Austen

Jane Austen fans may have missed this adaptation of her works

As Jane Austen marks her 250th birthday this year, fans are revisiting the celebrated author’s works.

Over the years, numerous adaptations of her novels have been created, along with fresh interpretations that draw inspiration from her books, reports the Express.

Some notable examples include Bridget Jones’s Diary, which reimagines Pride and Prejudice in a modern setting, and Clueless, which transposes Emma from Regency England to the complex social hierarchy of a 1990s Beverly Hills high school.

Additionally, there are productions like ITV’s Lost in Austen, where a contemporary woman finds herself in the world of Pride and Prejudice, and Austenland, which follows a romantic as she visits a Jane Austen-themed park in pursuit of her Regency dreams.

However, one lesser-known adaptation, featuring two Virgin River stars, is also worth watching.

On IMDb, one viewer praised the film as “brilliant”, saying: “Vibrant, colorful [sic], hilarious and lively, this movie was a sheer joy to watch. A refreshing take on an old classic.”

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Another reviewer commented: “Well, it’s pretty hard, isn’t it, to write a spoiler for a film which is based on such a well-known, well-loved novel! I will show my hand here and say that I am a Janeite.

“However, I am not a purist and I like many Jane Austen adaptations that many Janeites don’t (for example I like ‘Mansfield Park’).”

One viewer noted: “The script did a pretty good job of capturing the essence of the story whilst playing around with some of the details eg cutting out the fifth daughter whose role in the story is pretty minimal, and making the ‘tyrant’ in Darcy’s life his mother not his aunt (a more realistic situation in its modern setting).”

Another fan chimed in: “Gurinder Chadha has transported Jane Austen’s great novel to India. What a charmer this film turns out to be! The adaptation of the novel is excellent as the new locale is incorporated to the story.”

They continued: “The incredible Indian colors explode in front of our eyes giving the Western viewers such an opportunity to experience a little taste of India [sic].”

Bride and Prejudice, released in 2004, masterfully blended Bollywood and Hollywood through the lens of Jane Austen.

Directed by Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Like Beckham fame, the film offered a refreshing spin on Austen’s classic tale of Pride and Prejudice.

Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan took centre stage as Lalita Bakshi, who initially butts heads with the suave American businessman Will Darcy, played by Martin Henderson, before they inevitably fall for each other.

Joining Henderson was Daniel Gillies, known for his roles in Virgin River and The Originals, who portrayed his rival George Wickham – a role that amusingly mirrors their respective characters in Netflix’s romantic drama series.

The cast also boasts acclaimed Indian actor Anupam Kher, known for his roles in Bend It Like Beckham and Hotel Mumbai, Naveen Andrews of Lost and The English Patient fame, Namrata Shirodkar from Hera Pheri and Major, Indira Varma who starred in Game of Thrones and Luther, and EastEnders‘ Nitin Ganatra.

Bride and Prejudice is available to watch on Apple TV+

The film was a success when it was released in 1995

A quintessential adaptation of a timeless Jane Austen novel is now available to watch, reports the Daily Express.

Initially released in 1995, the film garnered widespread critical acclaim, with numerous critics hailing it as one of the finest Austen adaptations ever made.

One IMDb reviewer titled their post: “A classic for all time.”

They continued: “Whoever says they just don’t make the quality of pictures today that they used to hasn’t seen or is ignoring this film.”

A second reviewer described the film as “a subtle masterpiece”, stating: “I saw this movie in a cinema back in 1996 and since that June I have seen it about a dozen times.”

“It is true, that being an ardent lover of the so-called Romantic (as if the 13th century couldn’t be Romantic or 17th, but these things are academic nonsense) period I can enjoy even minor pieces of period cinema, however this is most probably the best film set in the early 19th century.”

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A third review, titled “Faithful, beautiful, enjoyable, one of the best film adaptations of period novels.”, read: “Normally period adaptations need at least a few hours to do proper justice. And so it is usually the television versions that are better for those who like things faithful to text. Film versions usually truncate and romanticise/Hollywoodise which can be frustrating.

“However, films have bigger budgets and better production values so are easier on the eye. However, this is a shining example of 2.5 hour film which packed so much detail in for a real complete sense of the novel, but also with great faithful performances, at the same time as being great to watch with all the production values and cinematography or a big budget movie. One of the better film adaptations of period pieces ever.”

Released amid a flurry of Jane Austen adaptations, the Hollywood hit Sense and Sensibility shared its release year with the BBC’s heralded Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, as well as Persuasion featuring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds – not to mention the contemporary spin on Emma, Clueless, which became an instant hit.

Based on the classic 1811 novel by Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (played by Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet), who manifest two opposing approaches to love after facing sudden financial ruin.

With their fortune gone, the Dashwood sisters are forced to navigate society in search of suitable husbands to secure their futures, encountering numerous unexpected developments along the way.

The film boasted an impressive ensemble cast including the likes of Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Greg Wise, Gemma Jones, Dame Harriet Walter, James Fleet, Hugh Laurie, and Imelda Staunton.

The esteemed British actress, Thompson, not only starred in the film but also penned the screenplay, earning her an Oscar for Best Writing.

Both Thompson and Winslet bagged BAFTA Film Awards for their stellar performances in Sense and Sensibility.

Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee was brought on board to direct the movie, marking his international breakthrough. He later won Oscars for Brokeback Mountain and The Life of Pi.

Despite subsequent adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, including the BBC’s 2008 miniseries, this version is widely regarded as the pinnacle among Austen adaptations.

Sense and Sensibility 1995 is streaming on Apple TV and Prime Video for a fee

The period drama series is a hidden gem worth watching

Are you a die-hard fan of Jane Austen adaptations but think you’ve seen them all? Think again, because there’s one gem that might have escaped your notice.

Airing back in 2008 on ITV, this four-part limited series offers a unique twist on the classic Pride and Prejudice tale, reports the Express.

Armchair critics and fans on IMDb have been heaping praise on the miniseries. One user left a glowing 10/10 rating, saying: “I am utterly captivated by this refreshing take on Austen. I used to love romantic periodical novels when much younger, but they have since fallen out of favour with me, as they are all so alike. Here I am quite unaware, as of yet, what may happen and I absolutely adore the suspense.

“The actors are well chosen for their task and I am quickly falling in love with them one by one. I never thought I would see Mr Bingley as adorable, but in this it is quite so.”

Another enthusiast gave a perfect score too, commenting: “Three episodes in and I feel now is the time to say a big well done to all concerned. As a long time Austen lover and a fan of period/costume drama I was unsure what to expect from this reworking of a favourite story.”

“As others have commented this bears similarities with ‘Life on Mars’, a person taken out of modern day life and deposited into the past, albeit Jane Austen’s fictitious one.”

Meanwhile, another viewer remarked: “The mini series was absolutely sweet and funny and it will be appreciated by real Jane Austen fanatics.

“It does resemble the weirdest dream that only authors of fan fiction have had. At times the plot lines turn into silly situations but for most of the time they are quite enjoyable.

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“The young actors make the most of it. I wish response has been better so that the series can be longer.”

A fourth viewer rated the programme a perfect 10/10, dubbing their review “Brilliant!”.

They penned: “I just watched the whole thing. I hadn’t even realized it was a mini-series, I simply got the DVD from netflix and popped it in. It didn’t offer me the option to select episodes, it just played the whole thing as one big movie.

“One big, wonderful, delightful film! I haven’t enjoyed a film this much in years. It was a complete treat. I love Pride & Prejudice; I’ve read the book, and seen most (maybe all? ) of the screen adaptations, some multiple times.

“And I’m usually a bit of a purist, but I thought this might be fun, so I gave it a try. It well exceeded my expectations. I’m still aglow with enjoyment [sic].”

Lost in Austen is a cheeky homage to the celebrated author and her best-known novel Pride and Prejudice.

The show trails self-confessed Jane Austen enthusiast Amanda Price (portrayed by Jemima Rooper) residing in modern London during the Noughties.

After a less than impressive proposal from her boyfriend, involving a makeshift wedding ring made from a can ring pull, Amanda finds herself mysteriously swapping places with Elizabeth Bennet (Gemma Arterton) and landing in the world of Pride and Prejudice through a door in her bathroom.

Amanda’s sudden arrival quickly throws the novel’s events into chaos, as she frantically tries to steer the plot back on track.

During Amanda’s escapades, she encounters Mr Darcy (Elliot Cowan), with the pair initially butting heads before sparks begin to fly.

Lost In Austen boasts a star-studded cast, including Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville as Mr Bennet, Doctor Who’s Alex Kingston as Mrs Bennet, Grantchester’s Morven Christie as Jane Bennet, Suits actress Christina Cole as Caroline Bingley, and Tom Mison from Apple TV+’s See as Mr Bingley, among others.

Additional casting includes Lindsay Duncan as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Guy Henry as Mr. William Collins, Michelle Duncan as Charlotte Lucas, Ruby Bentall as Mary Bennet, Pippa Haywood as Frankie, Amanda’s mother, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Pirhana, Amanda’s friend, Daniel Percival as Michael Dolan, Amanda’s boyfriend, and Genevieve Gaunt as Georgiana Darcy.

Lost in Austen is available to stream on Prime Video now

“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” is a catchy, provocative title for writer-director Laura Piani’s debut feature, but it is a bit of a misnomer. Her heroine, Agathe (Camille Rutherford), may harbor that fear deep inside, but it’s never one she speaks aloud. A lonely clerk working at the famed Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris, she gets lost in the love notes left on the store’s mirror and complains to her best friend and coworker Felix (Pablo Pauly) that she was born in the wrong century, unwilling to engage in casual “digital” connection. Highly imaginative, Agathe perhaps believes she’s alone because she won’t settle for anything less than a Darcy.

Good thing, then, that Felix, posing as her agent, sends off a few chapters of her fantasy-induced writing to the Jane Austen Residency. And who should pick up Agathe from the ferry but a handsome, prickly Englishman, Oliver (Charlie Anson), the great-great-great-great-grandnephew of Ms. Austen herself. She can’t stand him. It’s perfect.

“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” is the kind of warm romance that will make any bookish dreamer swoon, as a thoroughly modern woman with old-fashioned ideas about love experiences her own Austenesque tumble. While Agathe initially identifies with the wilting old maid Anne from “Persuasion,” her shyly budding connection with Oliver is more Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice.” A pastoral English estate is the ideal setting for such a dilemma.

The casting and performances are excellent for this contemporary, meta update: Rutherford is elegant but often awkward and fumbling as Agathe, while Anson conveys Oliver’s passionate yearning behind his reserved, wounded exterior with just enough Hugh Grantian befuddlement. Pauly plays the impulsive charlatan with an irrepressible charm.

But it isn’t just the men that have Agathe in a tizzy. The film is equally as romantic about literature, writing and poetry as it is about such mundane issues as matters of the flesh. A lover of books, Agathe strives to be a writer but believes she isn’t one because of her pesky writer’s block. It’s actually a dam against the flow of feelings — past traumas and heartbreaks — that she attempts to keep at bay. It’s through writing that Agathe is able to crack her heart open, to share herself and to welcome in new opportunities.

“Writing is like ivy,” Oliver tells Agathe. “It needs ruins to exist.” It’s an assurance that her past hasn’t broken her but has given her the necessary structure to let the words grow. The way the characters talk about what literature means to them — and what it means to put words down — will seduce the writerly among the viewers, these discussions even more enchanting than any declarations of love or ardent admiration.

If you’ve read any Austen (or watched any of the films made from her novels), Piani’s movie will be pleasantly predictable in its outcome, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable journey. It’s our expectations, both met and upended, that give the film its appealing cadence. It never lingers too long and is just sweet enough in its displays to avoid any saccharine aftertaste or eye-rolling sentiment.

There’s a salve-like quality to “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” a balm for any battered romantic’s soul. It may be utter fantasy, but it’s the kind of escape you’ll want to revisit again and again, like a favorite Austen novel. And, as it turns out, our main character is wrong. Jane Austen didn’t wreck her life, rather, she opened it up to the possibilities that were right in front of her.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

The actress best known for playing Sister Frances will lead the cast of the major BBC series airing next year

Call the Midwife favourite Ella Broccoleri has landed the lead role in BBC1’s upcoming Jane Austen drama The Other Bennett Sister. Ella, 35, played kindly nun Sister Frances in the hit series for four years from 2019, when she was written out suddenly after deciding to leave to pursue other roles.

In the plot she was knocked off her bike in the snow during a birth emergency in the 2022 Christmas special, suffering a shoulder injury. Fans were gutted when she was then sent to the Mother House to recuperate, and never returned to Poplar. One declared at the time: “If Sister Frances leaves I swear to God I’ll sue someone at Call the Midwife.”

As well as Sister Frances, Ella has also played the role of a young nun in historical drama, The Last Kingdom. And the actress also donned a habit for a third time as she appeared alongside Olivia Colman in Paddington in Peru.

READ MORE: Lorraine’s tearful ITV staff ‘fear for her future’ after ‘kick in the teeth’ news on cuts

Now the actress has been cast as Mary Bennet, sister of Pride and Prejudice’s lead character Elizabeth and she is also starring in upcoming ITV royal drama The Lady.

The Other Bennet Siste r is a fresh spin around the ballroom for one of Jane Austen’s most unassuming characters: Mary Bennet – the seemingly unremarkable and overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice .

Awkward, anxious, preachy, full of fact and a terrible singer, Mary is overlooked by her mother and seems destined to have an empty dance card for the rest of her life – until she takes matters into her own hands.

The Other Bennet Sister, a 10-parter to air next year from production company Bad Wolf, gives Mary Bennet the epic love story nobody predicted for her. It takes her from her family home in Meryton to the soirees of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District – all in search of independence, romance and, most elusive of all, self-love and acceptance.

Writer Sarah Quintrell says: “I’m thrilled to be telling the story of Mary – the other Bennet sister – exploring what it is to come of age when you’re the odd one out. It’s a joy to be adapting Janice Hadlow’s brilliant take on such a beloved classic and to have found our home at the BBC.”

Saying she herself had been an “awkward, anxious” teen, she added: “I grew up watching the BBC’s wonderful Austen adaptations. It’s the stuff every writer dreams of and I can’t wait to bring this beautiful story to screen – not least, for all the Marys out there.”

BBC drama boss Lindsay Salt said: “The BBC’s Pride and Prejudice will forever be a classic moment in television history, and it’s incredibly exciting to return to Jane Austen’s irresistible world and go even further than before – this time in the footsteps of The Other Bennet Sister , Mary. We fell in love with Sarah’s adaptation because it’s a true underdog story packed full of heart, wit and charm, and a chance to explore Austen in a playful, original and heartfelt way.”

Last year Ella appeared in ITV’s Passenger and in the films Polite Society and Joy. She is currently filming The Lady, based on the story of Jane Andrews, a former royal dresser who worked for the Duchess of York who was later convicted of murder.

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