A Bold Reinterpretation

Focus Features

Sense and Sensibility
Directed by Georgia Oakley
Screenplay by Diana Reid
Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Catríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw

Review by Susie Wampler

As with any major adaptation of an Austen novel, director Georgia Oakley’s version of Sense and Sensibility will likely attract new fans as well as detractors. Having first discovered Austen through an adaptation—and then quickly devoured her entire oeuvre—I rejoice in anything that attracts new readers to my favorite author.

I found Oakley’s take on the novel—a work she has loved since she was a teenager—and the script by novelist Diana Reid thoroughly fascinating. Focus Features is marketing the film as a bold reinterpretation, and it’s hard to argue with that. Events often happen out of sequence and certain characters appear in scenes where they were notably absent or have direct conversations that were heard only secondhand in the novel. Throwaway moments from the book are dramatically visualized. Backstories of some of the principals are altered (I gasped audibly at one or two of the changes). Still, the overall film retains the spirit of Austen’s S&S (unlike, say, Netflix’s Persuasion).

While some minor characters are not recognizable from the novel (Lady Middleton, for instance) and others are missing (as is often necessary in a feature-length adaptation), the main roles are performed in ways that add a new perspective. Similarly, the departures from the linear storytelling still felt emotionally authentic.

Oakley says she considered the central love story to be the bond between sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. In my view, she succeeded in that aim, and her Dashwoods feel very much like a real family. Daisy Edgar-Jones is a standout as Elinor, while Esmé Creed-Miles is believable as romantic and passionate Marianne. Catríona Balfe doesn’t have a great deal to do as Mrs. Dashwood but is nonetheless memorable. Mrs. Jennings makes an earlier appearance in the film than in the novel, and with the ever-wonderful Fiona Shaw in the role, it’s hard to fault that choice.

As for the male leads, George MacKay is compelling as Edward Ferrars, and his chemistry with Edgar-Jones is palpable. It took a while for Herbert Nordrum’s Col. Brandon to grow on me, but dare I note that the Brandon/Marianne resolution feels more plausible to me than in the novel? (I know it’s an affront to Austen, but I’ve always had an issue with Brandon’s being “rewarded” with Marianne.)

The 1995 film by director Ang Lee and screenwriter/star Emma Thompson still casts a long shadow. The new film has an intentionally different aesthetic. Oakley says she wanted to create a moody atmosphere that emphasized a family in mourning, whose lives have been upended. She wanted the universe of the film to feel more lived-in and human instead of perfectly polished. It brings to mind the visual feel of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, also produced by Focus Features and Working Title. Some Janeites will find the frequently untidy, flowing hair distracting.

This film is set in the 1790s—earlier than most previous S&S adaptations, which tend to reflect the timing of the novel’s publication rather than when Austen first wrote it. I’ll leave analysis of the costuming decisions to the experts, but I’ve seen some fashion plates from the 1790s that seem in keeping with the film’s choices.

Personally, I’m more interested in characterization and storytelling than sartorial or hairstyling decisions. However, I did find the lack of adherence to certain social mores of the era a little unsettling. Still, I understand the desire to appeal to modern audiences unfamiliar with the nuances of Regency etiquette that seem so far removed from 21st century norms.

Oakley says she was drawn to the precarious financial and social status of the Dashwood women—and to Austen’s own scrutiny of the conventions of her era. Having had the chance to discuss the film with its director, I found her reverence for the source material undeniable.

After seeing an early preview in August, I was heartened by the opinion of an AMC Theatres staff member I met at the screening. While an avid bookworm, she had not yet read any Austen but said the film made her want to do so. If that’s a widespread reaction to this new adaptation, I’m all for it!

Susie Wampler is editor of JASNA News.