Rating: 
Summary: Excellent adaptation
Review: Hats off to Patricia Rozema--I'm totally blown away by the strength, spirit and liberality of this adaptation. Mansfield Park was the first Austen novel I read, and ever since I've endeavored to read all I can, and see every production that comes down the pike. I admire most of them, for different reasons--the Hollywood gloss of Emma and Sense and Sensibility nicely counter the modest integrity and subtlety of BBC video productions, in my view--so I have no trouble applauding this movie for it's distinct virtues, and they are many. It's obviously the work of a huge Austen fan--I love the way in which JA's correspondence has been woven in, and the script is deliciously intuitive in its expansion beyond the text. It's very sexy, and yes, this is the first time a breast has been exposed in an Austen production, but I do believe women were equipped with them back in the day, so get over it. I've started to take elaborate production designs in Austen films for granted--no exception here. Great location shots, flawless costumery, evocative soundtrack, etc. Excellent casting; extraordinary acting. I'm especially pleased to see the lovely Justine Waddell again (she was in 'Tess' back in '98), playing Julia. I don't remember Jonny Lee Miller from 'Trainspotting,' but he certainly makes an admirable, memorable Edmund. It's hard not to sympathize with an Austen protagonist like Fanny Price, but I think Frances O'Connor does an exceptional job. In sum, I think this movie has been unfairly criticized by those variety of Janeites that believe any deviation from the text is a crime. It deserves praise not only as a magnificent addition to the Austen stable, but as a model for any filmmaker endeavoring to produce an invigorating, contemplative, romantic work, with grit and integrity to spare.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing like the original
Review: I knew from reading previous reviews that this movie wasn't going to follow the book too closely, but I was surprised at how vastly different the movie was from the book. The main points of the book are pretty much the same in the movie, following a similar order of events. But I was disappointed to find so large a variation from the novel. My biggest problem with the movie was that everyone's personality was so different from what was in writing. Fanny is definitely not at all like the Fanny Price of the novel. Instead of the quiet and shy woman you find in the novel, she's outspoken and bold and somewhat too headstrong and rebellious for my liking. Some people may find this version of Fanny more appealing, but I must admit that I love the sweet and shy Fanny from the novel so much better. I did not enjoy the movie's portrayals of Lord and Lady Bertram either; their respective vices and quirks were greatly exaggerated, leading to very hateable and annoying people. I also found the over-emphasis on the dealings in Antigua was very distracting and unnecessary in moving the movie along. Overall, it was a very disappointing movie because of its apparent unfaithfulness to the wonderful novel that Jane Austen wrote. My suggestion - just read the book over again. At least that will bring all kinds of happiness and satisfaction.
Rating:
Summary: Preachy little movie
Review: One thing Jane Austen continually riled against was moralistic preaching. Unfortunately her genius tends to show up "improvers" such as Rozema as very small artists in comparison, particularly when so inclined to sort us all out morally... I was so disappointed, as Mansfield Park is for me Austen's most profound work, full of all sorts of symbolism which are completely missed and even destroyed in this shabby, misanthropic and anachronistic "adaption".
The outstanding exception is the wonderful portrayal of Henry Crawford. I love Frances O'Connor (she is wonderful in the underrated "Thank God He Met Lizzie"), but here she is very poorly directed and has to work with very undisciplined writing. I hope Rozema will leave out trying to tell us what we must think in future projects - she has no talent for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not really Jane Austen...
Review: If you've read Jane Austen and seen the six part Pride and Predjudice from A&E, and seen the BBC's faithful rendering of Mansfield Park from the mid-eighties, then you are probably not going to like this movie- at least initially. I thought it was terrible the first time I saw it. However, while this movie is NOT faithful to Austen, I think it does have at least one substantially redeeming feature that is consistent with Jane Austen stories: a satirical and intelligent sense of humor. So I think of it as not being Jane's voice, but perhaps being her laughter...
Rating:
Summary: More interesting than the book!
Review: I loved Fanny in this version. She's more spunky than the book. Plus, I enjoyed the way she plays to the audience so that you actually feel involved while watching the plot. I'm afraid that I don't much like Edmund in the book or the movie. He's much too wishy-washy. I think that Fanny deserves better. Other than that, it was very entertaining. It's my third favorite Jane Austen's adaptation followed by the incomparable Pride and Prejudice and Kate Beckinsdale's Emma.
Rating: 
Summary: What Were They Thinking????
Review: This was a horrible adaptation of Jane Austin's novel. I was very disappointed and could not recommend it to any of my friends. The whole slavery issue and the pictures depicting the lewd treatment of them was very shocking and had no business being in this movie. I hope that someone else will make a Mansfield Park movie that is truer to the book!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not really Jane Austen
Review: I bought this expecting to see Mansfield Park in the format I had seen it on PBS. From the very first, it was clear that they had taken license with the book and with the other film version. Although this film had some interesting film moments, I could hardly recognize the "plot". If I hadn't already read the book, I might have enjoyed it more. If you are a Jane Austen fan, this is not your movie.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting
Review: I absolutely LOVED this movie, seeing this movie is what led me to become an 'abashed' Jane Austen follower. I have seen nearly all of the movies that have been adapted from her writings. And as most know, movies rarely show justice to the original work, so I have ventured into reading the novels for further delight. The only sad thing is that I come up 'short' handed when looking for works that come even close to Jane Austen's tales. I should shamingly admit that I have not yet read Mansfield Park, but after seeing such low reviews on the movie, I feel that I must be missing something.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the BBC
Review: I admit that I am an avid fan of Jane Austen and have seen many of the screen adaptations of her novels, but when I saw the BBC version of this novel I was bored out of my mind. This version is much more easy to approach (not to mention needing a whole day to view it) and I thouroughly enjoyed teh charecters and the fact that the movie explored hwere the source of the wealth that the family enjoys has come from. I watched this film with friends who are not austen fans and they also were able to enjoy it, and i know they could not have sat through some of the more sedate version.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly done
Review: As a lover of Jane Austen novels I saw this movie when it was first released in the theatre. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!! I wanted my time and my money back. The only thing this movie had in common with the actual story were the names of the characters. I don't think Jane Austen herself would have recognized her story. I guess that's what "based on the novel by Jane Austen" means. Very loosely based. This rendition had no soul and the only clever thing about this movie was the end.
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