the setting, I thought I’d just do what I do best: compare the actors and actresses head-to-head.

I thought about including the 1981 BBC miniseries, but since I’ve had the DVD of it for a few years (purchased as part of a set) and have never watched it, this will focus on just the 1995 Emma Thompson version in comparison to the new Andrew Davies version.

Elinor Dashwood: Emma Thompson vs. Hattie Morahan

In looks, Emma Thompson has Hattie Morahan beaten, hands-down. It has been quite a while since I’ve read the book, but I don’t remember Jane Austen specifying that Elinor is so plain as to be nearly homely. In speaking ability, Emma also has the edge---Hattie has a bit of a lisp at times that makes her sound a bit less refined and intelligent than Elinor is supposed to be. However, in all other respects, I’m going to have to give this one to Hattie Morahan, mainly because of her age---because she was only twenty-eight when filming this, while Emma Thompson was thirty-six. Neither were very close to Elinor’s nineteen when the story begins, but Hattie does look much younger when seen on the screen. Hattie also brings a little less maturity and assuredness to the role. Why is that a good thing? Because in the novel, Elinor is only nineteen years old. She doesn’t know everything, the way Emma Thompson portrayed her. Hattie also has a quietness about her that Emma Thompson tried to adopt but didn’t always manage. Winner: Hattie Morahan.

Marianne Dashwood: Kate Winslet vs. Charity Wakefield

While Charity looks younger, she is actually several years older than Kate during filming (KW was eighteen or nineteen). But age isn't really the issue here. The better portrayal of this character is soundly Kate Winslet’s. Kate Winslet brought so much more heart and intensity and, dare I say, sensibility to the role. (She weeps better too.) She also seemed much more comfortable with the lines that are straight out of the novel, whereas Charity was much more believable with the dialogue written by Andrew Davies (not that his dialogue was bad, just not what Jane penned). But I do have to say, I like the warmth that Charity as Marianne initially shows toward Colonel Brandon---the smiles when he’s turning the pages of the music for her, and thinking him the only person in the neighborhood one could have an intelligent conversation with. And I know that tumbled, curly hair is supposed to be a “sign” of the wild, carefree character, but poor Charity’s hair tends to look more frizzy (especially around her face) than a wild tumble of curls. I know that’s probably more true-to-life, but with as refined as everything else is in this film version, it’s somewhat distracting to me to see a close-up of her and have her look like she just woke up and hasn’t styled her hair yet. Winner: Kate Winslet.

Mrs. Dashwood: Gemma Jones vs. Janet McTeer

Though Gemma Jones was only fifty-three when filming the 1995 version of S&S, Janet McTeer, at forty-six, possesses the looks of the early-forties that Mrs. Dashwood is supposed to be. However, Gemma Jones’s portrayal edges her out for me. Janet McTeer towers over the actresses playing Elinor and Marianne, and comes across as very robust. Gemma Jones brought a palpable sadness and fragility to the role, fitting for a woman newly widowed---and also something that points to the same fragility that Marianne shows later in the story after her heart is broken. Winner: Gemma Jones.

Edward Ferrars: Hugh Grant vs. Dan Stevens

He didn’t have to have piercing blue eyes, a mellow baritone voice, and a nice substance to his carriage for Dan Stevens to edge out Hugh Grant in this comparison for me. (And can I just admit that until I put these two images side by side, I didn’t realize how much Dan Stevens favors Hugh Grant?) Yes, Jane describes Edward as plain, with not much grace---and Dan Stevens is far from plain---but she also described Edward as solemn and somber, not comical and flirtatious, which is how Hugh Grant’s bumbling, stuttering portrayal comes across. Winner: Dan Stevens.

Colonel Brandon: Alan Rickman vs. David Morrissey

I know there are some people out there who feel as adamantly about Alan Rickman in the role of Colonel Brandon as they do about Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. So, since I’m 100 percent in favor of equal opportunity, I’ll go ahead and offend the Alan Rickman lovers to say I feel he was completely miscast as Colonel Brandon. (Side note trivia: the first name Christoper was made up for that version of the movie.) Yes, he’s a wonderful actor, and did a good job in the role. But he wasn’t the Colonel Brandon who appears in the book. The biggest problem is that Colonel Brandon is meant to be thirty-five years old. Though David Morrissey (forty-three) is close to the age Alan Rickman was when he filmed the role (forty-nine), the difference of eight years to fourteen definitely shows in their faces---David Morrissey is mature without looking old. Alan Rickman just looked old, not to mention the fact that to me, Alan Rickman sounds like he just came from the dentist and the Novocaine hasn’t worn off yet---and he might still have some cotton stuffed up in his mouth. One of the strange things for me watching David Morrissey is how much he reminds me of a young Liam Neeson---both in looks and voice. Winner: David Morrissey.

Mr. Willoughby: Greg Wise vs. Dominic Cooper

Aside from the fact that Marianne is sixteen or seventeen years old and susceptible to an unexplainable infatuation with a dashing young man, in the new adaptation I cannot understand how she could possibly choose Willoughby over Brandon. Because the film is much more drawn out, we see Willoughby in more scenes, but rather than seeing his humor and charm, he just comes across as sinister and conniving. He rarely smiles; and lines that Greg Wise spoke with a lilt and a bit of a laugh in his voice Dominic Cooper speaks with a petulance that makes him come across as rude. And, personally, I just think Greg Wise is better looking. Winner: Greg Wise.

Head to head, there are no actors that are truly just awful in their roles. But I do have my favorites. I hope you do too, and I hope you’re looking forward to the second part as much as I am!

About the Author:
Romance novelist Kaye Dacus has been a Jane Austen lover since first reading Pride and Prejudice in high school. In college, her senior thesis focused on themes of wealth and social status in Jane Austen’s work. She blogs about the craft of fiction writing---and Jane Austen film adaptations---at www.kayedacus.com. Her debut novel, Stand-In Groom, hits shelves in January 2009.