Mansfield Park (2004)

 

Though I’ve found several adaptations of Mansfield Park, I’ve yet to find one that really manages to capture the book.  The 1983 BBC miniseries is rather staid, the 1999 film takes so many liberties it’s nearly a different story, and the 2007 TV film doesn’t seem to know what it is.  This radio series may not be a definitive adaptation, but it comes closer than the others I’ve seen.

 

Almost universally considered the least of Jane Austen’s novels, Mansfield Park tells the story of Fanny Price, a thoughtful but painfully shy girl brought up among wealthy relations.  As she comes of age, she’s forever reminded of the difference between her and her cousins.  However, the twists, turns, and romantic entanglements of the book show the strength of Fanny’s character, especially in comparison to many of her spoiled, self-centered relatives.

 

Fanny herself is the chief difficulty in any adaptation.  Because she’s timid, it’s easy to call her weak.  Because she observes, it’s easy to call her passive.  Because she’s moral, it’s easy to call her priggish.  It’s hard to dramatize her in an interesting way, and it’s especially hard to depict the inner strength of this quiet girl.  This series, though, has a pretty splendid Fanny in Felicity Jones (Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey, and she appeared in “The Unicorn and the Wasp” from series 4 of Who.)  She’s demure without being lifeless and reserved without being boring.  She plays the role with a gentle warmth that comes earnestly through the airwaves.  What’s more, this adaptation is able to show her having fun and enjoying herself while remaining true to the generally steady nature of her character.

 

Benedict Cumberbatch likewise makes a good Edmund Bertram, Fanny’s cousin and aspiring clergyman.  Rather than coming across like a stick in the mud opposing his more freewheeling siblings, he reads as upright and principled.  There’s a genuineness to his performance, and you can see why Fanny would be drawn to him.

 

There are a ton of familiar British actors in this series.  David Tennant plays Fanny’s cousin Tom, James Callis (a.k.a. Gaius Baltar) is the caddish Henry Crawford, Julia McKenzie brings all the necessary ugliness to Aunt Norris (for the Potterheads out there, this character inspired the name of Mr. Filch’s cat,) Toby Jones (the Dream Lord from series 5 of Who) is the foolish Mr. Rushworth, and Amanda Root (who was a stunning Anne Elliot in the film version of Persuasion) narrates the series as Jane Austen.

 

At only two-and-a-half hours, this 10-part series (just 15 minutes per episode!) does skim through some of the big plot points.  The whole bit with the chain is pretty rushed, and when things are going wrong in the final act, it really feels like everything is happening at once.  If someone unfamiliar with the book was listening, I’m not sure if they’d be able to follow everything – still, even without any visuals, they’d probably have a better chance than with the 2007 Billie Piper version.  Seriously, whoever greenlit that adaptation and decided they could do Mansfield Park in 90 minutes was way out of their depth.

 

Warnings

 

Some Regency-era impropriety – nothing of note.