Introduction
Sense and Sensibility is a 1995 British-American period drama film directed by Ang Lee screenplay written by Emma Thompson. The 2 hour 15 minute film was a commercial success and the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews upon its release, including three awards and eleven nominations at the 1995 British Academy Film Awards. It earned seven Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress. Many believe that it is the best Austen adaptation of all time. Sue Parrill an Austen scholar judges that “with a sterling screenplay, a high-powered cast, a talented director, and a delightful soundtrack, this film is a winner in all respects”.
The Script
Ang Lee appointed Emma Thompson as screenplay writer; she worked on the script for over four years before production started. She worked vigorously on trying to retain the same dialogue used by Austen in her novel, but it was a hard task, as the language used in Sense and Sensibility is more complex than the language used in Austen’s later novels. Thompson noted in her diary that “In simplifying it I’ve tried to retain the elegance and wit of the original and it’s necessarily more exacting than modern speech”. (Thompson, pg 268) It is universally agreed that Thompson did an outstanding job on producing the script, it may have deviated from the original dialogue in many places but it retained the feminist sentiments and the wit Austen included in her novel. Thompson also noted that she aimed to modernise the script for the contemporary viewer. This was cleverly done throughout the film, for example, Thompson used Margaret Dashwood’s character to ask questions that the modern day viewer may be asking themselves if they were not quite knowledgeable about past traditions such as, explaining the manners and morals of the Regency era. For example Thompson invents the tree house scene, where Margaret asks “why are they coming to live in Norland, they already have a house in London” referring to Fanny and John Dashwood, Elinor goes on to explain the law that entails the estate to the eldest male child born to the family “Because houses go from father to son, dearest—not from father to daughter. It is the law”. (Sense and Sensibility, 1995) This is a very clever method of Thompsons; she uses Margaret as a facilitator to bring viewers up to speed on the laws and the traditions of that era. This in an unobtrusive way helps people understand their society without having to think too hard about it.
Landscape, Setting and Costume
The costumes wore in this adaptation of Sense and Sensibility was created by Jenny Beavan and John Bright. The two aimed to use historically accurate pieces for production; they focused in more on the "fuller, classical look and colours of the late 18th century." (focusfeatures.com) During the time period that Austen wrote her book the latest fashion were gowns that were designed to be put on over the head.
But as the Dashwood’s resided in the countryside the latest fashions took some time to reach them, so the main type of dress worn by these women were gowns that were put on like a coat, and worn open over layers of petticoats designed to be seen. This style of dress can be seen worn by Elinor and Marianne.
What makes this adaptation superior to other Sense and Sensibility adaptations such as the 1971, 1981 and 2008 films is the use of music. In many scenes Marianne plays the piano forte where she produces beautiful renditions of classical music. This is a focal point throughout the film, the use of music is done to make a point to dramatise the important events, such as in the scenes in Norland where Marianne is playing sad music on the wake of her father’s death.
But as the Dashwood’s resided in the countryside the latest fashions took some time to reach them, so the main type of dress worn by these women were gowns that were put on like a coat, and worn open over layers of petticoats designed to be seen. This style of dress can be seen worn by Elinor and Marianne.
What makes this adaptation superior to other Sense and Sensibility adaptations such as the 1971, 1981 and 2008 films is the use of music. In many scenes Marianne plays the piano forte where she produces beautiful renditions of classical music. This is a focal point throughout the film, the use of music is done to make a point to dramatise the important events, such as in the scenes in Norland where Marianne is playing sad music on the wake of her father’s death.
In another scene Marianne is playing the piano for the party in Barton house, it is then that Brandon first sets eyes on her and the viewer can see he is taken by her straight away; of course this is not the case in the novel. Brandon first becomes acquainted with Marianne while dining in Norland. Marianne does play the piano for the party during this occasion but it is not the first time Brandon has seen her. In the film it also shows Brandon inviting Marianne to his abode to play his piano forte whenever the fancy takes her as it is noted she does not own one of her own, but in the novel Marianne does have a piano forte of her own.
Yet again the piano forte is brought into focus near the end of the film when Brandon goes in search of a particular sized one in order to fit the small living quarters of Barton Cottage. He returns with the Piano and the viewer can see Marianne’s feelings for him have changed for the better. Music is used to show the developing relationship between Marianne and Brandon. Thompson portrayed Brandon to be just as passionate about music as Willoughby so they were on a more equal footing and it would make Brandon more worthy of Marianne to the viewers.
Yet again the piano forte is brought into focus near the end of the film when Brandon goes in search of a particular sized one in order to fit the small living quarters of Barton Cottage. He returns with the Piano and the viewer can see Marianne’s feelings for him have changed for the better. Music is used to show the developing relationship between Marianne and Brandon. Thompson portrayed Brandon to be just as passionate about music as Willoughby so they were on a more equal footing and it would make Brandon more worthy of Marianne to the viewers.
Characters
One of the main differences between the novel and this adaptation of Sense and Sensibility one would notice is the age difference. A character such as Elinor Dashwood who was supposed to be 19 was played by Emma Thompson, who at the time of production was thirty five.
Due to the notable age gap it was decided that Elinor’s age would be increased to 27, this would also help with the concept that she was reaching spinster hood and she needed to marry soon for she may stay single for the rest of her days, the modern day viewer might find this concept difficult to grasp as 19 is not viewed as ‘too old’ but 27 may be more believable.
Another bone of contention with many Austen fans and JASNA the (Jane Austen Society of North America) is the casting of Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars. Emma Thompson actually wrote the part of Edward with Grant in mind which is quite strange since she wanted to stay as close to the original story as possible.
Due to the notable age gap it was decided that Elinor’s age would be increased to 27, this would also help with the concept that she was reaching spinster hood and she needed to marry soon for she may stay single for the rest of her days, the modern day viewer might find this concept difficult to grasp as 19 is not viewed as ‘too old’ but 27 may be more believable.
Another bone of contention with many Austen fans and JASNA the (Jane Austen Society of North America) is the casting of Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars. Emma Thompson actually wrote the part of Edward with Grant in mind which is quite strange since she wanted to stay as close to the original story as possible.
Austen describes Edward as a shy and kind man “his manners required intimacy to make them pleasing. He was too diffident to do justice to himself, but when his natural shyness was overcome; his behaviour gave every indication of an open, affectionate heart”. (Austen, J pg 9) Austen also states that Edward is not handsome, but it is clear to see that Hugh Grant is handsome. Throughout the film Grant is quite humorous which Edward certainly is not.
It is apparent that humour is an important component in this adaptation; it is drawn on regularly in order to keep the audience entertained. Funny scenes which need to be mentioned include the one showing Willoughby talks negatively about Brandon, during this scene Willoughby, who is played by Greg Wise, puts on a very flamboyant enactment of Mrs Jennings, which the viewer would find quite amusing.
More subtle incidences of this that warrant a mention include the scenes of Mr Palmers. The character of Mr Palmers who is played by Hugh Laurie is a very bitter man who regularly makes sarcastic remakes at the expense of his wife and others. In the film Mr Palmer still has these characteristics but every line he delivers is quite witty, and would make one want to laugh which the original Mr Palmers certainly is not, he repels company with his horrid remarks and unruly manners. This fact is not as apparent in the film due to the added humour of the characters. Another example of this is when Fanny Dashwood attacks Miss Lucy Steele when she reveals the truth about her secret engagement to Edward. Of course this does not happen in the novel, the original version is that Lucy Steele’s elder sister who is sadly excluded from this adaptation, and accidently reveals the truth about the secret engagement while dining with Mrs Ferrars and Mrs Fanny Dashwood. Fanny does not attack her but it is equally as explosive. These added incidences of humour really add to the production. Many viewers might find adaptations of period dramas had to grasp as there is a need to concentrate more than let’s say a modern day drama, these alterations break up the film so everything is not so serious and not such a chore to watch as some viewers may feel if they are not accustomed to watch these types of films.
In an attempt at modernisation, it was decided that alterations were to be made to several of the major male characters. Their characters were altered significantly from the novel in an effort to appeal to contemporary audiences. This was done by making them the ideal modern man who loved children which is quite evident with Edward and Brandon who is played by Alan Rickman. These alterations are evident in the many scenes including the scenes between Elinor, Edward and Margaret. For example the scene were Elinor and Edward are in the library and Margaret is hiding under the table with an atlas, Elinor and Edward talk about rivers around the world purposely getting their locations wrong in order to draw Margaret out. Another scene shows Edward and Margaret playing with swords in the garden, Edward is distracted by the appearance of Elinor and Margaret strikes Edward in the stomach causing him to yelp out loud, this causes Elinor to giggle.
It is apparent that humour is an important component in this adaptation; it is drawn on regularly in order to keep the audience entertained. Funny scenes which need to be mentioned include the one showing Willoughby talks negatively about Brandon, during this scene Willoughby, who is played by Greg Wise, puts on a very flamboyant enactment of Mrs Jennings, which the viewer would find quite amusing.
More subtle incidences of this that warrant a mention include the scenes of Mr Palmers. The character of Mr Palmers who is played by Hugh Laurie is a very bitter man who regularly makes sarcastic remakes at the expense of his wife and others. In the film Mr Palmer still has these characteristics but every line he delivers is quite witty, and would make one want to laugh which the original Mr Palmers certainly is not, he repels company with his horrid remarks and unruly manners. This fact is not as apparent in the film due to the added humour of the characters. Another example of this is when Fanny Dashwood attacks Miss Lucy Steele when she reveals the truth about her secret engagement to Edward. Of course this does not happen in the novel, the original version is that Lucy Steele’s elder sister who is sadly excluded from this adaptation, and accidently reveals the truth about the secret engagement while dining with Mrs Ferrars and Mrs Fanny Dashwood. Fanny does not attack her but it is equally as explosive. These added incidences of humour really add to the production. Many viewers might find adaptations of period dramas had to grasp as there is a need to concentrate more than let’s say a modern day drama, these alterations break up the film so everything is not so serious and not such a chore to watch as some viewers may feel if they are not accustomed to watch these types of films.
In an attempt at modernisation, it was decided that alterations were to be made to several of the major male characters. Their characters were altered significantly from the novel in an effort to appeal to contemporary audiences. This was done by making them the ideal modern man who loved children which is quite evident with Edward and Brandon who is played by Alan Rickman. These alterations are evident in the many scenes including the scenes between Elinor, Edward and Margaret. For example the scene were Elinor and Edward are in the library and Margaret is hiding under the table with an atlas, Elinor and Edward talk about rivers around the world purposely getting their locations wrong in order to draw Margaret out. Another scene shows Edward and Margaret playing with swords in the garden, Edward is distracted by the appearance of Elinor and Margaret strikes Edward in the stomach causing him to yelp out loud, this causes Elinor to giggle.
Another scene shows Edward and Elinor talking Margaret, Edwards says that she plans to go on an exhibition to China and he is to accompany her as her slave, only on the promise that he will be treated badly. All of these scenes have been invented to alter the characters to be more appealing to the modern day viewer, as most women look kindly on men who show an interest in children. This kind of behaviour is also show in Sir John Middleton during the picnic at Brandon’s. Middleton is seen playing with Margaret with a kite. Another alteration made to Sir John, which many people might find quite puzzling is that in the novel he is described as being handsome; it is difficult to recall ever seeing a handsome version of Sir John in all the adaptions of Sense and Sensibility ever produced. The reason for this could be that the producers do not want the focus being taken away from the two main love rivals being Willoughby and Brandon and also Edward.
Added and Missing Scenes
There are many invented and missing scenes throughout the film. One of the main reasons for this is, that Sense and Sensibility is such a long detailed story it is quite near impossible to cram it into a two hour plus production to do it justice. Many of the scenes have to be combined or left out completely in order to get the main points of the story across. Some of these invented scenes include Marianne and Willoughby. Their relationship developed after quite some time so this needed to be downsized in order to get the full impact of it. Such scenes as the one showing Willoughby reading a Shakespeare sonnet to Marianne shows the viewer that Willoughby and Marianne are quite similar and he is just as passionate about poetry and she is. It is quite essential to get this point across to the viewers as they need to fully believe the two are a perfect match, so it is just as shocking to them as it is to Marianne when his real character is revealed.
Other scenes that are missing include the one where Edwards ring is pointed out in Barton cottage, the ring contained Lucy’s hair but Elinor thought it contained hers she says it “must have been procured by some theft or contrivance unknown to herself” (Sense and Sensibility pg 98), it is said that Thompson choose to leave out this scene as to make Edward more appealing to the viewers, if this scene was included the viewer would see a different side to Edward, as he blatantly lies about who’s hair is in the ring. He said it his sister Fanny’s when asked and he would not be viewed as the perfect gentleman anymore and it would take away from the happiness of the situation when it is revealed to Elinor that he has not married Lucy Steele. This scene is crucial to the understanding of the story between Elinor and Edward. In the book it may leave the reader wondering if Edward is being truthful as one might find it strange that he carries a locket of hair belonging to his sister, who he is depicted in the novel to not being particularly close to.
Nearing the end of the film great importance has been put on the scene were Marianne falls sick from a deathly cold, but the fact that a remorseful Willoughby comes to try and visit her at the Palmers has been left out of the production. The producers reasoning for this are that they physically could not fit it in.
This scene should have been included as it shows that Willoughby does still care for Marianne and he is sorry for his actions. He also admits to Elinor that he should not have picked money over love and that he will pay the cost of it for eternity. This conversation is relayed to Marianne once she recovers and it helps her move on from the situation. She pities Willoughby and it helps her develop some sense and this is the main point Austen was trying to instil on the readers. With this scene being excluded from the film the viewers might find it difficult to understand how suddenly her feelings for Willoughby become somewhat neutral to what they had previously been.
Other scenes that are missing include the one where Edwards ring is pointed out in Barton cottage, the ring contained Lucy’s hair but Elinor thought it contained hers she says it “must have been procured by some theft or contrivance unknown to herself” (Sense and Sensibility pg 98), it is said that Thompson choose to leave out this scene as to make Edward more appealing to the viewers, if this scene was included the viewer would see a different side to Edward, as he blatantly lies about who’s hair is in the ring. He said it his sister Fanny’s when asked and he would not be viewed as the perfect gentleman anymore and it would take away from the happiness of the situation when it is revealed to Elinor that he has not married Lucy Steele. This scene is crucial to the understanding of the story between Elinor and Edward. In the book it may leave the reader wondering if Edward is being truthful as one might find it strange that he carries a locket of hair belonging to his sister, who he is depicted in the novel to not being particularly close to.
Nearing the end of the film great importance has been put on the scene were Marianne falls sick from a deathly cold, but the fact that a remorseful Willoughby comes to try and visit her at the Palmers has been left out of the production. The producers reasoning for this are that they physically could not fit it in.
This scene should have been included as it shows that Willoughby does still care for Marianne and he is sorry for his actions. He also admits to Elinor that he should not have picked money over love and that he will pay the cost of it for eternity. This conversation is relayed to Marianne once she recovers and it helps her move on from the situation. She pities Willoughby and it helps her develop some sense and this is the main point Austen was trying to instil on the readers. With this scene being excluded from the film the viewers might find it difficult to understand how suddenly her feelings for Willoughby become somewhat neutral to what they had previously been.
My conclusion of this adaptation
Overall this adaptation of Sense and Sensibility stayed true to the story. Even though there was some issues mentioned with the casting choices due to age differences, they done a superb job at depicting their characters. Kate Winslet who portrayed Marianne Dashwood, played the part to perfection. This adaptation is more appealing to the modern day viewer as it is very enjoyable to watch with the addition of humour throughout. The breath-taking scenery and the beautiful music really add to the overall success of the production.
As commonly known, Austen always has a moral to her story. In Sense and Sensibility the moral would appear to be the balance between reason and passion, for example the character of Elinor gaining some sensibility and the over emotional Marianne gaining some sense. None of the adaptations altered the overall moral that Austen set. By the end of production the viewer has gained perspective on how being over emotional like Marianne can lead to a broken heart and a near tarnished reputation, and on the other side how being too sensible and in control with your emotions can also lead to a broken heart. It would appear that there is a healthy level between the two that one should strive for. Both characters have learned to find this balance from their life experiences and in Marianne’s case from getting a broken heart.
As commonly known, Austen always has a moral to her story. In Sense and Sensibility the moral would appear to be the balance between reason and passion, for example the character of Elinor gaining some sensibility and the over emotional Marianne gaining some sense. None of the adaptations altered the overall moral that Austen set. By the end of production the viewer has gained perspective on how being over emotional like Marianne can lead to a broken heart and a near tarnished reputation, and on the other side how being too sensible and in control with your emotions can also lead to a broken heart. It would appear that there is a healthy level between the two that one should strive for. Both characters have learned to find this balance from their life experiences and in Marianne’s case from getting a broken heart.