Emma Online

Romola Garai Michael Gambon Jonny Lee Miller

Original Title :: Emma
Genre :: TV Series / Comedy / Drama / Romance
Cast :: Romola Garai,Michael Gambon,Jonny Lee Miller
Type :: TV Series
Time :: 4h
Rating :: 8.1/10

Emma Online

Emma Woodhouse seems to be perfectly content, to have a loving father whom she cares for, friends and a home. But Emma has a terrible habit - matchmaking. She cannot resist finding suitors for her friends, most of all Harriet Smith. Emma is desperate for Harriet to find happiness, but every suitor she finds for her friend ends up attracted to Emma herself. But is Emma so focused on Harriet's happiness that she is not considering her own happiness in love?

Series cast summary:
	Romola Garai	-	Emma 4 episodes, 2009

	Michael Gambon	-	Mr. Woodhouse 4 episodes, 2009

	Jonny Lee Miller	-	Mr. Knightley 4 episodes, 2009

	Jodhi May	-	Anne Weston / - 4 episodes, 2009

	Robert Bathurst	-	Mr. Weston 4 episodes, 2009

	Louise Dylan	-	Harriet Smith 4 episodes, 2009

	Blake Ritson	-	Mr. Elton 4 episodes, 2009

	Tamsin Greig	-	Miss Bates 4 episodes, 2009

	Valerie Lilley	-	Mrs. Bates 4 episodes, 2009

	Dan Fredenburgh	-	John Knightley 4 episodes, 2009

	Poppy Miller	-	Isabella Knightley 4 episodes, 2009

	Laura Pyper	-	Jane Fairfax 3 episodes, 2009

	Rupert Evans	-	Frank Churchill 3 episodes, 2009

	Jamie Glover	-	Henry Knightley 3 episodes, 2009

	Joshua Jones	-	James Knightley 3 episodes, 2009

	Jefferson Hall	-	Robert Martin 3 episodes, 2009

	Veronica Roberts	-	Mrs. Goddard 3 episodes, 2009

	Christina Cole	-	Augusta Elton / - 2 episodes, 2009

	Liza Sadovy	-	Mrs. Cole 2 episodes, 2009

	Eileen O'Higgins	-	Miss Martin 1 2 episodes, 2009

	Sarah Ovens	-	Miss Martin 2 2 episodes, 2009

In 1995, BBC had already commissioned Sandy Welch to write the script for an 'Emma' miniseries. However, since Miramax and also Meridien were producing their own films for both cinema and TV respectively, the BBC cancelled its own project and now more than 10 years later, the production has been revived.

Jonny Lee Miller and Blake Ritson both played Edmund Bertram in adaptations of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park.

The cake served at Mr. and Mrs. Weston's wedding was created using the "Cathedral bundt pan" manufactured by Nordicware®.

Robert Bathurst previously played Mr. Weston in BBC Radio 4's 2001 adaptation of "Emma".

The off-white striped dress worn by one of Mrs. Goddard's students when Emma first notices Harriet Smith is the same costume Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet) wears to Pemberley in Uhkus ja eelarvamus (2005).

The dark Spencer worn by Louise Dylan (Harriet Smith) to visit the poor is the same costume Lucy Scott wears in Pride and Prejudice (1995).

The purple coat Jodhi May (Mrs. Weston) wears on market day in Highbury is the same costume Hattie Morahan (Elinor Dashwood) wears when she arrives at Barton Cottage in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The lilac colored floral wrap dress Jodhi May (Anne Taylor/Weston) wears at Hartfield is the same costume worn by Denise Black (Mrs.Brocklebank) in To the Ends of the Earth (2005), and Alex Kingston (Mrs.Bennet) in Lost in Austen (2008).

The black velvet striped day dress worn by Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) is the same costume worn by Anna Chancellor (Caroline Bingley) at Netherfield Hall in Pride and Prejudice (1995), by Janine Duvitski (Mrs. Bute Crawley) when Becky and Rawdon return to Queen's Crawley in Vanity Fair (1998), and by Lindsay Duncan (Lady Catherine) at Longbourn in Lost in Austen (2008). The same costume is also worn by an extra in a London street scene in Little Dorrit (2008).

The pale green gown with pink trim Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) wears at dinner is the same gown Frances Grey (Amelia Sedley) wears in Vanity Fair (1998), and Paula Jennings (Zenobia) wears for Sunday services in To the Ends of the Earth (2005).

The blue floral waistcoat Jonny Lee Miller (Mr.Knightley) wears at the Coles' party is the same costume worn by Joseph Beattie (Henry Crawford) in Mansfield Park (2007).

The pink and white turban Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) wears to the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by Victoria Hamilton (Mrs. Forster) to the Bennet's farewell dinner for the militia in Pride and Prejudice (1995).

The green and beige patterned waistcoat worn by Jonny Lee Miller (Mr. Knightley) at Donwell Abbey for the strawberry-picking party is the same costume worn by Benjamin Whitrow (Mr. Bennet) at Longbourn in Pride and Prejudice (1995), by Mark Foxsmith in The Regency House Party (2004), and by James McAvoy (Tom Lefroy) to Lady Gresham's ball in Jane Austeni tõrjutud tunded (2007). The costume is also worn by Hugh Laurie (Mr. Palmer) at the London ball in Mõistus ja tunded (1995).

The pale blue gown with dark blue patterned bodice worn by Laura Pyper (Jane Fairfax) at Hartfield is the same costume worn by Polly Walker (Jane Fairfax) at Randalls in Emma (1996), and by a guest at the Count's gala in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).

Christina Cole also plays Caroline Bingley in 'Lost in Austen'.

A piano forte was delivered to Jane Fairfax by an anonymous source. Romola Garai's (Emma) character in the film Vanity Fair also received a piano forte from an anonymous source.

The floral print dress worn by Romola Garai (Emma) to Miss Taylor's wedding is the same costume worn by Dagmara Dominczyk (Mercedès Iguanada) for Edmond's homecoming at the beginning of The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).

The purple day dress worn by Valerie Lilley (Mrs. Bates) at Hartfield is the same costume Maggie O'Neill (Mrs. Norris) wears in Mansfield Park (2007).

The tan Spencer Jodhi May (Anne Taylor/Weston) wears walking in the garden with Mr. Knightley is the same costume worn by Natasha Little (Becky Sharp) at the Sedley's house in Vanity Fair (1998), and by Elizabeth Devonport walking in the garden with Miss Hopkins in The Regency House Party (2004). The costume is also worn by Rosemary Enright in The Regency House Party (2004)

The pale gray pelisse with darker gray velvet lapels worn by Louise Dylan (Harriet Smith) is the same costume worn by Kate Winslet (Marianne Dashwood) in the coach from London in Mõistus ja tunded (1995), and Billie Piper (Fanny Price) in Mansfield Park (2007).

The lilac Spencer Amy Loughton (Miss Campbell) wears in Emma's Weymouth daydream was also worn by Jackie Smith-Wood (Mary Crawford) in Fanny's white attic room in Mansfield Park (1983).

The navy Spencer worn by Laura Pyper (Jane Fairfax) along the cliff in Weymouth during Emma's daydream is the same costume worn by Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price) to the wedding in Lost in Austen (2008).

The yellow Spencer worn by a child in the Highbury Market Day scene is the same costume worn by one of the Gardiner children in Pride and Prejudice (1995).

The blue striped dress with long sleeves Laura Pyper (Jane Fairfax) wears reading a letter is the same costume worn by Gwyneth Paltrow (Emma Woodhouse) at Hartfield in Emma (1996), by a guest at the Towers in the opening scene of Wives and Daughters (1999), and by Mali Harries (Ann Rood) for her wedding in Byron (2003). The same costume is also worn by one of the maids at Chawton Cottage in Miss Austen Regrets (2008).

The off-white dress with floral embroidery on the bodice worn by Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) for her big entrance in church is the same costume worn by Cesca Martin in The Regency House Party (2004) during her "engagement," and by Natasha Little (Becky Sharp) at Park Lane in Vanity Fair (1998).

The dark velvet Spencer with white frog closures worn by Romola Garai (Emma Woodhouse) in church when Mrs. Elton enters is the same costume worn by Natasha Little (Becky Sharp) at Queen's Crawley after Sir Pitt's death in Vanity Fair (1998), and by Sarah Carpenter (Lady Harriet) while reading George Warleggan's letter in Poldark (1996).

The pink Spencer worn by Louise Dylan (Harriet Smith) to Miss Bates' to see Jane Fairfax's pianoforte is the same costume worn by Frances Grey (Amelia Sedley) for her departure from Miss Pinkerton's school in Vanity Fair (1998).

The bright pink gown with scalloped lapels worn by Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) on her first visit to Hartfield is the same costume worn in Pride and Prejudice (1995) by Emilia Fox (Georgiana Darcy) during the dream sequence depicting Caroline Bingley's desire, as expressed in a letter to Jane Bennet, that Georgiana will marry her brother, Charles Bingley.

The pink plaid dress Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) wears walking while discussing the strawberry picking party is the same costume Tanya Samuel wears to breakfast in The Regency House Party (2004).

The floppy mesh bonnet worn by Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) to church is the same costume worn by Emily Blunt (Victoria) in the garden in The Young Victoria (2009), by Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet) in Meryton when she learns Mr. Bingley has returned to Netherfield in Uhkus ja eelarvamus (2005), by Catherine Walker (Eleanor Tilney) in the garden with Catherine in Northanger Abbey (2007), and by Jessica Ashworth (Lucy Lefroy) to church in Jane Austeni tõrjutud tunded (2007).

The bright pink gown with blue stripes on the sleeves worn by Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) walking in the garden with Jane Fairfax is the same costume worn by Paula Jennings (Zenobia) on deck in To the Ends of the Earth (2005).

The gold dress with yellow overdress worn by a dancer at the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by Sheila Gish (Mrs. Norris) when Tom returns home in Mansfield Park (1999), and by Janine Duvitski (Mrs. Meagles) in the final scene in Little Dorrit (2008).

The green silk gown with white buttons on the bodice worn by a dancer at the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by Gwyneth Paltrow (Emma Woodhouse) when she meets Mrs. Elton in Emma (1996), and by Tanya Samuel while watching the velocipede race in The Regency House Party (2004).

The yellow Spencer with pink trim worn by Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) for her grand entrance in church is the same costume worn by Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown) in Doctor Who: The Mark of the Rani: Part One (1985).

The bonnet worn by Laura Pyper (Jane Fairfax) to the Box Hill picnic is the same costume worn by Gemma Arterton (Elizabeth Bennet) in Lost in Austen (2008).

The white bonnet worn by Louise Dylan (Harriet Smith) to her wedding is the same costume worn by the bride in the first wedding in Miss Austen Regrets (2008).

The patterned burgundy dress worn by Poppy Miller (Isabella Knightley) in London is the same costume worn by Linda Bassett (Mrs. Jennings) in London in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The brick-red print day dress worn by Veronica Roberts (Mrs. Goddard) when Emma comes for tea is the same costume worn by Marlene Sidaway (Mrs. Hill) at Longbourn in Pride and Prejudice (1995), and by the maid at Barton Park in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The burgundy silk gown and over-gown worn by a guest at the Cole's dinner party is the same costume worn by Linda Bassett (Mrs. Jennings) at Cleveland in Sense & Sensibility (2008)

The copper print silk gown worn by Jodhi May (Mrs. Weston) to dinner at Hartfield is the same costume worn by Alison Steadman (Mrs. Bennet) at Longbourn in Pride and Prejudice (1995).

The ivory gown with white floral-striped over-gown worn by a guest at the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by Joanna David (Mrs. Gardiner) at Longbourn in Pride and Prejudice (1995).

The burgundy velvet Spencer worn by Eileen O'Higgins (Miss Martin #1) to Harriet's wedding is the same costume worn by Lisa Braund in The Regency House Party (2004), and by Anna Madeley (Lucy Steele) at Barton Park in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The red and gold gown and turban worn by Liza Sadovy (Mrs. Cole) for her party is the same costume worn by Denise Black (Mrs. Brocklebank) for the ball on deck in To the Ends of the Earth (2005).

The brown print dress worn by Mrs. Goddard's maid when Emma visits Harriet while she's ill is the same costume worn by Mrs. Rogers' maid in The Regency House Party (2004), and by Vanessa Pike (Mrs. Pike) during the Sunday service in To the Ends of the Earth (2005).

The pink silk Spencer Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) wears when she learns about the trip to Box Hill is the same costume worn by Frances Grey (Amelia Sedley) to Vauxhall Gardens in Vanity Fair (1998).

The gray gown with gold bow print worn by Tamsin Greig (Miss Bates) to Miss Taylor's wedding is the same costume worn by Anna Massey (Aunt Norris) in Mansfield Park (1983), Phyllida Law (Mrs. Bates) in Emma (1996), Lindsay Duncan (Mrs. Price) when Fanny leaves home in Mansfield Park (1999), Janine Duvitski (Mrs. Meagles) in Little Dorrit (2008), and Linda Bassett (Mrs. Jennings) in London in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The red floral print gown worn by Sarah Ovens (Miss Martin #2) while hugging Harriet is the same costume worn by Barbara Flynn (Mrs. Mason) to the wedding in Hornblower: Duty (2003), and by Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price) to the wedding in Lost in Austen (2008).

The wine colored floral dress Eileen O'Higgins (Miss Martin #1) wears hugging Harriet is the same costume worn by Kate Winslet (Marianne Dashwood) for the Dashwoods' arrival at Barton Cottage in Mõistus ja tunded (1995), by Cesca Martin for her arrival at Kentchurch Court in The Regency House Party (2004), and by an extra at the Meryton Assembly Ball in Uhkus ja eelarvamus (2005).

The red plaid Spencer worn by an extra in the Highbury Market Day scene is the same costume worn by Toni Collette (Harriet Smith) to Ford's in the rain in Emma (1996).

The pale purple gown with floral print worn by one of Mrs. Goddard's students when Emma first notices Harriet Smith is the same costume worn by Gillian Kearney (Jane Austen) in The Real Jane Austen (2002), and Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price) at Longbourn in Lost in Austen (2008).

The gold v-neckline gown with brown trim worn by a dancer at the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by Susannah Harker (Jane Bennet) to the Meryton Assembly Ball in Pride and Prejudice (1995), by Samantha Bond (Mrs. Weston) when Emma sings with Frank at Randalls in Emma (1996), by a guest at the Easter Ball in Wives and Daughters (1999), and by a dancer in the Pride and Prejudice parody sketch of Mr. Darcy dancing in That Mitchell and Webb Look: Episode #3.3 (2009).

The cream and black plaid gown worn by a dancer at the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by a guest at the masked ball in St. Ives (1998), and by Julia Davis (Elizabeth Elliot) at Kellynch Hall in Persuasion (2007).

The green and brown silk gown worn by Jodhi May (Mrs. Weston) to the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by Helen McCrory (Valentina Villefort) to Albert's party in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), by Natasha Little (Augusta Leigh) when Byron escorts her to the ball in Byron (2003), and by Victoria Hopkins on the lawn with Lisa Braund in The Regency House Party (2004).

The dark green and gold gown Liza Sadovy (Mrs. Cole) wears to the Crown Ball is the same costume Rosie Hammond wears to dinner in The Regency House Party (2004), and Cheryl Campbell (Lady Somerset) wears to the ball on deck in To the Ends of the Earth (2005).

The midnight blue gown with black trim worn by Poppy Miller (Isabella Knightley) to dinner at Hartfield is the same costume worn by Cheryl Campbell (Lady Somerset) to dinner in To the Ends of the Earth (2005).

The white dress with pale blue floral garland print worn by Louise Dylan (Harriet Smith) to her first dinner at Hartfield is the same costume worn by Lisa Braund in The Regency House Party (2004).

The pale pink velvet Spencer with gathers at the wrist worn by Sarah Ovens (Miss Martin #2) to Harriet's wedding is the same costume worn by Justine Waddell (Julia Bertram) in Mansfield Park (1999), and by Rosamund Stephen (Henrietta Musgrove) in Persuasion (2007).

The mauve striped day dress worn by Pauline Stone (Mrs. Martin) to Harriet's wedding is the same costume worn by Anna Massey (Mrs. Norris) in Mansfield Park (1983), by Samantha Bond (Mrs. Weston) walking with Emma in Emma (1996), and by one of Miss Crawley's maids at Park Lane in the street in Vanity Fair (1998).

The pale pink gown with embroidered trim worn by Louise Dylan (Harriet Smith) when she confesses her admiration of Mr. Knightley to Emma is the same costume worn by Daisy Haggard (Anne Steele) sewing at Fanny Dashwood's London house in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The blue and white pinstripe dress worn by Laura Pyper (Jane Fairfax) to Donwell to pick strawberries is the same costume worn by Gwyneth Paltrow (Emma Woodhouse) writing in her journal under the tent in Emma (1996), by Lisa Braund in The Regency House Party (2004), and by one of the maids to the festival celebration in by Lisa Braund in The Regency House Party (2004).

The blue gown with long sleeves Laura Pyper (Jane Fairfax) wears when she is introduced to Harriet is the same costume worn by Hayley Conick in The Regency House Party (2004).

The tan coat worn by Tamsin Greig (Miss Bates) when she thanks Emma for the pork is the same costume worn by Maisie Dimbleby (Mrs. Smith) walking in the street in Bath in Persuasion (2007).

The mustard pelisse Jodhi May (Anne Weston) wears in church during Mrs. Elton's grand entrance is the same costume more by Natasha Little (Becky Sharp) when she leaves Miss Pinkerton's school in Vanity Fair (1998), by Caroline Martin (Claire Clairmont) in Byron (2003), and by Linda Bassett (Mrs. Jennings) in the street in London in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The bronze gown Jodhi May (Mrs. Weston) wears for Christmas dinner is the same costume worn by Claire Skinner (Fanny Dashwood) wears to dinner in London with Mrs. Ferrars in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The sheer brown gown with gold-trimmed neckline worn by a dancer at the Crown Inn ball is the same costume worn by Eleanor Bron (Lady Bareacres) at the Duchess of Richmond's Ball in Vanity Fair (1998).

The red and blue striped waistcoat worn by Robert Bathurst (Mr. Weston) is the same costume worn by Anthony Green (Sir Andrew Ffoulkes) in _The Scarlet Pimpernel Meets Madame Guillotine (1999) (TV)_ (QV), and by Anthony Green (Sir Andrew Ffoulkes) again in _The Scarlet Pimpernel and the Kidnapped King (1999) (TV)_.

The aquamarine silk gown worn to dinner by Poppy Miller (Isabella Knightley) is the same costume worn by a dancer at the London ball in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

The pink gown with ivory trim worn by Christina Cole (Mrs. Elton) to the Crown Ball is the same costume worn by Cécile Pallas (Mathilde) as a negligee in St. Ives (1998), by a guest at a London ball in Byron (2003), and by Anna Madeley (Lucy Steele) to the London Ball in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

User reviews

Hi_Jacker

There is a clichéd version of Period and Regency characters which grew up in the 1920's and 1930's fostered by UK and US film studios with straight backs, ironed crinolines, stiff upper lips and emotionally strangled dialogue from which a number of recent adaptations have dared to depart.

Sometimes, as in the case of 1999 Mansfield Park, adapters and cast have departed for the hills and created something so far off Austen's wavelength that it might be a prequel for the Pirates of The Caribbean franchise. Enjoyable perhaps. But not MP.

That's not what we have here. What we have here is something that is entirely on Austen's wavelength, with characters behaving as her characters would and saying the sorts of things her characters say. Something which is faithful to the purpose and meaning of the book, which aims to get the characters Jane Austen wrote onto the screen where we can see, recognise and enjoy them. This series is triumphantly successful at doing just that, partly owing to the care that has been taken with the script and partly due to the outstanding performances of the leads.

It built on a wonderfully realistic foundation of what love, loss and family all mean. If it did, perhaps, labour the point a bit at the beginning, there were superb contrasts between where Emma's life was full and empty. Her lack of self knowledge, her yearning for companions and challenges worthy of her sense and intelligence clearly illustrated the traps she made for herself.

And whilst we follow the progression of their relationship from Knightley's point of view more than the book warrants, Emma's bursting discovery of her love for him is actually dramatised here just as Austen wrote it, not watered down by injections of artificial chemistry between the lead actors.

I think there are lots of people who could turn out an Emma adaptation like the two films from the 90's. This version set itself the much harder task of adapting the book (as Clueless did) rather than just animating selected bits and stringing them together. And it succeeds. The reason Garai's Emma is different to all the others is that Garai is playing the character Jane Austen wrote and Sandy Welch, as she did with Jane Eyre, got her onto the screen by dramatically recreating her rather than transposing her dialogue into a screenplay.

There are, of course, unnecessary departures from the canon. Perhaps it is highly unlikely that Emma would have allowed Knightley to kiss her within sight of the house, or that Knightley would have forgotten himself that far either. However, were they sure of being unobserved, I think Emma and Frank would have been perfectly capable of shocking even modern dowagers with a passion that is written carefully into the novel but seldom gets up onto the screen. If I was servant at Hartfield, I'd be very careful to make them aware of my presence outside the bedroom door before taking their morning tea in.

I had my reservations about this adaptation at first but having watched it more times than I now care to admit, I cannot now name a better Austen adaptation. I think the unusual start was a gamble designed to illustrate the insecurity of early 19C family life to newcomers and wilfully detach dedicated Austen fans from their comfort zone from the opening seconds, both of which worked triumphantly. It instantly drew parallels between the lives of Emma, Jane and Frank (and, more subtly, Harriet) which are at the core of the book and completely absent from any other adaptation. A very, very clever trick for which some purists have yet to forgive her. Not this one, however. Once you have adjusted your goggles, this adaptation hits new heights for the whole genre and becomes an unalloyed pleasure.

It's beautifully shot, all the characterisations are incredibly detailed, even minor characters like John Knightley and Mrs Goddard are fully realised and Garai and Miller hit their top notes reliably again and again.

I'm sure Austen would love it.

ᵀᴴᴱ ᴼᴿᴵᴳᴵᴻᴬᴸ

Brilliant! Everything from the acting, the costumes, storyline, and music was just so superbly done. This version of Emma far surpasses its predecessors. Romola, actress staring as Emma, puts Pultrow to shame.

This movie sets itself apart from other versions of Emma. The storyline is very much dictated by the actual book. The actors and actresses really captured the characters in the story; it made all the difference in being able to identify and understand the characters.

Also, the setting and costumes they chose really captured the times. The color palate was sensational.

If you are a true Jane Austen fan, you will love this film. It is a must for your Austen collection!! WELL DONE!!

JoJoshura

With the enduring interest in the novels of Jane Austen, an author eons ahead of her time as far as writing stories that dealt with women's view of the world, it is not unexpected that the film makers repeat versions of these rollicking tales. This may be the fourth or so version of EMMA and for this viewer it is the most successful. A large part of the success of this version of the novel is both the screenplay by Sandy Welch and the direction by Jim O'Hanlon who elect to open the graphic gates of Highbury with a sequence that shares with the audience the background of the diaspora of the children whose parents have died and whose lives will eventually come together as adults. It works very well in setting the scene and the mood of class distinction so prevalent in England of the period.

Emma is brought fully to life by Romola Garai and this role further establishes her as one of the more important character actresses on film. The remainder of the cast is perfectly balanced, with Michael Gambon as Emma's ever needy father, Jonny Lee Miller as the perfect Mr. Knightley, Lousie Dylan as the ditsy Harriet Smith, Tamsin Grieg as the hilariously boring and mouthy Miss Bates, the striking Blake Ritson as the vicar Mr. Elton, talented Laura Pyper as Jane Fairfax, and Jodhi May as the governess turned neighbor Anne Taylor. The ensemble casting is as fine as any of the Austen transitions to the visual and the cinematography and costumes are first class.

The words may not all belong to Jane Austen (Sandy Welch has introduced some very apropos new lines), but the feel of the novel would likely please the author as much as it pleases the audience. The 4 episode BBC production comes in two CDs and the quality of production is superb. In every way, this EMMA is a joy.

Grady Harp

Zbr

I was kind of dreading this, but it is now my favorite Emma adaptation. Much better than either the Paltrow or the Beckinsale version.

Romola Garai was as close to perfect an Emma as I could imagine. Jonny Lee Miller was an excellent Mr. Knightley. I adore Jeremy Northam but really he was almost too dishy to be a credible Knightley. With Northam around how could Emma ever think herself in love with anyone else? With Miller, Knightley became a more credible character -- that pleasant, cultivated, somewhat older man from next door that Emma had known all her life and never realized she loved because she was so used to him.

Michael Gambon was wonderful as Emma's father. He is easy to overplay to comic effect for his idiosyncrasies -- a foolish, fussy hypochondriac. With Gambon, he was more nuanced -- his fear of illness and accident was understandable (people did die of such things a lot in the 18th century, and he had lost his wife in tragic circumstances). He seemed genuinely loving of Emma, not just exploiting her as a dutiful daughter. You could understand why Emma was genuinely fond of him.

The rest of the cast was also excellent and the English countryside never looked so gorgeous.

There were some smallish glitches. I am quite sure, for example, that Frank Churchill would never have sprawled on the ground with his head on Emma's lap, as he did in the Box Hill scene. All Highbury would have been shocked.

Mozel

So far this is proving to be a great series - up there with BBC's Pride and Prejudice. Jonny Lee Miller plays a very good Mr Knightley. He comes across as a slightly softer character than when Mark Strong played Mr. Knightley - but it's done well. The interaction between him and Emma is very enjoyable to watch - I love all the dialogue. I must say, although I like Jonny as an actor, I wasn't sure how he'd come across in this role but he's doing it very well. I will buy this on DVD when it comes out as it's one to keep. It has a very romantic feel to it and the filming is excellent. I love it when they do a great adaption and put the right actors in the right roles. If you haven't seen this - I would highly recommend it.

Arador

not that there's anything the matter at all with the two 1996 versions of Austen's novel or their two Emmas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale, but I think that Romola Garai releases an Emma that's perfect: her obtuseness as far as the hearts of others are concerned is matched perfectly with the special kind of air-headed charm that Garai delivers (so very far from the sensible Cordelia she delivered in Ian McKellen's "King Lear"). Paltrow was beautiful, Beckinsale sweet, but Garai manages an Emma who seems unaffectedly oblivious to her own beauty and sweetness and only strives to do right by others – and fails. This appears to me to be the essence of the character that is the most fallible of Austen's heroines, with the possible exception of Catherine Morland in "Northanger Abbey." But apart from that, the scenes between Garai's Emma and Jonny Lee Miller's Mr. Knightley are electrifying. Especially their argument after Emma has talked Harriet Smith into rejecting Knightley's champion, Robert Martin. Miller's Knightley doesn't just correct Emma with a wish to render her a more blameless person – this Knightley truly enjoys his rows with Emma, without knowing it himself, of course: that clearly comes across.

The fact that the Director O'Hanlon has been extremely aware of every opportunity of non-verbal communication where the camera studiously catches every frown, every half-smile, every twinkling of an eye makes this version a pure delight to watch from beginning to end.

It's lovely.

Love Me

There has been a glut of Austen recently. Since 1995 there have been at least 12 major movie or TV adaptations of her work.

Nonetheless, I was looking forward to this Emma. At four hours, it promised to be the most expansive version of any of her books since the famous 1995 Pride and Prejudice. It started well enough, but over the past four weeks my high hopes slowly ebbed away.

I have still enjoyed it. Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller may not be the definitive Emma and Knightley (probably nobody is) but they are both pretty good and there was definitely a chemistry between them. It generally moves forward at the right pace (neither racing nor crawling) and always looks good. But in the end I felt it was a somewhat lacklustre production and didn't compare too well with the other versions widely available on DVD. Still, it is not without its merits.

With so much time at its disposal, it can give a real sense of the pace at which things happened in Austen's world and it can give more screen time to peripheral figures, like the Westons and John Knightley and his family. As a result, we feel Highbury is a fully functioning community, with a life of its own: not just a backdrop to Emma's own particular concerns. I also liked the way the prologue was used to set up the story and avoid long expository dialogue scenes later on.

But it also has its deficiencies.

Austen is probably best-loved for her romances, but in Emma the romance is somewhat peripheral and only really emerges in the closing chapters. This production tries to make it much more prominent, but can only do this by subtly distorting the method of the book. Rather than seeing events largely through Emma's eyes, so we share in her constant misapprehensions about what is really going on, we get a much more objective viewpoint. For example, we know about Knightley's growing attachment to Emma long before she does - but this weakens the impact of the proposal scene.

Emma may not be especially romantic, but it is funny. In switching the focus of the story, humour is the biggest casualty. Whatever other purposes they serve, Mr Woodhouse, Miss Bates, Harriet Smith and Mrs Elton are comic figures and Austen has furnished each of them with devastatingly accurate and revealing dialogue. Perversely, this production edits out most of the lines that actually help define these characters. Not only do we lose some of the humour, but the story itself suffers slightly.

This Mr Woodhouse is not quite Austen's silly, timorous, self-centred old hypochondriac. He has too much substance, seems too intelligent and his fears are too reasonably grounded in his his distress at the death of his wife.

Miss Bates is a good-natured, grateful old spinster, but her most striking characteristic is her constant, nervous prattling. She cannot help giving voice to every stray thought that passes through her head. Austen supplies paragraph after paragraph of her irksome, stream-of-consciousness, babbling (probably too much) but hardly any of it appears here. This means that Emma's impatience with her is no longer justified and her unkind quip at Box Hill loses its point and poignancy.

Harriet Smith is sweet, innocent and easily led, but decidedly dim. Here she is not quite dim enough. The scenes where she is struggling with Mr Elton's puzzle and where she disposes of her little box of 'treasures' are both rather thrown away so she appears fractionally less stupid and childlike than she should. This slightly diminishes our sense of Emma's culpability in her delusions and her bad decisions.

Mrs Elton suffers even more. We see very little of her vulgar pretension, her her continual bragging about Maple Grove, her bossiness, her officious interference in Jane Fairfax's affairs and her determination to be Queen Bee of the neighbourhood.

In every case, I feel the problems are not with the actors (although Michael Gambon was miscast) but in the way the characters are conceived and I suspect that there is an underlying reason for this: the screenwriter and director were both uncomfortable with certain aspects of the book and wanted soften its edges to make it more palatable to a modern audience.

They thought Mr Woodhouse was too much a figure of fun and wanted the audience to understand him, rather than laugh at him. They feared Austen was too merciless in her depiction of Miss Bates's verbal diarrhoea, so toned it down (to vanishing point). They felt she was too patronising to Harriet Smith so made her slightly more spirited and independent. Above all, they were worried that Austen was too much implicated in Emma's own snobbery in the way she depicted the 'parvenu' Mrs Elton so let the character recede into the background.

The result is that the story occasionally loses focus and some of the key scenes dissipate their energy and dribble away. Superficially, this Emma looks like one of the most faithful and complete adaptations of Austen, but for me there is always this canker of unease eating away at it from within.

Perhaps they should have adapted the book more freely (it's only a novel: not a sacred text). Patricia Rozema registered her concern with Mansfield Park by completely re-inventing Fanny Price and re-writing the story. I might prefer the earlier, more faithful, BBC adaptation but Rozema's radically different version is valid in its own right. You can try to faithfully reproduce the spirit of a book or you can comment on it. Both approaches are legitimate.

This Emma is neither one thing nor the other.

Shaktit

Emma was really beautiful to watch. Though I will say, and I am not trying to be a killjoy here, but the book is better. In general, this mini series was very well done, not only in terms of acting but visually and musically as well. The mini series was exquisitely photographed, with camera work that never felt rushed in any way. It perfectly captured the breathtaking scenery and the gorgeous colourful costumes. I will confess whenever I watch a period drama I always look at how the drama is filmed, and as far as I am concerned Emma scored full marks on that. The music was just as perfect, very beautiful and pleasant. And the acting was fully professional. Romola Garai looked stunning as Emma and managed to stay true to her character. Johnny Lee Miller may look a bit too young, but I do think he was very handsome and charismatic enough as Knightley, and in general Miller is a very competent actor. The two leads's chemistry was convincing too. Michael Gambon is an exceptional actor, and he was superb as Mr Woodhouse. For me, any scene he was in brought some depth, darkness and poignancy that was very much needed. In fact, I don't think there was a single bad performance, maybe not the definitive interpretations, but solid enough. I do have two flaws with this mini series. It does distort the book, and I did notice some modernisations in the script, that sounded uneven and didn't quite work. My other flaw is that there were scenes that didn't quite ring true. As one reviewer said, the scene with the Knightley children screaming Uncle George was poorly done, and that is a real shame because the scene before I thought was very impressive indeed. Despite the flaws, it is a very solid adaptation of a wonderful book. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Tygolar

Definitely the best Emma I've ever seen! The casting was perfect; it is a must watch that goes on the shelf with the other greats, Pride and Prejudice, Wives and Daughters etc. Emma was my favourite book out of all Jane Austens works and this film really does it credit! Michael Gambon is a great actor, he plays Emmas father so well! Jonny Lee Miller is my favourite actor to ever play Mr Knightley, he pulls it off with such ease. In the book he is described as having 'a cheerful manner that always did him good' and that is just how JLM portrayed him. Other Actors always seemed to play him to be a stern man who never smiles much etc, but he plays him just as I imagined he would be! Very impressed. Mr Elton is perfect! Handsome and thinks too much of himself. Romola Garai does play Emma very well. It took me a little while to get used to her but it didn't take me long to decide she definitely plays Emma better than anyone I've seen before. I've watched it twice and Im going to watch it again, most unusual for me I usually can only bear to watch a film once and I only watch it twice if its very good, three times means it amazing! You guys must see it, You will enjoy it if you like the book! Its a must watch!

Dyni

"Emma" (2009) has now become one of my favourite mini-series, closely following the 1995 version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

"Emma" is a beautiful adaption of Jane Austen's classic novel of the same name. The story is based on Emma, the pretty daughter of a wealthy gentleman, Mr. Woodhouse, and her attempts at matchmaking people in her neighbourhood. It is an engaging, sweet and playful movie, which is touching and a delight to watch.

When compared to the 1996 adaption of "Emma", with Gwyneth Paltrow, Jim O'Hanlon's version is superior; this is partially due to the length. The four part mini-series enables the characters and plot to be developed with more detail than in the feature film. In particular, you are able to see Emma mature and watch her relationship with Mr. George Knightley change. More of the original text and dialogue is included which makes the series more believable. Watching a Jane Austen film, I personally believe, should be like taking a vacation. You should be able to slow down, enjoy the slower pace of the era and enjoy making your own observations of characters, while enjoying the beautiful scenic shots. This is what you get with the 2009 mini-series – time, whereas the 1996 film is rushed, with a lot crammed into a few hours.

The cast is excellent. Romola Garai is a youthful, vivacious and expressive Emma Woodhouse. What impressed me the most was her ability to present not only Emma's love of life and enthusiasm but her innermost thoughts as well; when she is reflecting or unhappy about something but trying to "put on a brave face" we see it. Although I like Gwyneth Paltrow, she is not able to portray the youth and innocence of Emma as well as Romola Garai. Johnny Lee Miller is a handsome and intelligent Mr. George Knightley and Michael Gambon is a very lovable Mr. Woodhouse, although I identified him as "Dumbledore" immediately. The only character that I do not fully believe in is Mr. Elton. Perhaps it is just personal preference but I do not think that Blake Ritson portrays the handsome and gentlemanly Mr. Elton successfully; he is more of a "Mr. Collins". However, he is the only character who I have not taken to.

Like many of the BBC productions, the historical buildings, props and gardens used are amazing. When watching the mini-series, keep an eye out for some of the incredible landscape shots throughout the film.

The costuming for the film is quite proper. However, I would have liked to have seen Emma in a few prettier gowns. Although she lives in the country, I think as a wealthy young woman she should have had some more expensive looking gowns. I also would have liked her to have her hair in some more elaborate styles.

However, all in all, the mini-series is fantastic. I love the scenery, the actors are superb, the pace is just right and the story a classic. It is a beautiful adaption and I strongly recommend watching it.

Jaberini

Not another "Emma"! And not Romola Garai! This was never my favourite Jane Austen book, always read with "what's the point?" on my lips; and I've never really taken to Garai's rather frosty beauty on screen. But I found myself liking this adaptation in spite of myself as it went on. Grudgingly. But really, there are other books out there! Must we do the same dance over and over again? Despite being determined to dislike Garai's "Emma", by the end I was appreciative of how she managed to balance her character foibles and genuinely good qualities. Johnny Lee Miller took a bit of getting used to, but put in an excellent, subtle and likable performance as Mr Knightley. My only slight snarky point would be that there didn't appear to be a really discernible difference in age between him and Emma, which represents such a significant barrier in the original story to Emma's consideration of Mr Knightley as something more than a scolding old friend, her superior in age, intellect and gravitas. Generally the cast was high quality – I'd love to see Jodhi May given more full-on screen time. Her face as a (slightly!) older woman is as extraordinary as it was when she played the silent screen star in "Last of the Mohicans" way back in 1992.

There were more of the now familiar jarring, socially-aware inserts into the screenplay from writer Sandy Welch - it's almost comforting to note that they sit as uncomfortably in Austen's text as they did in Gaskell's ("North & South"). Somehow her scripts seem to make the least of the best material – I can't quite work it out. Very annoying, like the awkward waving at each other frequently indulged in by the lead characters. At least it wasn't all about heaving bosoms, as others have been. But the last two episodes were, I thought, very much better, less awkward, more serious and more seriously enjoyable, than the first two.

I've always experienced Mr Woodhouse, Emma's father, as a fussy, over-delicate, nervous and entirely unlikeable character. But writer Welch and Michael Gambon have done something very interesting: they've turned him into someone who might almost have a nameable medical condition in today's psychologically aware times. This, together with Emma's loving and committed care of him, generates considerable empathythis Mr Woodhouse is a person that a lot of people with an elderly parent or grandparent might well recognise. That was a touchingly unexpected thing to tease from the source material.

Still, I'd love to now move on from the microscopic study of the 1% of Regency England that dwelt in fine houses and did nothing but sit interminably in elegant chairs. All right, so I didn't have to watch itbut I always do

Cells

It is very well and beautifully filmed but deviation from the book's characters undo the whole thing. It is not Emma. Almost every part is miscast and distorted. Emma shouldn't be a wild teenager, she's an elegant young lady and the mistress of a respectable house, the top banana in the Hughbury society. One must not feel the urgency of slapping her between her blade-bones and instruct "mind your deportment, Emma!.. close your mouth!.. don't show your gums! sit upright! don't swing your arms while walking!" Well, I did feel that non-stop.

Mr Knightley should be an authority, the man everyone including Emma, looks up to, and not just a nice guy next door. In the most important Badly Done scene he was so unconvincing that it ruined the whole series to me. And I was not surprised that this Emma could openly get up to and yell at this Mr Knightley. It could never ever happened in the book. Nor was there any chemistry between the leads except in the dancing scene (that scene I did enjoy very much). I just couldn't help laughing while watching the final declaration: JLm's Knightley was obviously trying to avoid the kiss, leaning back from Garai's Emma reaching for him, with his arms hanging along his form flaccidly... well, why filming what is not in the book, if you can not make it appealing? And when that Emma stormed into Mr Knightley's study, goggling even more than a viewer could get used to during the previous episodes, and yelling hysterically, my friend and I both shouted: "'Tis a close escape, man! Just don't reason with her and let her go!" I can't imagine why he didn't.

Of other characters I really liked Mr Wodehouse whom I loved dearly and found very well acted and elaborated, very decent Mrs Weston, believable sweet Harriet and absolutely perfect Frank Churchill. They were decidedly much better than those in the earlier adaptations, to me. Miss Bates, Miss Fairfax and Mr Weston were absolutely reverse. Miss Bates timid and pathetically insecure instead of cheerful, chatty, cozy and annoying at the same time. Guys, she was content with everything and everyone in the book! Miss Fairfax mousy, nervous and girlish instead of extremely elegant, strikingly-beautiful and calmly reserved. Mr Weston melancholic to the point of almost tearful instead of sanguine and ever-optimistic. Mr and Mrs Elton were quite OK, though. The donkey scene was superb. I also liked Mr John Knightley. I think he would make a better Mr Knightley than his "elder brother", ehm.

In whole it could be a very good Emma but for the leads. They did not develop the key story.

Went Tyu

Very disappointing. Much of the fault lies with the portrayal of the title character by Romola Garai, a portrayal whose success is obviously critical to the story. I am not sure how much of the blame lies directly with the actress (who I have enjoyed in other adaptations, such as Nicholas Nickleby and Daniel Deronda) or with her director. But Garai's goofy, over-the-top mannerisms and grotesquely contorted facial expressions - such as that boxlike grimace of a grin - transform Emma from a character that is supposed to be capricious yet likable into an obnoxious, appalling clown whose face begs to be punched out. The sophisticated charm and refinement combined with a mischievous nature which is essential for the role is missing much too often.

At four hours, this version is also far too long for the material, and too many scenes feel as if they are just there to fill up the time, causing the entire story to drag and lose the momentum it desperately needs. Too many awkward moments caused by a lack of chemistry between characters doesn't help either.

I am also amazed that for a movie made in 2009, the production values at times are like a made-for-TV production from 20 years ago. This is especially noticeable during some of the ballroom scenes where the dancing is taking place in impossibly bright interiors, with studio lights from above casting harsh shadows across faces, when one would expect the room to be softly illuminated with the warm glow of candelight. The harsh lighting may be a reason why Romola Garai does not appear as attractive here as in her other films.

At any rate, this version falls far short of Doug McGrath's 1996 version. McGrath's version is far more entertaining, charming and even touching while remaining faithful to the spirit of the Jane Austen novel in a much shorter amount of time.

Bajinn

I've been reading the reviews and one thing have struck me: how could nobody see that this is not Jane Austen whatsoever? I started watching this series a few days ago but became completely irritated by the middle of the third episode.

The greatest drawback of the series, I think, is the choice of Romola Garai as Emma. She is pretty and perhaps even a decent actress, to be sure, but let us agree, there should be some difference between a 21st century prom queen and Jane Austen's Emma. Simply put, Garai's Emma lacks the manners of the age. Emma could have been quite a "feminist" for her time, but she would still have to remain a lady, and not some shameless instance of contemporary woman which wouldn't know the difference between a gentleman and a lady. I admit that some minor deviations in the interpretations of the etiquette of the time are inevitable, but I could scarcely believe that real Emma wouldn't mind her manners at all. I couldn't help noticing that Garai's face expressions, the way she speaks and laughs, her gestures - everything in her manners was utterly 21st-centurish.

Now to the Knightly. In short, there is nothing knightly whatsoever in Jonny Lee Miller's Mr.Knightly. Compared to Mark Strong's Knightly of 1996's Emma, that of Miller lacks... well virtually everything that makes a decent Knightly - most of all masculinity. He behaves as an average contemporary "nice guy", an unfortunate by-product of the feminisation of the western society. This particular "Knightly", I believe, would be the last man in the world that Jane Austen's Emma would ever prefer. Although, I must admit, Miller's Knightly goes perfectly well with Garai's Emma. As a result we have an ideal contemporary couple - she is strong and decisive, while he is agreeable and calm. (Makes me sick...)

All in all, I couldn't stop thinking that I was watching something fabricated, something insincere. Too often I had an impression that the actors were simply reading their scripts. (With some exceptions of course. Michael Gambon, for instance, is brilliant in the role of Emma's father.) But most importantly, the whole thing didn't smell the early 19th century and that is unforgivable.

Virtual

My first introduction to Jane Austen was BBC's wonderful Pride & Prejudice - so how excited was I to get my hands on this one? Not very, once I started watching it. After I'd watched P&P I went out and bought the book, immediately, and read and reread it. And then I rewatched the show and was delighted at how faithful it stayed to the book, and how well cast every single person in it was.

Since then P&P and Emma have remained my two absolute favorite Austens. Let me begin by saying that I know that people say that books don't work as movies, but I'm sorry, I think movies like P&P disprove that. So when I say that they took the book Emma and decided that Austen just wasn't 'snappy' enough for the screen so they'd just take the liberty of changing a whole bunch of dialogue... I hope you understand just how much I take that as an indication that they should never have been allowed to make the book into a movie in the first place. For the length this goes on, there is no excuse for it not to have been a highly faithful and well performed adaptation. Instead it is bits and bites of Austen with plenty of "well we'll just make this better for TV" dialogue smothering those bits and bites. Jane Austen's dialogue is what *makes* her stories. She was an incredible writer, and to have the guts of Emma torn out and replaced with someone else's writing is like saying "well we're going to be displaying the Mona Lisa next week, but first we're going to paint over it, maybe add some eyebrows and a real smile, you know?"

I managed to sit through the whole thing in the hopes I'd finally hit the point where Emma becomes charming, and Mr. Knightley becomes dashing, and Mr. Woodhouse becomes a dear (and lord, what an utter *waste* of getting Michael Gambon of all people to be in your movie!), and Frank Churchhill to become irresistibly casually flirtatious - but the characters were all ... very ... boring. There were a few tantalizing bits where I thought at least the Jane/Emma final scenes might be worth it but they were over almost as fast as they'd begun.

Honestly, this is only the second version of Emma I've ever seen. And since the first was the Gwyneth Paltrow version, I had absolutely no doubts that this version, longer *and* made by the BBC would blow it out of the water. But you know what? I think the Paltrow version actually had better casting, and kept *more* of Austen's dialogue in than this one. Badly done, BBC. Badly done.

Alsath

Well, what to say about it? Is it actually worth the name adaptation? It depends what standards one has.

Granted, the costumes are great and colourful, the sets are equally splendid, the opening credits very nice, the music beautiful and the BBC might get a few prizes for that like for their Jane Eyre-adaptation in 2006, but for the rest there is little adaptation discernible.

All the wordy Austen-language has been taken out along with it all its subtle playfulness, which is the greatest thing about Austen. Her two main characters tend to 'play' with each other in speech, like Lizzy and Darcy did in Pride and Prefudice 1995 and Emma and Knightley (Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong) did in 1996 despite their severe lack of time. Here though, there is no subtlety going on at all. Characters scream and shout at each other and run after one another without seeming restraint. It is as if watching a modern drama in older costumes.

Characters furthermore speak in too modern vocabulary, are dropping their Ts, speak in an accent not remotely similar to an upper class accent, wave at each other in the street, do not bow or courtesy, open their own doors, toss their own logs on the fire, let the children fight in the street, ask for the salt to fellow table guests, let the children eat dinner with them in the dining room and more of that adamant nonsense.

As if that was not enough, Emma seems to have been toned down to a light story of two people who are right for each other but do not seem to get it yet. In fact, the original does not do that, so the adaptation has even less business to put that in.

The only remotely well played and well written character must be Miss Bates (Tamsin Greig) and she is a character that is only a small part of the whole Highbury-world. She is at least as good as Prunella Scales in the role (1996) and the Miramax-take on the character. On the other hand the rest of the original characters is either badly drawn or too much exaggerated: Emma (Romola Garai) looks too immature and too unreserved to be Emma, mistress of Hartfield and rich single lady; Mr Knightley (Johnny Lee Miller) looks too young to be Emma's 18-year senior and tends to be too much of a 'man' instead of a 'father' like his original - The Independent said about him that he was in danger of becoming Emma's subject rather than being overlooked – indeed, he has no authority to the viewer either; Mr Woodhouse (Michael Gambon) does his best, but is saddled with a very repetitive, sad and small script - Constanduros (1972) and Davies (1996) made much more of him -; Mr Elton is slimy, but up to the point of impertinence and rudeness; the Knightley-children are behaving as badly as children nowadays; Harriet Smith (Louise Dylan) does not know how to eat soup; Jane Fairfax (Laura Pyper), Frank Churchill (Rupert Evans) and Emma herself have been bound together in a mysterious way - what the mysterious way is, is probably that they were born at about the same time At any rate, the mysterious way is never explained.

The very important subplot of Churchill and Jane Fairfax is nearly wiped out apart from its conclusion and Sandy Welch managed to turn Austen's lovely and charming Churchill into the least desirable man in England. After Box Hill, one wonders how Jane actually still wants him.

Emma and Knightley are also an enigma. As Emma is so immature, one is at a loss what Knightley sees in her. At some point he professes that 'until Mrs Knightley is in existence, he will manage household-matters by himself'. That can be true, but with an immature wife he will end up doing them for eternity.

The BBC claimed that they 'took Jane Austen off the literary shelf and made her part of our lives again' They have certainly taken her off the literary shelf, that is a fact. I do not know what they meant by 'making her part of our lives again'. I guess neither the writer (Sandy Welch), nor the controller of BBC Drama, nor the director, nor the producer have ever seen the literary shelf which might account for the stupid comment Emma makes about Mitlon: 'I've managed two pages of Milton.' Austen is not stuffy, it is fun and it can be poetic too. Only not, of course, if one does not know how.

A lot has been said about miscasts in Romola Garai and Johnny Lee Miller. Austen is not about looks, it is about writing alone. She never describes her characters and as such, miscasts in Austen do not exist. This drama was a shambles because Sandy Welch misunderstood Frank Churchill (he that gets the readers to know the people in Highbury), Regency society and Austen's set-up to a great extent. Sugary drama without foundation, that even extended to Mr Woodhouse (the most hilarious character of the work) was the result. Despite the beautiful scenery, the sparkling charm of this work was lost in the mists of desperate modernisation.

Kulalbine

I really liked this new take on an old, but much-beloved story. I liked the livelier and more robust presentation, and though it was less refined than the other "Emma" productions have been, I find I didn't really miss the refinement. I think the spirit of "Emma" was well-served here. I was also glad to see a little bit of the story through the eyes of others: Frank Churchill alone at the window, holding the most recent note from his aunt that he knows will summon back to her much too soon for his liking. That doesn't appear in the book, but I really liked it here. Also, a few scenes taken from the day-room of the London-based Knightly family to give a fresh perspective of the events happening in Highbury. Emma actually worries that maybe she has been too much sheltered and is really not as well-traveled as a truly sophisticated person would be expected to be. The book's Emma never even considers this. It's simply never brought up, but it doesn't make it any less viable in this telling of the story.

Harriet's story, which takes up the first 3rd of the book and a good part of most of the film adaptations is given a secondary treatment here, and we are at last gifted with a Mr. Elton who looks nothing like the clown he is made out to be in other adaptations, but is more true to Miss Austen's words; a pretty decent-looking young fellow. And an interesting twist on his marriage: rather than going along with his horrid, snobbish wife, he actually appears several times to be embarrassed by her behavior. Christina Cole is fabulous as Mrs. Elton and is not given enough screen time, but they would have needed another hour at least to devote to her all the time she deserved.

At last we have a Jane Fairfax who is worthy of Jane Austen's description! She is played here by Laura Pyper as delicate and as refined as she is written, but she is not the fragile, stiff and emotionless mannequin she is made out to be in every other "Emma" film I've seen. She has feelings and shows them, both positive and negative. This is the first adaptation I've seen where I actually LIKED Jane. And for once, Mr. Knightly is played by an actor who is actually the age Mr. Knightly is supposed to be: and attractive, still-young man in only his mid-30's. In all the other adaptations, he's portrayed by actors much older than the 16 years that are supposed to separate Emma and Mr. Knightly. Once again, I feel that Emma's father is played too harshly. He is, of course, a hypochondriac and worrywart of the worst sort, but Miss Austen writes him so much more kindly and warm-hearted than he is ever portrayed on the screen. Miss Bates is toned down a bit here, which an avid reader of the book might not really notice, but she is not given enough time to really show the incessant chatterbox the character is in the book.

In the end, it would be safe to say that Marianne Dashwood would have approved of most everyone in this story. They were all played with full feeling and emotion around an old story that is made new again.

I've always wondered, though, about a couple of crucial scenes in the book and of course portrayed in all the film/TV adaptations that deal with characters complaining of the heat. They are all dressed from the toes to the gills in multiple layers, and as a person living in a part of the USA that regularly sees 100+ temps in the summertime, it does make me wonder just how "hot" the weather was supposed to be.

Wyameluna

Here is another stellar British film adaptation of a Jane Austen novel. The cast of "Emma" is wonderful with an especially strong leading lady.

The cinematography is splendid, and the screenplay includes all the main strands of the narrative. At four hours, the running time of the miniseries was perfect for this PBS presentation. The houses, rooms, interior decoration, and costumes were also thoroughly professional.

With the ensemble cast, the crisp dialog, and the heartfelt emotion, this film would do the author proud! If there is a time machine around, I would like to find to take a break from the rat race today and find a way to become a character in this film!

Granigrinn

I was looking forward to this adaptation of Emma, one of my favourite books; when I read some of the enthusiastic reviews on this site, I was encouraged to splash out on a full price DVD - and, wow, was I disappointed. The worst aspect, by far, is the dreadful script: the language wanders erratically between a clumsily put together string of rather dreary twentieth (not twenty-first) century expressions and the (very) occasional emergence of mangled bits of the original dialogue. The casting, too, is awful: Emma is supposed to be young and, though rather too self-assured, essentially quite good-natured - this version has a brash and bad-mannered heroine, shouting at people, and not just getting it all wrong but scarcely recognising that she is making such a mess of other people's lives, not just her own. Actually, from this point of view, the casting of Mrs Elton and Emma would have been much better swapped around. Knightley was a rather sad lightweight, and Mr Woodhouse far too decrepit (although a valetudinarian, he should not be portrayed as older than his early 50s). Miss Bates was quite good, but given far too few lines to say; and most of the mistakes and misconceptions which give the plot its wonderful character were clumsily handled. I had just recently found and watched for the first time the 1972 BBC adaptation, and found it utterly delightful; and for a foreshortened version, I don't think that the Kate Beckinsale 1996 one has been bettered. I really cannot see why the BBC bothered to make this version; it is so much worse than the 1972 one, and has no redeeming features that I can see at all.

greatest

Awful--barely watchable.

The reason to love Austen is in the suppressed tension she creates with her wit and satire and in the unique characteristics of her players juxtaposed with the manners, protocol & sensibilities of the country gentry of the Regency period. Fidelity to character and the written word is virtually non existent in this version. The reinvented dumbed down dialogue intended to pander to contemporary sensibilities is tiresome juvenile gibberish. Save for the houses they occupy there is no effort to distinguish one class from the other. Every character appears to be the same non nondescript/ill-defined dolt. Austen's refined, high spirited, and intellectual heroine, as played by Garcia, is actually more insipid than Harriot and as common as Mrs. Elton. (27 year old Garcia's caricature is a repugnant dithering idiot deficit of the credibility to preach to anyone.) The actor who plays Knightly has the accent of a clerk and is totally lacking in the stature, refinement, and commanding air of a great gentleman of that period. No Emma/Knightly sparks whatsoever--just endless squabbling. And WHO could envy or admire Pyper's Jane Fairfax? Add to this, the most interesting sub plots & dialogue were ignored and reduced to nothing. With the exception of the veteran Gambon (miscast and understandably making himself scarce) the ensemble was without distinction, the direction/script Austen/Regency clueless.

Once the masters of period drama, this ill conceived production is becoming typical of Britian's classical literature productions in the 21st Century. A lost art.

The condensed Beckinsdale A&E version and her Mr. Knightly (Mark Strong) is by far the best, most sharply fine tuned version of Emma. The motion picture of the mid 90s is lovely and elegant to look at and is the most humorous take on Austen's beloved book providing a pleasant companion piece to Beckinsdale's superb take.

Had ONLY the Beckinsdale version been in three long episodes!

Dilkree

As a fan of Jane Austen and in particular as a fan of Emma, I was quite excited when I heard of this BBC series (after seeing the brilliant adaptation of pride and prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth). However, Jane Austen fans, be warned!! This series was far from accurate to the book! The beginning, although also not a feature of the book, I found to be interesting as it builds up the connections of certain characters at an earlier period of time, however the continual exclusion of some of the most witty and entertaining passages of script written by Jane Austen made it almost unbearable to continue watching yet I stood strong. And not surprisingly this strength was tested again through the mix up of some characters roles (Mr John knightley examining and telling Emma about Mr Elton's attraction towards her, Mr Elton's immediately known attraction towards Emma with no hint of it being directed towards Harriet, and the poor choice for the role of Emma who seems too modern with common speech and lack of refinement) it was all very wrong! and so much pointless and horrible dialog was added in replace of Jane Austen's own words! I have to give it some credit for if I had not read the book previously I think I would have enjoyed it but as that is not the case, I'm left to say in the words of Mr knightley, a 'badly done Emma!!'

Gindian

Emma is a complete delight to watch. In a world where films are usually ruined by having dramatic changes made to the characters or plots, this BBC adaption is quite faithful to the book and is a wonderful "escape" to a world we no longer live in and yet are completely fascinated by. I found this version was warm hearted and funny. Emma was my favourite of all the Jane Austen novels when I read them yet I never felt that any of the previous versions did the book any justice. This one, however, was captivating. The characters were well portrayed and the casting was brilliant.

Romola Garai was light hearted and brought a fresh youthfulness to the part of Emma which I found particularly refreshing, whilst Jonny Lee Miller portrayed a perfect Mr. Knightley, bluntly truthful and sensible, yet somehow catching the "cheerful manner" Jane Austen describes him as possessing.

All in all a very good film that can be watched over and over. I would say that, if you are a true Jane Austen fanatic, this series cannot fail to enchant you!

Shakataxe

Like most of Jane Austen's novels, "Emma" has been done repeatedly -- usually straight, but sometimes in altered form (as in "Clueless." This four part BBC series is distinguished by its leisurely pace, fine acting and lovely settings. Romola Garai, a striking blonde, is Emma, Jonny Lee Miller plays Mr. Knightley, and Michael Gambon is Mr. Woodhouse, Emma's loving but eccentric father. As is usually the case in BBC films and TV series, the cast is drawn from the remarkable warehouse of accomplished and well-trained British actors, so that all the roles are extremely well done. While it's difficult to compare versions of Austen's novels, there's a great deal to be said for the inclusiveness allowed by a multi-part series. It allows for a more complete definition of each character and for all the key episodes in the book to be represented. Four hours is, of course, extremely long for a film, and Miss Austen's novels are relatively short, but this (not quite) four hour series uses every available minute to advantage, giving every character his or her moment to become real. Garai, Miller and the inevitable Mr. Gambon serve Miss Austen exceedingly well.

Lamranilv

This is quite a pleasant version of a great classic story. I found myself comparing it to the Kate Beckinsale version, which had been my favorite up to that time. Here are a few observations I made:

Romola Garai makes an outgoing and enthusiastic Emma, more impulsive than Kate Beckinsale's version of the title character (although not necessarily better). The one flaw I found was that her demeanor was sometimes distractingly modern. She was a little too inclined to show her feelings by her posture and facial expressions, which would have been strongly discouraged during that era in history. Other than that, her character was certainly believable.

I was looking forward to Michael Gambone in the role of Emma's father, but his performance seemed subdued and humorless. I know he's capable of far better, but perhaps he was encouraged to play it down for this role. That's a shame, because it doesn't provide much motivation for Emma's affectionate behavior toward her father. He comes across as something of an albatross around her neck, rather than a lovable elderly man with a few human frailties.

Mr. Knightley in the Kate Beckinsale version is attractive, but seems lacking in humor. Mr. Knightley in this version is less commanding in appearance, but seems to enjoy Emma, even as he rebukes her. I get the impression that she makes him laugh, and I can imagine them living happily ever after. He's less significant on the screen, but that actually makes it more effective, I think, because it's easy to understand why Emma would have taken him for granted.

Harriet Smith is quite lovely in this version. She doesn't have Emma's strength of personality, but it's easy to imagine Emma visualizing the possibility of her marrying above her social station, with some careful coaching and matchmaking.

Jane Fairfax seems sweet and emotionally vulnerable. It's easy to empathize with her from the onset, whereas Jane in the Kate Beckinsale version is somewhat intimidating in her seamless reserve and composure. I suspect that the latter version comes closer to what Jane Austen envisioned, but both versions are effective in their own way.

To sum it up, I like them both in different ways. That's one great thing about Jane Austen's writings: we all have our own ideas about how they should be interpreted on the screen, and it's as much fun to compare the various versions as it is to watch them.

Kinashand

There is no doubt that the dramatization of a Jane Austen novel is immensely popular, perhaps none so much as Austen's 'Emma' which revolves around one of the few Austen heroines who is wealthy and doesn't "require" a husband to maintain her status.

The latest adaptation, written by Sandy Welch and broadcast originally as a four-part BBC television drama, is outstanding for it's visual beauty, and production values. Shot on location in the villages and parishes of southern England, you immediately are immersed into a romanticized version of 19th century England. The costumes are beautifully authentic and provide an individualized palette of color for each character that substantiates their personality and status in life.

Director Jim O'Hanlon made excellent use of a continuous camera flow that follows the actors through various rooms without missing a line. The casting choices are right on, with no distracting oddities. O'Hanion, working with this excellent cast, obviously put a great deal of emphasis on facial expression and it is a delight to watch great actors convey subtle nuances that enhance the storytelling. Note: Don't pass up watching the Special Features segment provided.

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