I cherish Jane Austen's novels. The best of the adaptations rank among my all-time favorite films. There are five adaptations I consider to be better than the others. I've previously raved about three of those: Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Persuasion. I'll get to reviewing some other Austen adaptations in the future, but I hold these films in such reverence that I have to wait until I'm in a special frame of mind to feel entitled to review one.

Historical Background: Jane Austen, born in Steventon, Hampshire, England on December 16th, 1775, lived only to the age of forty-one. It might therefore seem fanciful to characterize the various pieces of her life's work as either immature or mature. Her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, adapted into the present film, was published in 1811, just six years before her untimely death. Three other novels were published during her lifetime, Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), and two in the year after her death, Persuasion (1818) and Northanger Abbey (1818). Such a short time span would seem to argue against major developments in style of craftsmanship among the six works. The publication dates, however, do not accurately reflect the years in which each work was conceived and written. Austen began writing when she was just twelve years of age and completed her first novel, called Elinor and Marianne, in 1796. It was Austen's habit to revise her unpublished work repeatedly and Elinor and Marianne gradually evolved into Sense and Sensibility. Similarly, First Impressions, completed in 1797, grew into Pride and Prejudice. So, in its conception and broad contours, Sense and Sensibility was the work of a young woman of just twenty-one years of age whose craftsmanship was not yet fully developed. This Austen novel is generally conceded to be the least masterful of the six, but what it lacks in complexity of plot, character portrayals, and development of themes, it makes up for by the freshness of its central ideas and the beauty of its basic premise. Despite its relative shallowness compared to Austen's later works, Sense and Sensibility is among the most emotionally rewarding Austen novels.

The Story: When Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones) is rendered a widow by her husband's demise, their estate passes, in its entirety under Regency law, to Mr. Dashwood's son by his previous marriage, John Dashwood (James Fleet). Although Mr. Dashwood extracts a promise of generosity from his son toward his stepmother and half-siblings, John's commitment to that promise quickly crumbles under the relentless assault levied by his penurious and serpent-tongued wife, Fanny (Harriet Walter). Consequently, Mrs. Dashwood is soon turned out of her own home, along with her three daughters, Elinor (Emma Thompson), Marianne (Kate Winslet), and Margaret (Emile François). Marianne is in the full bloom of youthful womanhood and Elinor just a bit older. Margaret is still a child, more interested in pirates and atlases than boys, though she observes the romantic intrigues of her sisters with relish. With no inheritance, no dowries, and a meager income of just 500 pounds a year, the daughters will have little in the way of marriage prospects and even less chance of marrying well.

As they suffer the indignity of their last days at the Dashwood estate, now controlled by the cold and irascible Fanny, Marianne is overcome with hostility and Margaret takes to hiding in a treehouse and other odd places. Only the sensible Elinor tries to bear it stoically and develop a workable plan for their future. When Fanny's brother, Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant), comes for a visit, the Dashwoods are pleasantly surprised to find him a stark contrast to his sister. Edward is affable, sensitive, and kind-hearted. He plays with Margaret, cheering her up, and finds opportunities to walk and converse with Elinor. The kindness of his acts is not lost of Elinor or her mother. Marianne, however, is unimpressed. For her, Edward's lethargic and unimpassioned manner leaves something wanting. She wonders, "Can the soul really be satisfied with such polite affection?" Then she adds, with all the passion of youth, "To love is to burn, to be on fire."

Fanny, however, has no intention of letting her brother become involved with someone of such lowly station and finds an excuse to hurry him back to London. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters receive an offer they can't refuse from a distant cousin, Sir John Middleton. He owns a large estate, Barton Park, and there is a lovely unoccupied cottage on it, called Barton Cottage. The Dashwoods go there to live. Sir John and his wife, Mrs. Jennings (Elizabeth Springgs), are a gregarious couple, very animated and unreserved. They are kindly and generous to a fault, but their lack of decorum is something of a thorn and a source of embarrassment for the more gentile Dashwoods. For Margaret, however, Mrs. Jennings is a breath of fresh air. "I like her," says Margaret, "She talks about things. We never talk about things." Mrs. Jennings has already married off her own ditsy daughter, Charlotte (Imelda Staunton), to the luckless Mr. Palmer (Hugh Laurie). Palmer keeps his head buried in a newspaper to escape the constant jabbering of his wife and mother-in-law. Mrs. Jennings determines that her next task in life is to marry off the Miss Dashwoods.

One of the more eligible bachelors in the vicinity is Col. Christopher Brandon (Alan Rickman), a middle-aged man who owns a nearby estate. He is invited over after dinner one evening and walks in as Marianne is singing and playing the pianoforte. Brandon is thunderstruck, partly because Marianne reminds him of a young woman he once loved and lost in his youth. Brandon is held in high esteem by all who know him, but doesn't comport with Marianne's romantic ideals. The incorrigible Mrs. Jennings tries to play matchmaker by suggesting that Brandon and Marianne play some duets together: "Come Brandon," she says, "I trow you know as many melancholy tunes as Miss Marianne."

One overcast afternoon, Marianne and Margaret go walking together and get caught in the rain. Marianne slips on a hillside and twists her ankle. Suddenly, a dashing rider on a white steed appears, as if out of some gothic novel. He gallantly approaches the fallen Marianne and asks, "May I have your permission to ascertain if there are any breaks?" When he takes her foot and palpates her ankle, she is already beside herself in passionate adoration for this handsome young man. He effortlessly carries her to her home in his arms and Mrs. Dashwood ascertains that Marianne's "savior" is John Willoughby (Greg Wise). When he returns to check on Marianne the next day, he brings her wild flowers and the pair quickly discover their mutual passion for Shakespeare's sonnets. Later, the Dashwoods try to learn more about Willoughby from Sir John, but all he can offer is that Willoughby "has the smartest little bitch of a pointer."

Willoughby and Marianne are soon head-over-heels in love. Willoughby seems on the verge of a marriage proposal, but inexplicably backs away from it, at the last moment. He must leave for London immediately. Marianne is heartbroken and confused. Meanwhile, a young woman named Lucy Steele (Imogen Stubbs) pays a visit to Barton Park and expresses a special interest in meeting Miss Dashwood (which refers to Elinor, the eldest unmarried sister, in Regency parlance). It seems that Lucy has heard high praise for Elinor from a mutual acquaintance, Edward Ferrars. Lucy, in turns out, has come to squelch any ambitions that Elinor might have with respect to Edward, to whom Lucy has been secretly engaged for four years. Elinor hides her devastation behind a cloak of serenity.

Mrs. Jennings and Charlotte, ever the schemers, determine that the Miss Dashwoods should join them for their annual vacation in London. Mrs. Jennings boasts that she'll have both the Miss Dashwoods married off by Michael mass. Marianne is delighted by the prospect, hoping she'll encounter Willoughby, while Elinor has to dread encountering Edward, who she now knows to be already engaged. In London, Marianne's hopes are brutally dashed when she encounters Willoughby, now engaged to the well-heeled Miss Gray. As Marianne pines, Elinor gradually learns, through Col. Brandon, what transpired to cause Willoughby's change of heart. Willoughby had impregnated and then abandoned a young woman who was a ward of the Colonel. When Willoughby's wealthy aunt had learned of this libertine behavior as well as his interest in Marianne, she had disinherited him. Rendered suddenly penniless, Willoughby had reasoned that marrying a poor girl for love was no longer feasible. Miss Gray, by contrast, has an annual income of 50,000 pounds.

While the Dashwoods are still in London, Edward pays a call on Elinor, but, as luck would have it, Lucy Steele happens to be paying a visit at the very moment. The result is a scene of incredible tension, with Edward trapped between the woman he loves and the woman to whom he's engaged. Later, Marianne finally learns about Edward's prior engagement and realizes, for the first time, what pangs of regret her sister has had to endure.

Well, this being Jane Austen material, things will sort themselves out. Who ends up with whom, you'll have to discover for yourself. I'll only add that lessons are learned and the final climatic scene is one of the most dramatically perfect tear jerking set-ups that I've ever encountered in film.

Themes: Jane Austen's stories are always thematically rich. The most obvious theme in evidence here is the contrast between "sense" (good, pragmatic judgment) and "sensibility" (emotional considerations) in choices pertaining to love. How much should we be guided by good old chemistry in choosing our partners and how much by solid, dispassionate weighing of a partner's good and bad qualities? Austen never reduces such analyses down to a single pat answer. Instead, she gives her readers ambiguities to chew on for months. Here, we discover that the sister with "sense" ends up marrying primarily for love while the sister with "sensibility" (passion on her sleeve) ends up tempering her choice with some cold reason. We also learn the value of remaining mistress or master of one's feelings. Marianne learns from the mistake she made throwing herself too ardently at Willoughby and it is her sister who ultimately provides her model of steadfast, irreproachable behavior. When Marianne critiques herself, Elinor asks, "Do you compare your conduct with his?" Marianne has learned, however, that Willoughby's behavior is not a high enough standard to want to emulate. "No," she replies, "I compare it with what it ought to have been. I compare it with yours." On the male side of the ledger (which is always a bit less central to Austen novels), we learn that patience, decency, and steadfast devotion sometimes pay off. Good guys don't always finish last.

Production Values: The production values for Sense and Sensibility are just about perfect in every respect. The screenplay was adapted from the novel by Emma Thompson. Although it is not entirely faithful to the novel, the modifications are for the best, highlighting the humorous and farcical elements of the story. Part of the joy of Austen's novels is that the standards of decorum in Regency England were such that characters can seldom simply come right out and say what's on their minds. This sets up some delightfully absurd situations, such as when Edward calls on Miss Dashwood in London and finds Miss Steele already there. Edward has come hoping to explain finally to Elinor why he is not at liberty to follow the inclinations of his heart. Suddenly, he finds himself in a room with the woman he loves and the woman to whom he is secretly engaged, but they're not the same woman. Moreover, they're not supposed to know about one another, but there they are, having a powwow. None of the three know how much the other two know and therefore cannot safely say anything. Then, Marianne gets added to that absurd mix and begins to blurt out inopportune observations that none of the other three can bear. None of that could work as it does were it not for the absurd requirement of nineteenth century England to refrain from saying anything than might give the slightest offense. During another especially fraught moment, Marianne complains to Elinor, "Neither of us has anything to tell. I because I conceal nothing and you because you communicate nothing." Those peculiarities of Regency communication would today represent weaknesses in capacity for open and honest discourse but they are also what create the very spice, mystery, and intrigue that Austen thrives upon. Elinor is unable to reveal the depth of her emotional distress even to her sister because of a promise of discretion that she made to Lucy Steele. "Had I not been bound to silence, I could have produced proof enough of a broken heart even for you." We as viewers, however, are privy to the secrets that Elinor can't reveal, even to her sister, which adds immeasurably to the sense of intimacy that viewers derive.

The costumes designed by Jenny Beavan and John Bright are magnificent as is the rest of the period detail provided by Luciana Arrighi (production design), Philip Elton (art direction), and Ian Whittaker (set decoration). The cinematography provided by Michael Coulter is exceptionally painterly, especially in the outdoor scenes. You feel fully transported back to the time and place. This being a highly emotional film, the original music written by Patrick Doyle plays an important role in highlighting the various moods. Ang Lee, an Asian director from Taiwan, might seem like an odd choice as director for this film set in early nineteenth century England. Sense and Sensibility was a U.S. film to begin with and period films set in England are usually made in the U.K., so why compound that exception by hiring an Asian director? In some respects, the social forces at work in Asian culture today are more similar to those of Regency England than are modern standards of behavior in Western societies. Marrying for love and opportunities for women to earn an independent living are givens in the U.S. and England today, but in Taiwan, families still play a major role in who their daughters marry and social status is a significant consideration in choosing matches.

The very best aspect of Sense and Sensibility is its stellar cast, not only in the major roles, but the supporting roles as well. Hugh Laurie, for example, is an absolute riot in his small part as Mr. Palmer – delightfully put-upon and sarcastic. Harriet Walter is the quintessential bitch as Fanny. Imogen Stubbs is amazingly shrewish and scheming as Lucy. Robert Hardy as Sir John Middleton, Elizabeth Spriggs as Mrs. Jennings, and Imelda Staunton as Charlotte add energy and comedy to the proceedings. Emilie François is wonderfully natural as young Margaret and Gemma Jones excels as the mother.

Then there are the three males leads. Greg Wise gives a perfect performance as the dashing but undependable Willoughby, especially in the scene where he mocks his rival, Col. Brandon, as "the sort of man everyone speaks well of and nobody remembers to talk to." Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman, as Edward and Col. Brandon respectively, took the most chances and the various reviewers therefore either love or hate their performances. Grant's rendition of Edward is somewhat mousy and timid. Grant uses a lot of stammering, stuttering, and nervous gestures that some reviewers find excessive. I found his performance a distraction the first time I watched the film, but it's grown on me since. Rickman, by contrast, delivers each of his lines with measured pace and exaggerated emphasis as if he were doing a screen test and getting the job depended on his delivery of that one line. I liked his approach, but not all reviewers do. Hugh Grant is well known for roles in such films as Sirens (1993), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Two Weeks Notice (2002), and Love Actually (2003). Alan Rickman has appeared in Die Hard (1988), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Galaxy Quest (1999), Dogma (1999), and Love Actually (2003) and is best known for his villainous roles.

On the other hand, there is nothing but praise from all reviewers for the two lead women, Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson. The only point of contention is which one is more fully effective. Comparing the two performances is pointless, however, because one is impassioned (Winslet) and the other controlled (Thompson). Thompson's command of facial expressions is a sight to behold! Two of the scenes are basically build-ups for an expression that Thompson delivers at a crucial moment. Winslet impresses by showing us her heart; Thompson impresses by showing us her character. You couldn't ask for two more talented actresses as headliners. Both are well known to most film lovers, Thompson for her work in such films as Howards End (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), The Remains of the Day (1993), Carrington (1995), Primary Colors (1998), and Love Actually (2003) and Winslet for Titanic (1997), Iris (2001), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

Bottom-Line: Sense and Sensibility is one of the most emotionally satisfying films I've ever seen. I've watched it many times and it never fails to make me cry, not once, but repeatedly throughout the film. The emotional climax of the film is one of the finest you'll ever come across. I can't recommend this film too highly. One reviewer insists that it is a "chick flick." Obviously, I disagree. I think any man attuned to romance will be as moved by the film as are female viewers. It's a beautiful film about love, with all of Austen's rich psychological insights.

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12