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Movie Review: The Masterpiece Theater version of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park

October 16th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Movie Reviews, Regency

The Masterpiece Theater version of Mansfield Park is my first foray at watching this particular novel come to life. True Austen purists will find the film a disappointment. Too many characters are left out and several are given so little back story that newbies to Mansfield Park will be a bit confused at the beginning. But I honestly enjoyed it despite its flaws.

Quick Story Overview:

Fanny at the tender age of ten was sent to live with her aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. She soon ran across four cousins, two male and two female. Life eight years down the road depict them to be thus: Tom is the eldest son, but he parties and gets drunk in excess; Edmund is the second son who is destined for life as a clergyman; Maria is engaged to be married to Rushworth; and Julia is the youngest daughter. The story starts when Sir Thomas leaves freeing the occupants of Mansfield Park from his tyranny.

The actors and actresses were engaging and you even like the slimy characters. There is no trouble at all in locating the Mr. Wickham in this novel/movie. It’s plain as the nose on your face. Henry Crawford and his sister Mary are both trouble at a glance. Henry is told to focus on Julia, but his attentions turn inevitably to the more beautiful Maria. Can we say scandal in the making? Why yes, we surely can. Mary is disappointed to learn that Tom is not at home and has in fact run off to London, where she can’t follow because her father has installed his Mistress into their home. Instead she focuses on Edmund, much to Fanny’s displeasure.

I found Edmund, the hero, to be wonderfully cast with Blake Ritson. Very Byronic hero. He was handsome, of good character, a little blind to what was going on around him perhaps but eager to throw off his unfortunate decision to love Mary Crawford and start anew with what was right under his nose the whole time. His epiphany scene is really quite phenomenal and will surely make your heart leap out of your chest. For no other reason, you should rent the movie to see that scene.

Fanny, played by Billie Piper, is the heroine and she is lively with a wonderful smile. At some points you think she’s holding an orange peel over her teeth when her mouth is closed. Is this something that the British do? I noticed this in BBC’s Persuasion that characters held their mouths funny. Her dark eyebrows and blond hair is a bit of a distraction too. She wears her hair down for the movie so if this Regency inaccuracy is going to bug you, you are now forewarned. Over all I found that Billie played her part quite well.

Rating: 3.5 Stars