LookGirl gets cultured: Sense and survivability

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Sense and survivability

Jane Austen and her witty, sensible heroines are back in style, a trend most recently marked by the current Masterpiece Theatre Austen run, last year's "Becoming Jane," a fictionalized retelling of Austen's young life starring Anne Hathaway, and, more recently, "The Jane Austen Book Club." Despite the two centuries since her writing, the characters remain as modern and relevant today as they must have been back then. The most memorable versions of Austen's novels are the BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, the most recent version starring Keira Knightley, "Emma" with Gwyneth Paltrow and "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. Our favorite though? "Mansfield Park" with Frances O'Connor and Alessandro Nivola.

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Masterpiece Theatre's Pride and Prejudice: This BBC version of Jane Austen's most popular novel is the best, and most-loved, film adaptation ever. Released a little more than 10 years ago, it caused a stir of interest in Austen's work, and ignited a passionate devotion to Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy. The film is not overhyped at all, it's worth every ounce of praise its gotten, it takes it's time and is totally true to Austen's writing and time. And I dare you not to fall in love with Firth by the end of it.
Masterpiece Theatre's Northanger Abbey: This is my least favorite of Austen's novels, as it betrays her youth with it's simple and whimsical story. This film brings out the magic of the book though, with it's spooky depiction of Northanger Abbey and it's scenes ripped straight out of a B movie that reflect Catherine's over-ripe imagination. It's beautifully shot, and the actors once again are great, especially the Jude Law lookalike who plays Henry Tilney. It's a Jane Eyre-style romance gone right. The only thing behind the doors of this castle are dusty mirrors, covered furniture and our protagonists having a lover's spat.
Masterpiece Theatre's Persuasion is an over-the-top romantic period piece that might not be technically true to the era it was based in, does convey the spirit of Jane Austen through the fine performances. Anne Elliot is a heroine so empathetic your heart aches for her. And as played by Sally Hawkins, she's suitably likable and pretty, yet with an air of desperation that rushes through the camera lens. Rupert Penry-Jones is truly gorgeous, and is perfect as the loved-and-lost Captain Wentworth. Some may quibble with the end of the film, which finds Anne running through the streets of Bath to confess her love to Wentworth, but there's nothing wrong with injecting a little modern passion into Austen's work when translated to screen.