Inspired by Mansfield Park
That is what the title of two versions of Mansfield Park that I just watched SHOULD have been. They seemed to have the same characters, mostly, and the same plot points, mostly, but that is where the similarities ended.
First, the Mansfield Park on the current PBS line-up. I give it a C. The heroine, Fannie Price, was played by Billie Piper, who apparently had it in her contract that she would not style her hair according to the character or the time period, but would just be allowed to wear her current day haircut, whether or not she even brushed it. (Not really, but that is the most logical explanation for her total lack of period-appropriate grooming). Online reviews of the production focus on different criticisms, but they all remark on the hair. And on the running. She did a lot of running, which seemed totally inappropriate. Edmund was cute. You can see the hair, the running, and cute Edmund, in this clip from youtube, although the voice does not sync too well. By the way, Mrs Bertram was not like that at all in the book......
Interestingly, Maria Bertram was played by Michelle Ryan, more recently seen in Bionic Woman, on TV. I didn't really watch the TV show, but I enjoyed thinking about a hypothetical movie mash-up between Bionic Woman and Jane Austen. Now that would be an interesting movie! It would be called Maria!, the bionic, Regency England heroine!
The second adaptation, Mansfield Park by Miramax, BBC Films and Patricia Rozema (1999) was even worse. I give it a D+. I should have known when the subtitle on the intro screen read "From Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, her letters, and journal" or some such disclaimer. Another tipoff would have been the description of Fanny as "spirited young woman" on the back of the DVD cover. If there is one thing the Fanny is not, it is spirited. Apparently even Jane Austen's mother thought Fanny was too timid. They also decided to imagine that Fanny Price was Jane Austen! Budding writer, sassy relative, and ironic commentator. And a feminist and abolitionist. Oh the horror. And if that wasn't bad enough , there was the "we are modern" ploy of talking directly to the camera. Bad. Edmund was cute.
I will be taking a break from Austenmania, and not watching Miss Austen Regrets, the biopic. I just know I am going to dislike it, so why bother?
First, the Mansfield Park on the current PBS line-up. I give it a C. The heroine, Fannie Price, was played by Billie Piper, who apparently had it in her contract that she would not style her hair according to the character or the time period, but would just be allowed to wear her current day haircut, whether or not she even brushed it. (Not really, but that is the most logical explanation for her total lack of period-appropriate grooming). Online reviews of the production focus on different criticisms, but they all remark on the hair. And on the running. She did a lot of running, which seemed totally inappropriate. Edmund was cute. You can see the hair, the running, and cute Edmund, in this clip from youtube, although the voice does not sync too well. By the way, Mrs Bertram was not like that at all in the book......
Interestingly, Maria Bertram was played by Michelle Ryan, more recently seen in Bionic Woman, on TV. I didn't really watch the TV show, but I enjoyed thinking about a hypothetical movie mash-up between Bionic Woman and Jane Austen. Now that would be an interesting movie! It would be called Maria!, the bionic, Regency England heroine!
The second adaptation, Mansfield Park by Miramax, BBC Films and Patricia Rozema (1999) was even worse. I give it a D+. I should have known when the subtitle on the intro screen read "From Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, her letters, and journal" or some such disclaimer. Another tipoff would have been the description of Fanny as "spirited young woman" on the back of the DVD cover. If there is one thing the Fanny is not, it is spirited. Apparently even Jane Austen's mother thought Fanny was too timid. They also decided to imagine that Fanny Price was Jane Austen! Budding writer, sassy relative, and ironic commentator. And a feminist and abolitionist. Oh the horror. And if that wasn't bad enough , there was the "we are modern" ploy of talking directly to the camera. Bad. Edmund was cute.
I will be taking a break from Austenmania, and not watching Miss Austen Regrets, the biopic. I just know I am going to dislike it, so why bother?
posted by Shelly at 3:46 PM
1 Comments:
Oh dear. I followed the link to youtube. That was dreadful.
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