Sunday 13 January 2013

The Jane Austen Movie Marathon

I've had ten days off work and how did I spend my vacation? Watching every Jane Austen film/mini series I could get my hands on! Here they are, starting with my favourite: 

Mansfield Park (1995)
Pride and Prejudice (1995)
Emma (1996 - Paltrow)
Sense and Sensibility (2008)
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Persuasion (1995)
Persuasion (2007)
Clueless (1995) It's my list and I can count it if I want!
Mansfield Park (2007)
Northanger Abbey (2007)
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Emma (2009)
Emma (1996 - Beckinsale)
Persuasion (1971)
Pride and Prejudice (1940)

You expected Pride and Prejudice to be at the top? There's a kind of desperate desire lurking in Mansfield Park that only just beats Colin Firth in a wet shirt.

It was hard to choose which I preferred in some cases, like Persuasion - which were both excellent in their own ways. Very frequently, I found myself wishing that I could have THIS movie, with THAT Col. Brandon, etc.

I had to leave a few out because I simply couldn't find them:

Pride and Prejudice (2003)
Mansfield Park (1983)
Sense and Sensibility (1971)
Sense and Sensibility (1981)

I suppose I ought to apologize to the legend that is Olivier for putting that P & P at the bottom but I just could not stand that version. Like the '71 Persuasion, it's just a product of its time, blah blah blah - but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Was it a good way to waste my time off? You betcha!

4 comments:

  1. My favorite is Colin Firth's P&P though I have to admit, after seeing Pillars of the Earth I feel I actually appreciate Matthew McFayden's Darcy more than before. It's the best substitute when you don't have 6-8 hours to watch a movie. haha I love Mansfield Park. I have not yet seen the Billie Piper version though & REALLY want to. My favorite Emma is w/ Romola Garai, followed by Clueless (I agree it counts) & finally the Paltrow one... I just really don't see her as Emma. I love Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility but have yet to see another version so there's nothing to compare it to (except the book of course) You should write for List My Five and do some definitive Austen lists. :) Good stuff.

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    1. Ooh... I can't stand that version of Pride and Prejudice! Bleh! But I know people who rave about it. Jay said he really liked Pillars but I haven't gotten around to it yet. The Billie Piper version of Mansfield wasn't my favourite but you should definitely give it a try! That's funny... I loved Paltrow as Emma but Garai just annoyed me! It's crazy how different our views on them are! :D The 2008 mini series of Sense and Sensibility is very good - you should check it out!

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  2. I knew that Jane Austen has been brought to the screen multiple times, but I did not realize how many times until you had your Jane Austen Marathon.

    Now I want to watch the Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice...

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    1. I didn't know how many there were either! I dread to think of how many hours I spent on the sofa!

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