Sense and Sensibility (1995)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers:

Jane Austen (novel)
Emma Thompson (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Lose your heart and come to your senses.

Plot:

Rich Mr. Dashwood dies, leaving his second wife and her daughters poor by the rules of inheritance. Two daughters are the titular opposites.

Plot Keywords:

Heartbreak | Love | Colonel | Inheritance | Sword Fighting

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 27 wins & 28 nominations

Cast

James Fleet	...	John Dashwood
Tom Wilkinson	...	Mr. Dashwood
Harriet Walter	...	Fanny Ferrars Dashwood
Kate Winslet	...	Marianne Dashwood
Emma Thompson	...	Elinor Dashwood
Gemma Jones	...	Mrs. Dashwood
Hugh Grant	...	Edward Ferrars
Emilie François	...	Margaret Dashwood
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Mrs. Jennings
Robert Hardy	...	Sir John Middleton
Ian Brimble	...	Thomas
Isabelle Amyes	...	Betsy
Alan Rickman	...	Col. Christopher Brandon
Greg Wise	...	John Willoughby
Alexander John	...	Curate

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | French

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Taiwan:GP | Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Chile:TE | Denmark:A | Finland:S | Germany:6 (w) | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Berry Pomeroy Church, Berry Pomeroy, Devon, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Originally, there was to be a scene in which Hugh Grant would kiss Emma Thompson. This scene was deleted, however, because the film was too long already. They deleted another scene too because of the length.

Goofs:

Continuity: The scene in which Lucy Steele reveals to Fanny Dashwood that she (Lucy) and Fanny's brother (Edward) have been secretly engaged initially shows Lucy stroking a dog. When Fanny realizes what Lucy is saying, she becomes hysterical and sends everything flying, but the dog is no longer there.

Quotes:

Marianne: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. Or bends with the remover to remove. Oh no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken. Willoughby. Willoughby. Willoughby.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Real Jane Austen (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Weep You No More Sad Fountains

Very good adaptation.

This is one of the best of the recent Jane Austen films, from one of her weaker books. Emma Thompson has done a fine job of the script, not slavishly remaining faithful to the book but not abandoning it either.

The cast are uniformally excellent. I especially liked Kate Winslet's Marianne and Alan Rickman's Brandon. Emma Thompson's performance is almost good enough to make you forget that she is far to old for the part. The supporting cast are all excellent.

Ang Lee's direction shows the same skill that it did in the excellent Eat Drink Man Woman and the scenery and costumes are beautiful (perhaps too beautiful).

This is more romantic and less comic than say Emma, and Thompson's script wisely stays away from the kind of set-piece gags seen in the recent film of Emma. All in all, this is excellent.