Three Things Every Jane Austen Movies Needs | Pride & Prejudice Adaptations & Regency History

[@EllieDashwood]

Get 15% off your first Brooklinen order! Just click here bit.ly/EllieDashwoodYT . This video is kindly sponsored by Brooklinen. 🤍

[@bamagirlce12]

I hope they keep Lizzie more friendly, warm, and generally likeable than 2005. I think 2005 did a great job of showing chemistry between Darcy and Lizzie, but Lizzie was sharp and short with people. Jennifer Ehle really makes you feel like she's bringing you into a joke as opposed to straight up snarking at people.

[@rowanjoy419]

right! some said that 1995 had a old aura to her and they didn't like it but I personally think when I read the book that Lizzie even thought she is 20, she is not your typical 20 yo of 2024 whos vibe is more of a teenager.

[@a24-45]

@@rowanjoy419 I agree. Keira Knightly's Lizzy is immature, more like a 17 year-old than a 20 year-old, and also a lot more volatile. I recall being shocked when Kiera's Lizzy slams the door of her father's office in anger. Such a Lydia thing to do! Overall she does have an undertone of short temper throughout. Her broad smile reminds me of a snarl.

[@mikicrespo4812]

The 2005 Lizzie was pretty but showed no likable traits. I like Mathew as Mr Darcy so I like the film as a whole, even though it makes no sense why he’d suddenly be in love with her or continue to be. Not by this films interpretation of her

[@gillianb6508]

@@mikicrespo4812my thoughts exactly. Kiera Knightly played her as a bratty teenager which almost ruined the movie for me.

[@feckoffprivatechannel]

I think many adaptors misunderstand what it means to properly "modernize" a piece. Modernizing a historical work doesn't mean changing character's personalities or values to fit modern standards of what characters should be like, or making sure everything is aesthetically pleasing to modern fashion. It means making sure that anyone, even someone not intimately familiar with the time period, can understand the context. When I read Jane Austen I usually do so with a copy that has a explanatory notes discussing some of the finer details of the novel. For example, in Northanger Abbey when John Thorpe is yapping about his carriage, there's a note in the back explaining the terminology, so I understand he's essentially bragging about getting a second-hand sports car and acting like he has a Ferrari. Modernizing a historical work for film means adding accessibility like that. It means knowing when to change antiquated language into something a layman could parse. It means knowing when to bend reality a little to give exposition that should be common knowledge. Jane Austen's characters are so timeless and in order to truly understand that sometimes we have to brush off the dust of centuries of cultural and linguistic drift.

[@Sujowi]

Thanks for the info about John Thorpe! Boys!!!

[@BethanyBartholomew]

Well said!!

[@memyself5866]

Yes, thank you! This was so insightful!

[@cynthial.seagren560]

In my head, Colin Firth will always be the only Mr. Darcy.

[@billielittle]

Facts! The best adaptation is the Colin Firth Jennifer Ehle version.

[@loraleitourtillottwiehr2473]

I think the additions in the 1995 P&P worked so well because they did not contradict anything about the setting or the characters. Lizzie out walking alone? Canonically happens, even if that walk wasn't mentioned specifically. Darcy fencing as a form of exercise (and representation of his internal struggle)? Totally in keeping with common pastimes for men of his class at that time. Boxing could have worked as well. IMO a good adaptation (Austen or otherwise) needs to have the same essential character traits and development, as well as a setting that is consistent with the vibe of the original. Obviously changing the medium of a story and condensing for time means that stuff gets cut out - but you can cut pretty much all the description without losing anything important as long as you represent it visually. Cutting whole scenes that establish character traits is not going to work the same.

[@usdutchkitty]

That is your channel tagline: “ If you do not understand history, you do not understand yourself”. Perfection!❤

[@EllieDashwood]

It’s funny, because despite that being one of the main reasons I make these videos, I don’t think I’ve ever really discussed it before! 😄

[@ReadBrucey]

This makes me think of something one of my history professors said. She said history is our rear view mirror. It helps us to know where we have been so we can get where we need to go.

[@usdutchkitty]

@ exactly. I have talked of understanding the past and my one critic, my mom, will say “ But the past is dead, you can’t change it” and my reaction is: “ No it is not. Everything we have is the result of the decisions of the past. As our present will decide how our descendants live after we are gone. So why not try to learn and not repeat what people try to bring back out of malice or control ?”

[@PokhrajRoy.]

2:38 The fact that female authors throughout history have been told to be ambiguous or anonymous regarding their identity shows us that.

[@EllieDashwood]

Trueeee

[@Daisy-gq1lu]

Like JK Rowling

[@pinstripesuitandheels]

First of all: The perfect adaptation will NOT be a rom-com. It will focus on social commentary, through the lens of witty dialogue. As much of the original dialogue as possible will be kept in. The romantic aspect will be secondary. Two: NO loose hair. The hair of all female actors will be appropriately coiffed at all times. There will be no "making it sexy for modern audiences". Three: all costumes must be historically accurate and made to fit the actors. If I see a corset, the entire wardrobe department will get fired. Four: historical etiquette will be maintained THROUGHOUT the film. I want to be immersed in the Regency period, like a time-traveler. Five: the lower classes will not be made to look dirty and unwashed. Unconnected rant: people in the past DID WASH and CLEAN their TEETH! If I see one more Medieval peasant covered in mud and with blackened teeth I WIIL SCREAM! Thank you for letting me rant, I will now continue to watch the video ;) edit: Austen works were a blend of "slice of life" and social commentary in my opinion. That's what I mean when I talk about social commentary.

[@ushere5791]

omg, YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU! i would LOVE to see every austen adaptation miniseries made--and made to these specifications!!!!!!!!!!!

[@fishstick7104]

Wow, you are so right!!!! I wasn't a Jane Austen fan until I saw Pride and Prejudice 2005. I fell in love!!! I watched other movies, I read the book, I read her other books, I went to a regency ball! I now listen to the books on audible on rotation to fall asleep to them! 😅 I'm now a hardcore Janite and proud!

[@ninjanen]

same here. i fell in love with the pride and prejudice 2005 (honestly Keira made me watch it), listened to the audiobook explored more Jane Austen movies. i was interested in reading actual books but was afraid i wouldn't be able to grasp scenes that needed imagination because english is not my first language. now i decided to read the books starting with Emma cos it is one of my favourite adaptation (Clueless1995 and Emma 2020 version). i watched Clueless years ago and recenty learned it was a loose adaptation of the book made me love to read the book even more. still in progress reading the book wish me luck.

[@dominaevillae28]

@ninjanen Need to watch Aisha (2010) too🙂

[@ninjanen]

@@dominaevillae28 i read about this somewhere it's an Indian film. will check it out. thanks!

[@evyhorror]

Absolutely same. 2005 p&p lead me down to buying multiple of her books and watching multiple adaptations of them. It truly is a good intro movie 😭

[@katherinealvarez9216]

I don't trust Netflix after Persuasion.

[@Elocinization]

Agreed! 👏🏽

[@N_0968]

Same. I haven’t been subscribed for a long time already.

[@TorchwoodPandP]

Netflix buys productions. They don’t always have much input in the making. But yeah, that “persuasion” was really, really (insert favourite swearword) awful.

[@annejeppesen160]

And The Witcher 😭 Arcane however is exceptional!

[@ZeljanaMiljevic]

I don’t trust them after 2020. 😂😂

[@stephenedwardpaynter]

Talking about additions to the 1995 P&P which weren't offensive to the book: i) Mr Collins running into a half dressed Lydia, and being laughed at; ii) watching the drunk outside the Meryton ball fall into the trough.

[@susanrobertson984]

Dogs howling when hearing Mary play at the netherfield ball.

[@a24-45]

Wickham and Lydia conversing in the bedroom of their London hideout. The scene where Caroline Bingley directly mentions Wickham in front of Georgiana, and Lizzy helps Georgiana recover her composure.

[@ixta]

I thought they did a fantastic job with those additions. Austen frequently summarized events or information instead of writing it into detailed scenes, and many of those extra scenes in the show helped to convey the summarized information and contribute to character development. The scene where Kitty and Lydia burst into the drawing room to tell everyone how many ladies and gentlemen Mr. Bingley is supposedly bringing to the ball is a great example of that. Even scenes that aren't directly referencing summarized info, like the fan service moment where Darcy jumps into the pond, was super well done. They made it a character building moment that showcases his internal struggle, which I like. Then when he runs into Elizabeth, they're both flustered and awkward, and it makes sense, because neither was expecting it, and because they're both slightly embarrassed about his "indecent" state of dress. I know it's not technically a meet-cute since it's not their first meeting, but it kind of feels like one. It's really a fun scene that adds to the romance build up without detracting anything from Austen's original story.

[@ritzee13]

​@@susanrobertson984That was hilarious 😂

[@a24-45]

@@ixta I agree. These scenes embodied ideas which were already in the book. They are excellent examples of how to convey character qualities -- in a visual way.

[@Gijakhali]

Honestly, I would not say no to another multi episode p&p. I love the story and the writing style so much! More BBC Austen adaptations pls.

[@lauramathews3151]

The most unforgivable moment in Persuasion on Netflix, was the octopus dream at dinner.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

It’s been 20 years of ‘Bride and Prejudice’ and I liked it as a modern adaptation which then introduced me to Jane Austen.

[@kthill7839]

I would like to see more of the post-wedding story as it is laid out in the novel-not the 'sitting in a courtyard admiring each other' post-wedding, but something of each of the main characters' future lives. Austen wrote a nice little framework for this, which probably can't be covered much in a movie but would make an interesting last episode in a series...

[@EllieDashwood]

I can just imagine it now, with Lydia coming to visit... 😂

[@AmyMcNulty]

It's fanfiction, basically, but I love Death Comes to Pemberley for this reason! It really does feel like their plausible future.

[@N_0968]

Anne Elliot is one of my favourite Austen characters so anyone who butchers her won’t have my support.

[@EllieDashwood]

It is a great crime.

[@solomiiakrutskevych882]

To be fair "Respect the author and their work ", "Respect the socio-historical context" and "Respect the audiance" are just the main prerequisites to any good addaptation. And I feel like even if the final work doen't live up to scrutiny, many would still appreaciate it regardless simply because it's not ashamed of its soarce material. Love your work!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

8:38 I may have mentioned it before but Emma Thompson called fans of Austen a “militant wing” 😂

[@EllieDashwood]

They can be truly terrifying sometimes. 😂

[@Melshed]

She’s not wrong 😂

[@christrites4251]

You are correct, they murdered Persuasion in 2022. I only made it through about 20 minutes of that version. Sally Hawkins in my opinion does an excellent job in the role (2007) and so far that adaptation is my favourite.

[@bernadmanny]

I concure about 2007 Persuasion, I like how they both lift lines into dialogue, and also make some of the internal monologue lines into diary entries.

[@BaldWomanEnjoyer]

The perfect pride and prejudice adaptations already exists it's the Colin Firth mini series their is no reason to make anymore

[@gkseeton]

I love her work for its expression of women as thinking and feeling and female. So many modern female characters they are rather more like men than women. Rather like how I adore Uhura from the original Star Trek series. She was all girl, and competent, intelligent, educated, disciplined--an officer--an equal to the other officers, working with Spock at times to repair equipment on the bridge. I loved that example. Jane Austin's women are real, and women--even if they love to take long walks and don't care that their hem is muddy--I just love how each is so real. I grew up around personalities so like those she portrayed.

[@Mary-cz5nl]

The Ely Frith was so good because the stayed so true to the text...well, except for the dive in the pond.😊

[@gratiaification]

I think this is a very insightful and well thought out video. I hope that producers and directors of future Austen productions will listen.... 🤞🏻

[@EllieDashwood]

Awwww! Thank you!!! ❤️

[@heyheimeg]

1:41 I could not agree with you more!!!!!!!!!!!! If she was a man, she would've been called a "genius" She is soooooo devalued!

[@WomanRoaring]

i love 1995's adaptation. the fencing scene to me just shows the inner struggle he's going through, out loud. the pond scene was just eye candy for us lol, i'm not mad at that haha. i'm not sure i would change anything. the actors chemistry was amazing and i love the costumes and the scenery. the other version was so short because it was a film instead of a mini series which is a bit frustrating. it needed to be longer to convey the inner turmoil and all the different events. i love keira knightly but her version was a bit blah and didn't make me want to watch it over and over.

[@EllieDashwood]

Austen books really need to be mini-series! Condensing them never fairs well. 😭 Also, why did the 95 version have to set the bar so high?

[@kathrynhanson3317]

It's so good.

[@you_already_have_it]

Agree with you and same (i rewatch 1995 bbc series over and over for many years now, but only saw Kira Knightley' version twice) .

[@jackierowland1703]

I have never watched the 95 version. I don’t know where to find it. Any ideas?

[@ilmaba1756]

@@jackierowland1703 Britbox

[@christyb2912]

You consulting on the production would be the most helpful to guaranty a decent series 🥰

[@kathrynhanson3317]

Continuing to offer less than popular opinions. I would really love to see a good miniseries of "Mansfield Park".

[@EllieDashwood]

I would love a good miniseries of Mansfield Park!!!

[@kathrynhanson3317]

The first time I read it, I was nonplussed. Fannie is so different from her usual main characters. But on multiple re-readings, I find that Jane Austen really was very acute about people. Fannie is not sparkling, but she is the product of a not great childhood. And she's really quite passionate internally.

[@faithful2thecall]

We do need a good adaptation of "Mansfield Park" and it would probably be better suited to a miniseries than a movie.

[@kendracrispin5327]

​@@EllieDashwoodI agree. Think about how much character and mental strength Fanny had to hold to her refusal of Mr. Crawford given everything. I'd also be impressed with a good modernization of Mansfield Park that focuses on character versus the cult of personality.

[@annejeppesen160]

Yes please! Made by someone who understands Fanny and admires her strength! A Mansfield adaptation ought to begin in the streets of Portsmouth with William, Fanny and their siblings dancing to the pipeorgan and in another scene show Fanny as “nurse and instructress.” Then show how she’s ripped from her family with very little explanation and being met by Aunt Norris and her admonitions. Only then are you ready to begin adapting the book. 6 episodes is a minimum!

[@pamelagross9959]

Thank you for the way you not only help me to understand Jane Austen’s world, you do it with so much respect for her readers and respect for our friend Jane as well. Keep it up, Ellie. You’re awesome too!

[@thatsmyjam6065]

I would love a "Lucy Steele". Kind of like a sympathetic villain movie.

[@janefan1216]

1) my Phantom journey: the TV miniseries with Charles Dance as Eric ❤❤❤ led me to the original Broadway soundtrack, which led me to see it twice on stage. Then, I read the book as a jr in high school and went from hating Christine for leaving him, to being COMPLETELY on her side. Book Phantom is SCARY! 2) another adaptation vs book that got me: "Bram Soker's Dracula" with Keanu Reeves and Gary Oldman ❤ vs read the book, waiting for the line, "I have crossed OCEANS of time to find you," only to realize thr movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula" was NOTHING AT ALL like Bram Stoker's Dracula (the book)! 3) the main problem with adaptations STARTS with Hollywood thinking they can improve on Jane Austen. That's like saying you know more about the human condition than Shakespeare. They've stood the test of time FOR A REASON. You can't do better than Jane. Don't even try. You will absolutely fail. Jane Austen is the GOAT. ❤❤❤

[@claratucker287]

What you said is very true, I don't need it for it to be 100% accurate to the book or exactly as I picture in my head but I need to feel like the people making it actually cared about the project. With the 2022 Persuasion it felt like not only they didn't care about Austen they didn't care about period dramas in general.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

We all know that Jane Austen fan fiction and fan casting yields results. Also, not at all excited by Netflix adapting anything but we live in hope. Please prove our anxiety wrong. P.S. Jane Austen would’ve had the best Letterboxd and GoodReads account.

[@L.K.Rydens]

Directors take notes! This ⬆️ You summed it up perfectly, Ellie! 😍💕

[@madeline4626]

Couldn't have said it better!❤ I wish this video could be shown to all producers and directors

[@ashleigh6689]

You should be an Austen consultant on these productions 🤩

[@takethree5071]

Good points Ellie. I liked how the Emma Thompson S&S elaborated on Edward and made him likable. In the book he really has no personality and we can't see Eleanor's attachment to him. Hugh Grant isn't really Edward Ferrars but he's not inconsistent and is more adorable

[@Megduarte]

When I watch a period drama or movie I look for historical accuracy. Meaning accurate clothes, thank you very much!! 😂

[@lipingrahman6648]

I’d do an animated miniseries, probably in the style of studio Ghibli. It would allow for the characters to look exactly like as they are described, the locations exactly as they are intended, the clothing as they were, and it allows for a budget to really go far. Some may not like it but I think it would bring something new and refreshing to Jane Austin. Of note, Jane Austin is not history, it’s very much the lived experience of my mother, aunts, and grandmother. It was so easy to explain pride and prejudice to my family.

[@L.Spencer]

"Where's the drunk bunny moment?" 😂 Perhaps your best video yet! I need to watch that Victorian video again, too.

[@zuzanka1981]

IMO "Respect the fandom" is redundant. It's the main motto of the most toxic fandoms around (Marvel, DC, Star Wars). If the author and the source material are respected that should be enough for any true fan.

[@kaori17az]

I didn't know anything about Jane Austen adaptations when my teacher assign us to read 500 hundred pages of any books we wanted. I was learning English as a foreign language. I stumbled a small red book in the library. It was Pride and Prejudice (special edition for English language learners). I loved the story so much I finished it in one afternoon. My teacher didn't want to let me do the ensay about it because it had a movie adaptation and he wanted to make sure we really read the books. Fortunately, I convinced him I hadn't watched any movie adaptations. Later on, I wrote and ensay about Jane Austen and read her other books. She is my favorite author since then. I like to think I'm not very picky about her books adaptations but Netflix Pesuasion really disrespected her. It is a very bad movie.

[@annawilhelm9697]

I am one of these fans recruited through the 2005 movie... 😄 It resonated with me and I think the reason beside the dresses and the decoration is exactly what you told: the female perception and the thoughtful criticism. I am d'accord with you, thank you for this insightful video.

[@bethwarn]

I would love to see a multi-season show that weaves each book together. Like Bridgerton, that builds the world and gives each heroine her time in the spotlight. I'd like it to have over-the-top historical accuracy.

[@Pardesland]

And I completely agree with your points here.

[@chaepark8720]

I just found your channel with Mr. Eliot. I loved it! I also think that your last name is Dashwood is AWESOME!

[@lichixar5689]

I would love a video about other authors/books similar to Austen! I have already looked into Fanny Burney and Elizabeth Gaskell(thanks to your videos), but I would love a video where you recommend authors/books that share elements with austen and what they share. I love your content! It really allowed me to truly understand and fall in love with Austen and even reading!

[@jennifercarlin-goldberg1125]

I go through the cycle of forgetting that Netflix’s Persuasion exists, checking it out and bailing out after seeing the drunk, sarcastic Anne in her first scene. Sigh.

[@jeanne5397]

I would love to hear your thoughts on Bollywood's Bride and Prejudice! I really enjoyed watching it, I feel like it captured the essence of the novel and it transposed it very well into its own time period

[@jennifercarlin-goldberg1125]

The adaptation needs to be true to the characters. The story can altered somewhat, especially if it elegantly clarifies historical contexts that we are not normally privy to.

[@gentleeventful]

One of the most important things for me about Jane Austen is there is a depth to her characters,and it needs to be a mini series so that you get to enjoy the characters, described fully. I don't like films. They're too short. Secondly, you're correct. Adding modern feminist remarks are snarky. Full respect for Jane Austen is not adding things from modern times.

[@ushere5791]

amen!

[@MarleneHen]

The characters' personalities are the most important.

[@MandyMae31415]

Netflix should take a leaf from how Muppet Christmas Carol and To Kill a Mockingbird managed to be both excellent films and faithful adaptations of their source materials. Also I had one of those men’s cologne ads placed as you mentioned the lake scene. Well played, KZbin. 😂

[@dominaevillae28]

My problem with the 2005 P&P is that most of the characters & settings are too different from the book to make it a good adaptation, but too close to the book for me to enjoy it as a movie.

[@L.Spencer]

I remember watching it in the theater and it felt sort of surreal. Nothing compared to Little Women (2019), though.

[@annemarie1323]

I think you need to write the next Persuasion adaptation.

[@MarkTeltscher-l6b]

One of the most important features of any Pride and Prejudice adaptation is showing Darcy's sexual desire for Elizabeth and how subconscious Elizabeths attraction is for Darcy. Sooo Looking forward to what Dolly Aldertons script will be like:)

[@RosyOutlook17]

Something that I appreciate very much in your videos Ellie is that you keep the language very clean with no cuss words a anything like. Very professional and enjoyable to watch:) Keep up the good work!

[@AdrianColley]

One of the interesting things about watching the movie _Fargo_ was to see cultural things that seemed alien to me but which were clearly normal to the characters on screen. For example, two people had a conversation outdoors amid the frozen icy tundra, and one of them observed, casually, "looks like it's going to turn cold tomorrow". My point is that it's possible to depict the history of Regency England in a way which both exhibits its strangeness to modern audiences and depicts the characters being thoroughly used to it.

[@nightreader5879]

WWI soldiers read her in the trenches!? I first did after a 9-5 office stint. As for adaptations, looking at you Greer Garson, PP 1940-does it not feel like the cast was in on the joke, a collective wink at the absurdities of the production? Olivier’s flamboyant edge (think bored gay pirate, tired of being cast as the brooding literary hero in Wuthering Heights and Rebecca-please, no more book-to-film adaptations) and Garson’s determined radiance, with her lower-lip-bite smile, suppressing laughter at the follies of both humanity and the production, as she powers through, determined to cement her rising Hollywood stardom in just her second major film role. And the costumes! Decades out of Austen’s era-was this early sci-fi time-travel Austen? Or just a budget-friendly decision because the 1840s? costumes were already on the rack? Does anyone care? It all lends the film a (perhaps unintended?) campiness that makes it oddly endearing-and oddly Austen-esque in its resilience. Somehow, Austen’s work often resonates through any adaptation. As irony was her go-to literary device, it seems fitting that most adaptations have plenty of it, whether intentionally or not. (I’ll have to look for the drunk rabbit in Netflix’s Persuasion.) And didn’t Emma Thompson turn down the chance to novelize her version of Sense and Sensibility? If she had, it would surely be on my bookshelf now-Edward and his pirate talk and all. (Not so absurd, considering Austen had brothers in the Navy.) In my Pride and Prejudice screenplay, Darcy will fence and Elizabeth will shoot arrows. A Galaxy Quest-style mashup of Austen adaptations could be fun-finding the most ironic or absurd bits from each film. What would we call it? “Pride, Prejudice and Persuasion in Purgatory?”. I like to think Austen herself would have found something to amuse her in these adaptations. (An ironic note: my swipe-spelling keyboard just substituted abuse for amuse. Either way….) And Ellie, thank you for exercising your rapier wit on on this most excellent KZbin video.

[@dlasta]

The biggest problem with romantic movies made now is that most makers think it's not fancy or intellectual. So they make movies that show it because surely women will watch *anything*, why make an effort? Hiring somebody famous will do the trick! With Austen it just shows off worse than normal because the material is so smart and layered.

[@AM-cg2sg]

Thank you! Totally agree with your suggestions. I also have a question about the 95 and 05 adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, primarily about the costumes and residence of the Bennet family. Which one is closer to the fact of the Regency era of a family of their socio-economics? The 05 was a turn-off to me! Disheveled young ladies, animals all over the place, etc., etc., and then the stale residence of Darcy...and even the latest version of Emma, which was beautiful but still looked like a theatre set. Would love to know if they lived like that! Thanks.

[@vlastasimpson9998]

My pick would be Paul Mescal. He just fell in love with horse riding (stunning in Regency settings) and his inner turmoil made him a star in Normal People = perfect Darcy ✨

[@andeeanko7079]

Brilliant video! ❤

[@Lynntahl]

Love! 🩷

[@anieth]

Growing up in Mormon country, you should know. My sister knew a girl who wanted to be a doctor and her family wouldn't let her because she wasn't "ugly" enough to have a profession. I told my son that we couldn't pierce our ears or wear pants, etc., when I was young and he said I grew up on the moon! Times change!

[@jenniferhanses]

Well, if I was going to adapt Jane Austin and particularly Pride & Prejudice, I'd make it a miniseries rather than a movie (which Netflix has the power to do). This is WHY the best adaptation of Jane Austin is and possibly always will be, the 1995 BBC/A&E mini series. You're not going to top it for hitting all the beats, having an excellent cast, and having the right scenery in the right quantities. Honestly, I'd say do any other book besides Pride & Prejudice because the rest of them haven't had that definitive take yet.

[@justwritenaomi4792]

What do you think of the Lost in Austen? I have seen at least 4 P&P, 2 adaptations (1995&2005) and 2 inspired by. I must say despite the vastly different takes on Darcy, he is always a compelling character. What do you think could be behind this ultimately? What makes Darcy, Darcy?

[@kellyobrien189]

Great insights! Thanks for sharing!

[@ushere5791]

i agree with you re going deeper in our respect for jane austen as a brilliant philosopher and keen observer of people. some jackass out there is making adaptations of jane austen's work, calling himself the "jane austen whisperer," as if he can channel her dialog, but he's making everything about sex and the men all being horny and the women all being stupid. so yes--a little more and a lot deeper respect for jane austen would be greatly appreciated!

[@EllieDashwood]

Oh no! That sounds awful. 🙈

[@ushere5791]

@@EllieDashwood i know!! it's insulting--to men, women, and austen fans!

[@faithful2thecall]

That is a good looking bed in the ad, I have to acknowledge. When it comes to adapting Jane Austen being true to the story and characters is essential, with efforts made to be at least reasonably historically accurate for the period. Austen was a master of understanding human nature. I wouldn't want any huge stars cast, as viewers would come in with preconceived notions of those actors/actresses and that is apt to color their perceptions of the adaptation. I've heard Andrew Davies talk in an interview about some of the things he's added to the Jane Austen adaptations he's written (most notably the 1995 Pride & Prejudice), and he noted that Austen had a rule for herself that she didn't follow the men when the ladies weren't present so most of the little additions he makes are for the men doing manly things (hunting, shooting, chopping wood, etc.). Which often gives the viewers a little insight into their emotional state, as they're often trying to deal with their emotions for the ladies during those little added scenes. So you're saying Andrew Lloyd Webber Disneyfied "Phantom of the Opera?" 😯 People writing musicals never take dramatic liberties with the source material...I'm looking at you "Jesus Christ Superstar." 😂

[@TracieCarnes]

Love your videos! Such a P&P fan. Have to have accurate dialog from the book. Gorgeous manor houses and costumes are easy. Even the best casting will fail if what comes out of their mouths isn't right. The awful new Persuasion proved that!!

[@christinaketabchi9197]

The 2005 cinematography was an amazing aspect of the film

[@veronicaleighauthor]

Another great video! When it comes to adaptations, I always prefer a miniseries over a movie. In a miniseries, we have time to explore plotlines, character arcs, and better understand the social commentary. For me, a movie which is only a couple hours long, isn't enough to truly capture the book. With that being said, I'm dreading the rumored Netflix P&P adaptation. ::sighs::

[@edibray8007]

Thank you for your insights! I'd love to hear your opinion on the 1983 rendition of Mansfield Park with Sylvestra Le Touzel (which, by the way, I love)

[@l.rhymes606]

i love it

[@hanng1242]

It's an excellent adaptation.

[@angierodriguez4729]

You and I did the opposite in regards to The Phantom of the Opera, I read the book for the first time two years ago and loved it so much, it is such a funny, ridiculous and exciting story. I watched the movie afterwards for the first time and it was very underwhelming to say the least (it doesn’t help that I don’t love musicals that much either) I understood why the movie was so famous but it is so mediocre compared to the book, and yes, the phantom is incredible creepy, like peak “I’m a nice guy why don’t you give me a chance” type of creepy so I cringe so much when people say they wanted him to win the girl at the end 💀💀

[@finnjones9979]

A movie isn't enough to do it justice. Definitely needs to be another 6 part series. The casting of the main characters is vital....as much as I love Kiera Knightly, she is not Lizzie!!

[@hungryewok1684]

As a big Star Wars fan from the age of 1. And seeing the direction Star Wars has taken I am a bit cynical about ALL new adaptations

[@Bee-yj4uq]

Ellie, is there any way you can tweak this set up to bring the props closer to you so that the shots can be closer? Every time I see your videos in this setup it always strikes me that the farther out shots that are showing the full setup make you seem so distant.

[@Pardesland]

First thing first: You must have *Colin Firth* as Mr. D'arcy. Otherwise, it's just not it. And he has to be in the right age, which of course means that *the 1995 version shall forEVER and EVER be the Best one for it.* 😍😍😍😍 (Well, this one's True for various other reasons, too. The high fidelity to the Book itself prominent among these. 😍😍)

[@JuanitaJones-cn7lx]

Colin Firth is now in his early 60s. Seriously?

[@Pardesland]

@JuanitaJones-cn7lx That's what I said: it cannot be accomplished ever again... thus the 1995 version, shall *remain* the *Best* adaptation, forever and ever. 😃

[@juliarose9240]

If I made the perfect adaptation I would make it exactly word for word the same as the book and into a very long series 😊

[@zbr76]

Pride and Prejudice has 61 chapters. So if I was to adapt it, I'd boil down the important points of each chapter in 2 minutes of film - which would make a theoretical movie a tad over 2 hours. And this is off-topic, but Ellie looks lovely in this video.

[@ВячеславКуц-73]

They change narration and add things not because they know how to make a movie in a right way, but because they don't know how to be precise. They do know how to make a good adaptation but not a beautiful picturization. For doing such a great job, it would require lots of time and money which is a problem and also qualified advice from people like you passionate and enthusiastic, which is not a problem if there is a real will (i mean of course, on their part).

[@qienna6677]

I realise it's straying a little out of your wheelhouse, but could you pretty please do a video talking about Little Women, particularly the part/s where Meg is with her wealthier friends? I'm sure there's a lot I don't understand in there that you do, in terms of high society.

[@sweetsyerra]

It needs to be a full season. Not 6 episodes. Not a two-hour crash course. We need to savor everything. Stretch it out! And be more careful on the timelines on how things happen. They messed up the timeline when Jane goes to London if you keep track of the letters and the dates in the 1995 version. (Nowadays the Lydia/Wickham story is creepy, considering her age.) Perhaps more of Charlotte & Mr. Collins.

[@felicityd9824]

Very smart.

[@megdelaney3677]

❤️‍🔥Is there any time you might do a video (or more) about Wuthering Heights? My favorite version is the 2009 mini-series with Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley.

[@Mai2727]

My problem with 2005 is the change to the relationship. Shy Darcy is not the most accurate but I can deal with it, my problem is the they tried to add the modern love-hate argument/almost kiss.

[@mrs.manrique7411]

Pride and Prejudice…the main theme is forgiveness and laughter (kingliness). That’s why Elizabeth was asked if she needed a special license! 😂

[@mrs.manrique7411]

Persuasion…the main theme is Venus. Mirrors and a cockle shell ship and the sea where Venus was born and couples upon couples upon couples and motherhood and beauty and blushing and orchards and nuts and blooming…and hopping over a wall to steal fruit from a tree that the lawyer recalls.

[@mrs.manrique7411]

Sense and Sensibility…Saturn. Death, time, wealthy silly elders, elder sisters, youngers are wiser than elders, the flip between older and younger, mulberry tree, sitting in chairs, grey, distances…

[@mrs.manrique7411]

Emma…the moon. Artemis, singleness (I shall NEVER marry!), wilderness/countryside (over and against the city and city people), constant references to string, bows and arrows (string of her shoe, strings given to children to play, arrowroot, the thought shot through her like an arrow), circular/crescent shapes, pregnancy (the roundness was compared to the moon), paleness, snow, wetness, misunderstandings, seeing and not seeing, reflections (children named after their aunt and uncle), black and white (dichotomies and piano keys), shepherds (pastors/Churchill), deer (Hartfield means deer field), being the first woman in prominence (Mrs. Elton always loves to take precedence!), Selena (Mrs. Elton’s cousin’s name), Luna (are you mad Emma?), dreams, honeymoon on the sea (tides), green (like the Spruce beer Knightly and Emma love so much - it is a green beer, often brewed at home, in the countryside/wilderness!) or green like jealousy, “Emma” is one letter of the alphabet “M”…for Moon, Emma Woodhouse, house made out of wood from the woods…where Artemis lives. Agh, I could go on. Kate Beckinsale’s portrayal is the closest to this theme I’ve ever seen!

[@mrs.manrique7411]

Anyway, ignore me. These are the adaptation creative choice I want to see being made. 😍😍 There’s so many visual options!

[@a24-45]

@@mrs.manrique7411 so interesting! I never thought of the stories this way. I do love it when filmmakers add in visual elements which support and actually deepen our understanding.

[@massagebyconstance5665]

I saw the trailer for that Netflix show and knew I would never watch it. Persuasion is my favorite JA book.........ANN ELLIOT IS DRUNK?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 I knew it was bad but OMG

[@JuanitaJones-cn7lx]

I also saw the trailer for "Persuasion". I almost skipped the movie. I'm glad I didn't in the end. I rather enjoyed it.

[@user-xp9ry8yh9z]

I love the 95 version. The only thing I would change is the age of the actors. I thought everyone looked too old for the parts they were playing.

[@LedgerAndLace]

"Where's the Drunk Bunny Moment?!" I love your criteria checklist. I think there is a subset of hardcore Anne Elliot/Persuasion fans within the Jane Austen fandom and that's why there was such a visceral reaction against the Netflix version. It had its moments. Sweeping vistas, anyone? But for all those quiet, introverted, yet very strong women who relate to her, Anne Elliot's character was desecrated. Historical accuracy was non-existent. And, as per usual, no bonnets! Your videos should be required watching for anyone doing an adaptation. 🙂

[@everausten]

A good Austen adaptation for me, would hone in on the zero sum game of social strategy and sacrosanct rules underpinning the personal integrity of the characters ✨

[@Canuovea]

The Netflix Persuasion film did a good job of bringing up some of the drama of the side characters, bringing through that Austen snark, but obviously just couldn't manage the main characters properly. It's a shame, but I think some of that snark and drama might need highlighting in a modern adaptation. Austen is great at making a reader detest a sort of... banal evil. I swear, Mrs. Norris had me wanting to defenstrate her! But I think sometimes that doesn't come through so well when played too subtly? I dunno. Make those micro-aggressions just a bit more obvious. I think that's what was successful about the Netflix Persuasion, but only for a few characters. And for a while I thought that Persuasion was doomed to never have a good adaptation... but then I saw the, when was it? 1996 one? It's actually reasonably good! If a bit starey.

[@dominaevillae28]

@Canuovea I love the 1996 Persuasion, but I have a few issues with it. -Elizabeth is supposed to be beautiful with beautiful manners but she shouts and slouches. -Mrs. Clay is also supposed to be beautiful but she is presented as very plain. -Mr. Elliot is broke. He’s supposed to be the wealthy heir who can’t be bothered to due his duty to his friend’s widow. I feel like they could have fit this in.

[@dottiewi661]

@@dominaevillae28yes, I don’t understand why they made Mr. Elliot lose all his wealth.

[@jfess1911]

There is a large range of "adaptations", ranging from word-for-word reproduction to merely "inspired by". Many film/video adaptations feel the need to increase the drama levels somewhat. Some of this is related to time: Lizzie's view of Darcy changes slowly in the book, and some is because movies are visual and need to SHOW things happening. Narration or inner dialogue seldom has the same impact.* A good example of this is in Sense and Sensibility with Col Brandon and Marianne. I was surprised when I finally read the book and found myself a bit underwhelmed with this romance. The 1995 movie, however, had the dramatic scene with Brandon carrying Marianne through the rain (in the book, she just wandered back and got sick). Upon reading the book, this was my "where is the rabbit?" *Having just rewatched the 1966 Grinch cartoon, I initially thought that might prove an exception, with the narration "...the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day", but realized that it was accompanied by a visual of the heart growing. So....never mind.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

15:19 Andrew Davies may have done well with ‘Pride and Prejudice’ but he was the wrong choice for ‘A Suitable Boy’.

[@EllieDashwood]

Ooo. I haven't seen that one!

[@aliplay5]

shocked you didnt mention the latest Emma movie

[@debbygonzalez892]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Jane Austen cannot be improved upon..... So one should not attempt it. They should just follow the book exactly. Would a mini series be so bad? Just so the whole book could be included. I appreciate your insights Ellie. Keep up the good work.

[@kathrynhanson3317]

I realize that this will not be a popular opinion. I liked the Netflix "Persuasion". Frankly, it made me laugh. I simply thought of it as inspired by Persuasion, not as an actual adaptation. Do realize I am a total Austen fangirl. Who when in Britain made a special daytrip to Winchester Cathedral to lay flowers.

[@EllieDashwood]

That’s awesome that you like it! I’m sure the makers and cast put in a lot of hard work on it.

[@erldagerl9826]

The perfect film set in the Regency era would acknowledge that people were only on a first-name basis with their most intimate loved ones. Sisters could call each other by their names. If a man calls a woman he’s not married to by her name, he has insulted her. Heck, even Mr & Mrs Benet don’t call each other by their first names!

[@shirley244]

Are you familiar with another author (Jane Eastbourne) who wrote Hamerston Hall---a book somewhat like JA's novels?

[@andythain3923]

Agree with most of your comments Ellie but my advice to Netflix....please just don't or employ Andrew Davis as the screen writer.