Jane Austen's Emma

Rating:
Summary: THE VERRY BEST
Review: This version is true to the book and the acting is superb. The novel's complexities are brought out by the actors in subtle ways. Kate Beckinsale was the perfect choice for Emma because she played her duel layers so wonderfully. Beckinsale played Emma's intelligence against her lack of knowledge of the world, without being dumb. She showed that Emma thought she was superior and had to learn that someone's rank in society does not make them a better person. Mark Strong is great as Mr. Knightley. He plays it serious and heartfelt. Strong brought out Knightley's strong beliefs and feelings with grace. Everyone else was also cast perfectly. The story was very loyal to the novel. Emma is funny, but really a serious novel about women's place in society. This version showed all these conplexities with ease and grace. It was beautifully shot and directed. This is truly an adaptation to be proud of and lots of fun to watch over and over. Emma is my second favorite Austen novel on behind Persuasion. I am glad Austen's less popular works had such great adaptations. Emma got the right treatment here concidering it was Austen's longest novel... I am happy to say that enough people liked it to make this great adaptation of her work.

Every time i watch this version i see more and more nuance in the performances and script. I jsut wish it had been longer. Kate Beckinsale is fantastic!!!1

Rating:
Summary: second only to Pride and Prejudice
Review: This is a fantastic Jane Austen adaptation, showing the author's romanticism as well as her great sense of humor. To tell you the story of Emma would ruin the viewing for you. If you liked Pride and Prejudice, this will become another must-have, often-viewed disc for your collection. Beware of the modern version of Emma with Gwenyth Paltrow. While a curiosity piece for Austen collectors, it is so busy being packed full of celebs that it looses the mood of the story.

Rating:
Summary: bEtTer ThAn thE GwYnETH PalTroW EmMa~
Review: i thought this movie was better than the one gwyneth paltrow appeared in.. although gwyneth paltrow did have the beautiful emma look with beautiful costumes and scenery and mr knightly played by jeremy northam was a better looking actor and much younger :) but the acting in the A&E with kate beckinsale as emma was better, more understandable, and just overall good. i recommend anyone to watch this

Rating:
Summary: The more adult, more English version of Jane Austen's "Emma"
Review: Do I really have to choose between this version of "Jane Austen's Emma" and the Gwyneth Paltrow film that came out the previous year? They each have their merits, and their detractors, and if I had to isolate the key factors in making the decision I would point to two. First, you ability to countenance an American actress affecting an English accent, which is a deal buster for many on the theatrical film. Second, and, I believe, more importantly, it comes down to which one you saw first, because of the old familiarity breeds contempt theorem.

I saw the film version first, and for me the most memorable scene was when Emma heartlessly insults Miss Bates at the picnic. After all, it is not often that the heroine you are rooting for does something as brutal as what Emma does and her reprimand at the hands of Mr. Knightley ("Badly done, Emma") is the story's most memorable line. The two scenes are effective in each version and they underscore the essential difference between the two. In this version Emma (Kate Beckinsale) and Mr. Knightly (Mark Strong) are clearly more old school, both in lookis and demeanor, than Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam representing the younger generation in the other (I know there are those who want to make the pick based on the physical attractiveness of the leading character of the opposite gender, but I based that decision on intelligence and they are both saying basically the same lines, so that is also too close to call).

Actually, the best distinction is between the actresses playing Harriet Smith, Samantha Morton (who did the title role in "Jane Eyre" that same year) for A&E and Toni Collette (the title character in "Muriel's Wedding") in the film. This really crystalizes the question for me, because clearly the film version is "Emma" by way of "Clueless." This version has more gravity and I certainly consider Beckinsale's Emma to be the better catch. However, Paltrow does give more of a sense of the character's joy at matchmaking and imposing her views and plans on everyone else. Ultimately, these two versions are complementary on several levels, which simply adds to our enjoyment of Jane Austen's characters and stories. My final verdict: See them both, enjoy them both.

Rating:
Summary: good
Review: this is a better adaptation of emma than the gp hollywood film. the characters are better cast, incl emma herself, and the love story between emma and mr knightly is more in evidence. here, it's clear from the get-go that knightly admires emma. in the gp version, jeremy northam's knightly is more of a good friend than a secret admirer. the contrasts between characters also stand out more. mr knightly vs frank churchill, emma vs jane fairfax, emma vs mrs elton, mr knightly vs mr elton, and so on. a good film, even if you're not a big jane austen fan.

Rating:
Summary: Magnificant
Review: The period detail is terrific. The actors are in great form. And the story line is that of Jane Austin's. If she could have made movies, she would have been proud to make this one.

Rating:
Summary: Jane Austen's Emma...
Review: Jane Austen's Emma was great. It was realistic in terms of the time period. It was well acted. It was realitively faithful to the book, though some minor parts were cut out. Mr. Knightley's rebuking of Emma was not at all watered down. In short, it was very pleasing, and enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: EMMA redux
Review: A week or so back, I enjoyed the 1996 cinematic release of EMMA starring Gwyneth Paltrow. (I shall refer to this version as "E96".) An Austen-obsessive friend of mine said I MUST see this 1997 version ("E97") with Kate Beckinsale in the title role. So, unsolicited, she mailed me her own personal copy to view at my earliest convenience, which I interpreted as immediately. Sigh - friendship's demands are a heavy load. However, since the storyline of E97 is pretty much like E96, I can provide the same synopsis.

Beckinsale plays Emma Woodhouse, who lives with her father at Hartfield, an example of the country manor house common to all Austen storylines. Having just engineered the marriage of her governess to a rich neighbor, the 21- year old Emma decides to take up match making as a career. After all, it's Regency England and there's not much for a genteel single lady to do to allay rural boredom. Drawing pints at the local pub to build up the college fund isn't an option. Anyway, most needful of assistance is best friend Harriet Smith (Samantha Morton), a respectable enough girl of dubious lineage for whom Emma has plans. Perhaps she can maneuver Harriet into marrying the vicar, Reverend Elton (Dominic Rowan), rather than the local hayseed whom she loves. Meddling in affairs of the heart is a sticky wicket, but someone has to do it, especially in the absence of a licensed yenta.

And what of Emma's own romantic prospects? There appear to be none in the virtual hail of misdirected cupid's arrows. True, Hatfield hosts the frequent visits of the 30-something Mr. Knightley (Mark Strong), a well-mannered and well-heeled bachelor from down the carriage road. But he's Emma's brother-in-law, a long standing relationship that seems to preclude anything of prurient interest. And he occasionally scolds Emma for her bratty behavior. Hmm, perhaps they're made for each other. You think?

I'm giving E97 the same number of stars, four, as I gave E96, and for the same reason, which is that the screen versions of Austen's PRIDE & PREJUDICE (1996), SENSE & SENSIBILITY (1995), and MANSFIELD PARK (1999) are better in comparison.

The costuming, sets and props of this EMMA seemed more authentic than the previous, but that's an impression based on no expertise whatsoever. Perhaps it was the lighting, which, in E96, seemed more luminescent. And E97's screenplay did more to develop the nuances of the relationships between the various players, but not so much that it made any difference in my lackadaisical appreciation of Austen's works as a whole. Strong's Knightley was a more interesting character than Jeremy Northam's in E96. While the former was no less a gentleman than the latter, this Knightley had a more smoldering intensity. Some latent kinkiness, perhaps? Morton's Smith was more endearingly pathetic than Toni Collette's in the earlier rendering. And E97 links Emma's final happiness to some imaginary (or not?) chicken thieves. A nice touch, that.

The bottom line to my comparison has to be GP versus KB in the lead. The latter's Emma took herself and her mission much more seriously, and verged on being annoyingly snooty in the process. Paltrow's Emma, on the other hand, had a blithely lighter touch. It's as if she was giving the audience a wink and an elbow's nudge. I would much rather spend an afternoon on the English heath with a picnic basket and GP's Emma than KB's. So, my vote as the film that deserves watching, if you can only see one, is E96.

Rating:
Summary: Well done
Review: Beckinsale does a remarkable turn here as Emma. I think you'll find the production values of this version are a bit grittier, more realistic and derivative of the book. The stern demeanor of Knightley is a nice contrast to Northam's playfulness, which was appropriate to that setting. The lovely Samantha Morton, who was recently cast as the pre-cog Agatha in Minority Report, is dressed down to sad perfection as Ms. Smith, and brings a stark twinge to Emma's overarching role as matchmaker. The best thing about these adaptations is they inevitably drive you back towards the source.

Rating:
Summary: Nah. Don't bother.
Review: I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn't already seen the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma. This one just doesn't capture the essence of Jane Austen's excellent novel. Usually I can console myself by looking at the costuming or the scenery, but even that didn't do it. I just kept wondering who cast this one. Especially the actor who played Mr Knightley. Yoicks!