Sense and Sensibility (2008)

 

I’ll admit to having a “definitive” adaptation for most Jane Austen novels, and for Sense and Sensibility, as with the majority of her books, I consider that definitive version to be the one made in the ‘90s. Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, yes, please! But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate other adaptations for what they bring, even if they don’t capture the book as well on the whole for me. This miniseries was part of Masterpiece’s 2007-2008 Jane Austen extravaganza, and personally, there’s a fair amount to like here.

After the death of their father, estate law forces the Dashwood sisters Elinor and Marianne (along with their mother and younger sister) into severely reduced means.  Elinor is steady, practical, and self-denying, while Marianne is passionate and impulsive with a lust for the romantic.  As they adjust to their new circumstances, the sisters approach life and love through the particular views of their wildly different temperaments.

We’ll start with the adaptation itself and then move onto some particulars of the cast. This version borrows certain elements from the 1995 script, such as the scrappier interpretation of Margaret, and some of its own inventions, like the misguided attempt to give Mr. Ferrars a Mr.-Darcy-in-the-lake-style “wet hunk” moment, fall flat. However, it also takes advantage of the added length to include some good book scenes, like Willoughby and Marianne’s visit to Allenham and the dinner with Mrs. Ferrars. Additionally, I feel like this adaptation does a better job laying the groundwork for one of the endgame relationships in the piece, even though I do still greatly enjoy the 1995 performances.

The cast is a mixed bag for me. Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield are both very good as Eleanor and Marianne, although both sometimes feel specifically designed to evoke memories of the 1995 cast, Morahan in particular – if you close your eyes, you’d swear you were listening to Emma Thompson. This miniseries was my first introduction to Dan Stevens – who I’d go on to like in Downton Abbey, love in Beauty and the Beast, and adore in Legion – and he makes a nice Mr. Ferrars. His energy in the role is very different to Hugh Grant’s lovable bundle of awkwardness from the movie, but I still get Mr. Ferrars vibes off of him. Other highlights include Linda Bassett (Call the Midwife’s Nurse Crane, which I didn’t realize until I rewatched the miniseries before this review) as Mrs. Jennings and Daisy Haggard (Sophie from the “Craig” episodes of Doctor Who,) who’s an absolute stitch as Anne Steele. Anne is a character who wasn’t included in the movie, but she’s a positive Plymouth delight here.

Dominic Cooper is admittedly effective as the cad side of Mr. Willoughby, but I feel like he’s the sort of actor who I’m programed to recognize as a cad, which makes it harder for me to buy his more sincere side – as soon as he comes along, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Meanwhile, David Morrissey doesn’t quite do it for me as Col. Brandon. He reads younger than Alan Rickman did in the movie (although, I looked it up, and he only would’ve been a few years younger than Rickman was when they respectively played the role,) but I don’t find his love for Marianne as affecting. And I know the Palmers are technically small roles, but Tim McMullan and Tabitha Wady make very little impression in the miniseries, considering how much of a riot Hugh Laurie and Imelda Staunton were in the 1995 version. Maybe the miniseries focused all its broad comedy on Anne Steele?

Those are the main performances worth mentioning, although there are certainly other actors here of note. Like most British period pieces worth its salt, it’s crammed with familiar faces. We have Ron Weasley’s dad (Mark Williams) as Sir John Middleton, Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss) as John Dashwood, Janet McTeer as Mrs. Dashwood, and Claire Skinner (Madge from Who’s “The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe) as Fanny Dashwood. Gotta love the good ole British-acting mainstays.

Warnings

Suggestiveness, brief violence, and some drinking.