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Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition)
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Genre | Comedy |
Format | Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC |
Contributor | Columbia Pictures, Hugh Grant, Ang Lee, Gemma Jones, Kate Winslet, Elizabeth Spriggs, Emma Thompson, Emilie Francois, Lindsay Doran, Alan Rickman, James Fleet, Tom Wilkinson See more |
Language | English, Spanish |
Runtime | 2 hours and 16 minutes |
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From the manufacturer
Sense and Sensibility
Starring Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Kate Winslet
Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant star in this captivating romantic comedy that swept the Ten Best Lists and was named the Best Picture of the Year by the Golden Globes. Based on Jane Austen's classic novel, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY tells of the Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor (Thompson) and passionate Marianne (Winslet), whose chances at marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. Rickman, Grant and Greg Wise co-star as the well-intentioned suitors who are trapped by the strict rules of society and the conflicting laws of desire.
Product Description
Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant star in this captivating romantic comedy that swept the Ten Best Lists and was named the Best Picture of the Year by the Golden Globes(r). Based on Jane Austen's classic novel, Sense and Sensibility tells of the Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor (Thompson) and passionate Marianne (Winslet), whose chances at marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. Rickman, Grant, and Greg Wise co-star as the well-intentioned suitors who are trapped by the strict rules of society and the conflicting laws of desire.
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.85:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
- Product Dimensions : 7.5 x 5.38 x 0.6 inches; 1.92 ounces
- Item model number : 043396115996
- Director : Ang Lee
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
- Run time : 2 hours and 16 minutes
- Release date : August 24, 1999
- Actors : Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, James Fleet
- Dubbed: : Portuguese
- Subtitles: : English, Spanish, Portuguese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai
- Producers : Lindsay Doran
- Language : Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 5.0)
- Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- ASIN : 0800141660
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #637 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #12 in Romance (Movies & TV)
- #62 in Comedy (Movies & TV)
- #68 in Drama DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
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Fortunately the screenwriter was Emma Thompson, who was able to bridge the actor-screenwriter divide and create a script true to Austen’s world while making the usual adjustments that translation to the time limit of films demands. It took over four years to write it. She remains the only person ever to win an Academy Award in both writing and acting categories, the acting award being for “Howard’s End”. Choosing Ang Lee was taking a bigger chance, but Doran and Thompson saw understanding of family life and both warmth and humor in his films and hired him. Austen had a great sense of humor about her society and I think it was important that both the producer and screenwriter had begun in comedy and would not have allowed a stiff, humorless adaptation.
The film has the usual demands that any Austen film makes. There are many characters, often related to each other and these relationships need to be understood to understand fully, what’s going on. Fortunately here, there are but five primary characters with the rest more peripheral but still affecting the plot in important ways. The two Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet), represent sense and sensibility. Though seemingly interchangeable now, the latter term meant a prizing of emotion and feelings over rationality. In this way it was the early stirrings of Romanticism, which would become full blown by the 1820s. Austen was suspicious of sensibility and here illustrates how it often leads to problems. Thompson had to be convinced to play Elinor, who is only nineteen in the novel, but I think the wisdom of her character would have seemed odd coming from an appropriately aged actress and suits Thomson perfectly. This was only Winslet’s second film, but her Marianne is just right. Thompson and Winslet play the Dashwoods similarly enough to be sisters and their differences in temperament enough to be unalike, but not so much as to become characures. At a certain moment, Elinore shows Marianne that she feels things as deeply as she, but understands the need for rules of conduct. (The third sister, a child, appears only rarely).
The three male leads each woo the sisters to one degree or another. Hugh Grant had recently broken out internationally in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and further developed his handsome and charming but reticent and occasionally stammering character here as Edward Ferrars. Edward instantly understands the seriousness of the Dashwood’s situation and is compassionate. He makes a good impression despite being absent from the screen for long stretches. Alan Rickman had been wanting to break away from the villainous roles in which he had been typecast since “Die Hard” and succeeded in creating a devoted, honorable man in Colonel Brandon. Greg Wise plays John Willoughby, an uncommonly handsome fellow who drives a fast carriage and carries a pocket volume of Shakespeare’s Sonnets on him at all times, the very portrait of a Romantic hero. Actor Greg Wise is perfect for the part (and also began a relationship with Thompson that resulted in their long marriage). Most of the supporting characters are done for comic effect, especially Mrs. Jennings (Elizabeth Spriggs) who with her son in law, Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy) are the gossips and matchmakers of Devonshire. Harriet Walter is absolutely wicked in her snobbishness as Fanny Dashwood but hilarious when she receives a sudden shock. If you’re at all inclined, Jane Austen’s characters can be looked up online and I’m certain it would help sort them out and make it a more valuable experience, but be careful, some of them delve into the plot too much.
The second problem is in understanding the intricacies of the Regency Period legal system. Austen wasn’t writing just comedies of manners but had a serious purpose in describing the effects of the legal system, especially on women. It’s virtually the theme of “Sense and Sensibility” where everyone is very subject to it. I can’t do justice to it here so here are the briefest points. Inheritance law generally bestowed a large estate on the eldest male heir. Even his younger brothers had to do with minor sums of money and often went into the military or clergy. This was a strong custom but could be overruled (think of Lady Catherine de Bourgh in “Pride and Prejudice”) but that was a rare thing. Women could inherit money as Emma Woodhouse had, making her much more independent than the usual Austen heroine. This is what makes Austen so serious. At any given time a chasm could open up under anyone due to the laws of inheritance. Such a situation happens here where the female Dashwoods lose Norland Park, the very epitome of an English Estate and are fortunate to get use of a cottage from a distant relation. Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones) was his second wife and his father had made his will to keep the estate in the male line by allowing Mr. Dashwood the use but not the ownership of the estate; he died before he could make much of this. (This is the first scene in the film so I’m not really giving anything away). It could almost be as bad on the men. Both Edward Ferrars and John Willoughby find themselves unable to do as they would really wish due to these laws and customs. Having an “Understanding” is also an important thing here. In this case it means an actual proposal of marriage, not an assumption. A proposal had legal standing and the force of law and breaking it could lead to scandal and a breach of promise lawsuit.
Back to the film, at last. The film is shot in cool colors, often soft greens and grays, which help ground it in reality. A temptation would be to make it too pretty with storybook colors - which actually worked in Emma (1996) but that was done purely as a light comedy. Here the cool tones make everything very real looking, emphasizing that the consequences at stake here are serious. The clothing is perfect for the period, even the country dresses at the London ball. It has always perplexed me that women were so wise to throw away all those confining eighteenth century hairstyles and dresses and were finally comfortable, only to throw it away not long after for corsets and framework. The music is by Patrick Doyle, who had scored some of Kenneth Branagh’s films and is a good and never overwhelming accompaniment to the film. He wrote his own music entirely for the film, even the songs and dance music, where most film composers would have used actual music of the day, perhaps from “The Apollonian Harmony” or John Playford’s “The English Dancing Master”. But, likely as a challenge, he wrote convincing period music. This fills the first part of the film, but from Elinor and Marianne’s serious discussion onward, the music becomes Romantic influenced film score music.
Overall this film wins on every count and ends just as Austen’s did (though it seems a bit tacked on here because there simply wasn’t time to add more development). Even if you are not an Austen fan the film is easy enough to understand and dramatically paced enough to make its two hours move quickly. The DVD is rather deluxe with audio commentary by director Ang Lee and Emma Thompson, deleted scenes and trailers.
Kate Winslet was a tremendous Marianne. Marianne was as an idealist, yet comes to learn that realism too has value. She learns there should be a time for both things in life. Winslet portrayed Marianne's coming of age beautifully. Marianne realizes that more than attraction is needed in marriage; friendship, respect and esteem are what make a person endure through life's hardships; that is what makes a relationship last. This fact was very well presented in Winslet's performance. Another 10.
I enjoyed Hugh Grant's performance as Edward. Grant did not play Edward as a weak man; he played him as a mild, honorable man who had made a bad decision and was paying the consequences of that bad decision. Well done.
I have never seen anything done badly by Alan Rickman yet, and never hope to. His adaption of Colonel Brandon was excellent. He played a man who had faced a great deal of disappointment in life, and yet, was not left bitter by it. When he saw Marianne's idealism, he remembered his idealistic days and loved her for her possession of that quality. I think that's terribly romantic. Rickman did it well.
Imogen Stubbs was excellent as the nasty Lucy Steele. It must have been an incredibly fun part to do! Sly, malicious little devil!
Now about what I didn't agree with in the film. I do not understand why the scene between Willoughby and Elinor during Marianne's illness never takes place in this movie! It's pivotal in the book. It explains so much! Ten minutes should have been added to the movie.
Also, Lady Middleton should have been left in the script. She rounds out the cousins that are well meaning, but difficult to live with. She is also the driving force behind having Lucy stay at the Middleton's country home and bringing Lucy to town.
However, the movie was a very good one and should receive high accolades from all. The casting was excellent, the acting was of high quality, and the direction well done. Buy the movie, it's worth it!
Top reviews from other countries
This movie is an adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel in which three sisters, named Elinor, Marianne, Margaret, and their mother have to move out of their home and relocate in a small cottage, due to the death of their father whose house has become the property of their brother-in-law and of his avaricious wife. At the same time, Elinor and Marianne both fall in love with gentlemen, played by Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Greg Wise, (who became in real life the husband of Emma Thompson herself) and whose lives are not what they seem to be.
As I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, I just want to say that what really impressed me was how Ang Lee managed to keep his direction very simple. There are no useless close-ups, no overbearing music and no over acting with his actors. Instead, he just lets them interpret their roles in the most subtlest way. And, unlike certain Jane Austen adaptations, Ang Lee doesn't use flashbacks to explain incidents that occur in the past or to enrich the character's dialogues. Instead, he just lets the actors speak and explain what happened. Finally, Ang Lee's shots look just like asian paintings and add details that were not included in the novel, but enhance the context of the british society in Jane Austen's novel, such as the grand ball which instead of occurring in a big room, happens through different rooms, each divided by a certain social status.
As for Emma Thompson's very funny script, she manages to condense the novel's plot in two hours, with such efficiency that she doesn't lose any of the important elements of the story. Not only that, she also gives room to certain characters like Margaret, and even enriches the story with scenes that never occurred in the book, like the discussion between Elinor and Edward in the library as they manage to get Margaret out of her hiding spot. The scene is so funny and believable in its dialogue that you really think that it was in the book, which was something that a professor, or a viewer I'm not too sure, told Emma Thompson and her producer, something they both revealed in the commentaries on the DVD.
Speaking of special features, I loved the details and information that Emma Thompson and her producer gave in their commentaries, some of which were also noted in the production diaries of the movie. You get to learn more about the movie 's production and also on her work as screenwriter and all the modifications she had to do to transpose the novel into a movie.
Finally, there is, in the special features, an excerpt from the Golden Globes ceremony in 1996, during which Emma Thompson received a prize and did a great speech, imagining what Jane Austen would have said if she had been at that ceremony.
In the end, I don't think the movie would have been as successful and as funny if Emma Thopmson and Ang Lee had not been working on this movie, which really deserved its Oscar for best scriptwriting, Golden Globe, and golden bear at the Berlin film festival.
If you haven't already read the novel. Jane Austen has the absolute funniest "afterward" I've ever read. I laughed so hard I kept dropping the book. I think it was because if this that someone came up with the phrase "and they all lived happily ever after".