Please share your thoughts on this version -
did you like it?
was it "sexed up"[expression used to describe this adaptation]?
how did you find the cast?
I am very interested in your reviews.
I think it must be over soon (I am not sure, because of time difference).
It started 40 mins ago. Am enjoying it much more than last week's aweful adaptation of Mansfield Park!
sharePlease let us know what you think when it's over :)
shareFirst hour just gone, looking good so far. Catherine is charming and Henry Tilney is quite dashing... much more than Edmund Bertram in any case. Also, Henry's voice is just.. pure velvet!
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
I'm very disappointed to find it isn't actually filmed in Bath. I live nearby but didn't recognise any of the landmarks. Turns out it's filmed in Dublin, Ireland! Good for Dublin for the filming revenue, but BAH! to the authenticity!
shareWell, this production and the ITV Persuasion were virtually filming at the same time. I doubt that both productions could have filmed in Bath, so one of them had to find somewhere else, I imagine. (And then there are the lovely financial incentives for filming in Ireland, which expalins why it was chosen.)
shareI'm in America so I can't watch it yet, but it's great to hear that it's off to a good start!
For those of you who have been able to see this, please give us some more info and details about it. :)
I belong to a forum where they're saying it's been very good so far...hope that's really the case.
shareROFL! I was talking to my dad and glanced at the screen and thought she was writing on a laptop! Turns out it was a portable writing slope!
shareCan someone please tell me if Catherine and the Tilneys visit to Woodston is included in this?
It's a lovely part of the book so I hope it makes it in. It happens while Catherine is in Northanger Abbey and just towards the end of the story.
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
Yep, it is there - a brief but delightful scene - full of chemistry!
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
Thanks, lanouvelleheloise! What a treat! Is it much like the book - Catherine admiring the home, and Capt. Tilney making allusions that it would someday be hers? Is it a pleasant, comfortable house/parsonage?
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
It's not the same at all.
They look from afar on horseback for a few seconds, then it rains so they return to NA. he doesn't show her round. We don't get that close.
http://screenstories.blogspot.com
I was really pleased with this, it was such a pleasent surprise after the the disappointment of Mansfield Park last week. All the problems that MP had were not true of NA, it was well paced, the characters were all believable, no important parts were totally removed. I can't really find anything to criticise about it, really really well done.
shareI hadn't read Mansfield Park before watching last week's version so I don't know how accurate it was to the original story, but it was very confusing. Austen is always so thorough in explaining who everyone is in her other novels and how they are linked to other characters, but every time a new person appeared, I was left thinking "but who are they and what are they doing here?!" and it all felt very two-dimensional. As one reviewer remarked, it was like watching an episode of Lost, with people literally running around without much explanation of what they were doing or why.
I was very satisfied with NA though as the characters seemed so accurate and the characters was fully rounded. The scenery was beautiful and so atmospheric it felt like I was there. The ending seemed a little rushed though as it was resolved without much time left. But maybe that's just me.
Can't wait to see Persuasion next week!
It was absolutely delightful. I had very low expectations following last week's dire Mansfield Park, but was very pleasantly surprised by this. I dearly love the BBC Persuasion, but if the new one can hold it's own, maybe ITV's Jane Austen season can be redeemed.
shareMarcyg68,
No, not like in the book - it is very brief and she only catches a glimpse of it from afar but it is a sweet little scene.
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
It is soooo romantic! I love it! I just got back from Hmv after buying all three, persuasion, northanger Abbey, and mansfield park...lets just say I'll be up late tonight watching all of them!
share[deleted]
I'm also in America but I just finished watching the entire movie on youtube. So go there and check it out. The movie is awesome!! I won't give anything away but you have to watch it for yourself and believe me you will fall in love with it. Does anyone know when it is availabe for purchase in the U.S?
shareMy guess is that WGBH (and the PBS Shop) will make it available this fall, to coincide with the broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre. It's set to air during the "Jane Austen Festival" on MP, which begins in November ("beginnig in November" is how I've seen it worded in press releases from WGBH).
In addition to the 3 new Austen adaptations from ITV, Masterpiece Theatre's "Austen Festival" will also include Sense and Sensibility 2007, which is being produced by the beeb (adapted by Andrew Davies).
I would love to get all 4 films in a boxed set. This is perhaps what is now preventing me from ordering it from Amazon-UK.
Far superior to last weeks mansfield park, which was awful. This was very funny, lively, brilliantly acted, and had far less running around by the main character. This is far better. Will buy the dvd when its out. I think this was an Andrew Davies script, I think, in which case it is no suprise it is good. Best ITV have done in a long time.
"Thank God I'm an atheist"
Bow down to Bunuel
Borderline obsessive
Agree with Mooning_out_of_the_window,
It was really well acted, and as charming as ITV's 1996 Emma (which I thought had been their best period drama effort so far). Not quite as aesthetical a production as the famous BBC ones, but really a pleasure to watch.
I am now quite looking forward to Persuasion...
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
Thanks garboventures and lanouvelleheloise. The fact that it's there is a good thing. I'm assuming that this is the scene that leads into the part where they are on their riding habit and he touches (cleans off) her cheek?
Also, for the end, it is much like the book? I hope it is romantic. Is there a wedding? (or at the very least, a kiss!) And do they mention Eleanor's fate (marrying a viscount, etc)? Do Henry and his father reconcile at the end?
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
Absolutely no reconciliation. the closing shot is a miserable General Tilney stomping through his grounds in a thunderstorm.
Yes we get the muddy cheek, and Eleanor's chap gets a title and dosh.
Wedding bells and a baby.
http://screenstories.blogspot.com
I did exactly the same thing lol!
I found Catherine really annoying.
To add to garboventures' very accurate summary, we do get a kiss (before the wedding bells scene).
Also, the adaptation begins and closes with the appropriate lines from the book.
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
Lovely!!
I preordered the dvd from Amazon UK and it was shipped out on Friday. I hope to get it soon so can finally see it for myself.
Thanks for these reviews. I'm curious to know how this was handled after a somewhat disappointing MP from last week. Northanger Abbey is one of my favorite JA books and I simply adore Henry Tilney. I hope JJ Feild did justice to his role!
How were the rest of the cast in their roles?
Is Isabella pretty and coquetish enough?
Does this pretty much follow the plot of the book? Any major scenes omitted?
Please keep the reviews coming because there are those of us from across the pond who do read your reviews and are hungry for information!
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
I found this to be an 100% improvement on last week's poor effort of Mansfield Park. Nearly everything about it was good - the progression, the acting, costumes, the music. My only disappointment was the casting of the Thorpes - Isabella was too young looking for me and I didn't really like John's acting. But every other character was spot on, especially Henry, Catherine and Eleanor. The leads were brilliant, both so watchable and engaging and there was definitely chemistry between them.
I think I understand better what was wrong with Mansfield Park now I've seen Northanger Abbey - they seemed to make it too comedic, whereas it is actually a more serious book. NA on the other hand, definitely has some more amusing moments for the reader. They really did show this - all the scenes in which Catherine was dreaming up completely ridiculous fantasies made me chuckle. And yes - it was sexed up, but somehow it fitted. This adaptation was definitely more in keeping with the spirit of the book than last week's.
I absolutely adored this. I have been an Austen fan for some time now, but had yet to find 'my' Austen. Well, I just did. Felicity Jones as the lead was fabulous, as Catherine Morland could have been such an easy character to underestimate or overplay, but she balanced it perfectly. I bet she had fun doing the fantasy sequences! And as for JJ Field as Henry Tilney, well! Move over Colin Firth is all I can say! He was just the definitive Austen Hero. I thought he gave a brilliant, pitch perfect performance, and man was he hot! But the most congratulations have to go to writer Andrew Davies. Of course we've come to expect nothing less than greatness from him, but, and maybe it's because of the disappointment of last week, he totally succeeded my expectations. From the first scene you could see it was going to have a spark and energy Mansfield Park was missing. So congratulations all involved for an absolutely fabulous adaptation. I'll buy the DVD first thing tomorrow morning!
Very sorry. That last hand... nearly killed me.
I did think it was very well done. Catherine came across as a young girl out in the world for the very first time taking everything at face value. The Thorpes were scheming, the general was badtempered. Captain Tilney was suitably rakish. Where the film differed from the book it really was required. The book ends abruptly with Eleanor's love interest brought in right at the end. By introducing him briefly earlier the plot seems more rounded to me. The fantasy sequences also feel integral as it emphasises Catherine's expectations and explains to the 21st Century viewer what 18th Century gothic novels were like
shareJust to add my voice to the praise...
As many people on here have said, I was really disappointed in MP last week. In fact, I was angered by it. But this was just in a different league; beautiful, sexy, smouldering repression of feelings...the lot. Andrew Davies does it again.
Felicity Jones as Catherine was adorable. No doubt that character could get irritating, but she was simply lovely.
JJ Feild was marvellous. Cheeky, sexy, truthful in emotion and downright perfect for Henry Tilney. I think I may be in love in fact.
Loved Carey Mulligan as Isabella; saw her as Nina in The Seagull this year, think she's a lovely actress.
In fact, most of the supporting cast were perfect, and even the ones that weren't were still 50 times better than anyone in Mansfield Park (excluding Douglas Hodge who is a classy guy)
In short, a fantastic adaptation; sexy, fast-paced, gothic and utterly beautiful.
xxxxxxxx
Alice. My name is Alice Ayres.
Andrew Davies does it again.
Uh oh. This leads me to believe I'll hate it.
Glad to see that most are finding this to be much better than the disappointmenting Mansfield Park. I loved the book and I'm really looking forward to seeing it!
shareDid Andrew Davies do the screenplay for Mansfield Park? I haven't seen it in its entirety, but from what I have seen it doesn't hold a candle to Northanger Abbey. I certainly hope Davies had nothing to do with it. BTW, I think the 1999 version of Mansfield Park was really good even though it wasn't a faithful adaptation of the book. Taken on its own it's a really good watch.
shareIs it true that there's a seduction scene with Isabella and Capt Tilney?
And just how does the scene with Catherine in the Bath fantasising about Henry work? Is this adaptation 'sexed up'?
You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hopeshare
Very much so - Andrew Davies' influence there. There's a scene of Isabella post-coital in bed with Captain Tilney telling to hurry up and get dressed or something.
I thought NA was SO MUCH better than MP last week. Really very good. JJ Field was suitably attractive (!) and very well played. Also impressed with Carey Mulligan as Isabella and Felicity Jones as Catherine. Can't wait til Persausion next week.
I was SO relieved to enjoy this last night. It's my favourite book and after the fiasco that was Mansfield Park last week I was very nervous about what might happen with Northanger Abbey.
However, I quickly relaxed and enjoyed the ride. It was humerous, captivating, sensual and very faithful to the book. Catherine was just right. Innocent, naive and wide eyed with a romantic imagination that I could certainly relate to having at that age!
Henry Tilney was so sweet, happy and charming, and again just as he should have been. I thought the chemistry between him and Catherine was fantastic. They were like best friends from the start and the kiss .... phew! Lovely!
Isobella was rightly over confident and John was downright scary!
Captain Tilney, although stern could have done with being just a little more scary to make me believe that Catherine could imagine him to want to marry her, having killed his wife.
****SPOILER****
My only other critisism would be that I thought the end was a little rushed. It was like they got to the end and ran out of time so kind of went - 'so Catherine was sent away, Henry goes to visit the next day, asks her to marry him, they kiss, the end'. I would have liked another half hour for them to take just a little bit longer from the minute that Catherine starts imagining that Captain Tilney has killed his wife.
Otherwise, it was great. I really enjoyed it.
Can I just say one last thing that's I feel a bit guilty about saying. Am I just imagining it or are these productions brilliant as this one was, still lacking some magic that the BBC manages to find? Let me know if you think I'm just being prejudiced.
Fiftrix - I know what you mean about the ending. I was looking at my watch thinking its only got ten minutes to go how are they going to fit it all in.
Anyway that said I thought this adaptation delightful and it was such a relief after the MP's fiasco last week. I can honestly say I am looking forward to Persuasion with renewed vigour.
Am looking forward to persuasion too, Millie, Rupert PJ - yum, yum! The advert looks REALLY good.
shareRats!
It sounds like this was a good one -
I didn't bother after the dismal Mansfield Park last week.
It's probably one of the hardest books to dramatise without making the heroine look downright silly.
I love her in the book - but found the version produced around 18 years ago quite odd.
Hey ho - I suppose it will be available on DVD soon.
I am really looking forward to Persuasion now - it's one of my favourites.
Fifitrix,
I know exactly what you mean, I briefly mentioned this in one of my posts above: as charming as this production is, it does not have the same "wow factor" imparted by the BBC productions. Some of them (North and South, Jane Eyre) are so sophisticated that you feel like you are watching a painting-in-motion.
Having said that I very much enjoyed NA and felt there was genuine chemistry between the leads - special mention goes to JJ Feild: he shone in every scene he was in.
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
Yes, lanouvellehelouise, I liked this very much but I can't see myself obsessing about it like I have Jane Eyre and North & South. I suppose it just didn't take my breath away like those adaptations did.
Some of them (North and South, Jane Eyre) are so sophisticated that you feel like you are watching a painting-in-motion.
Fifitrix - RPJ as Wentworth - I may have to take Monday off work to recover!
shareI couldn't wait to get home from work today to see what you had all been saying about NA. I'm so glad everyone liked it because I loved it. Infinitely superior to MP last week.
I thought the leads were terrific and looked like Austen characters if you know what I mean. Felicity Jones had just the right amount of naivety and the sweetest face ( my husband remarked she looked like our Queen a bit when she was young) JJ Field was witty and attractive as Tilney.
I loved Catherine's siblings. There were some gorgeous dresses. I will definitely buy this one on DVD.
BTW Wasn't Northanger Abbey the building absolutley ENORMOUS?
I was thinking: Thats not a house, that's a castle!! And I think they filmed it in Dublin Castle?!
"Thank God I'm an atheist"
Bow down to Bunuel
Borderline obsessive
Wow, looks like everyone enjoyed it...
and I absolutely agree, it was a very well done adaptation.
I thought John Thorpe looked rather scary...however it did add a great comical element to the scene where Catherine and Henry first danced when Henry said
'...being stared at by another (gentleman) infinitely more handsome.' or words to that effect. I literally burst out laughing when he said that.
I'm already looking forward to next Sunday.
[deleted]
Sorry I don't want to completely knock the poor chap, but didn't John Thorpe strike you as being boss eyed?!
He absolutely did Fifitrix!! I was actually more scared of Thorpe than of General Tilney... that glare!
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
Oh my word! I thought it was just me who thought John Thorpe looked like a proper beast! When he appeared on screen I literally recoiled.
I didn't bother with "Mansfield Park" bcause I knew that one was going to be a trainwreck from the start but "Northanger Abbey" was realy good. They did a good job of adapting the story and making Catheine believably naive without being too annoying.
J.J. Feild was great as Henry. He managed to make Henry a lot more alluring than in the book as I always got a sort of big brother rather than lover vibe from Henry.
I thought they overused the Gothic dream sequences and Davies was really labouring the point that they symbolised her sexual awakening. I'd have liked it if they'd cut down on those so we could have a tiny bit more of the story like the visit to Woodston.
I've been a very disappointed with Andrew Davies adaptations lately but this was a nice surprise. I agree that this adaptation wasn't awe-inspiring like the BBC's tend to be but I've always thought of NA of as a small cosy book so I didn't mind.
I'm beginning to wish I had watched "Mansfield Park" last week. The way everyone's talking about it, I wish I could share in the horror.
Fifitrix, I wonder if the "BBC magic" has more to do with their larger production budgets compared to that of ITV. I imagine the BBC has more money to spend on their productions so therefore they can afford to make period drama adaptations with a longer running time, fancier costumes and locations, etc.
"North & South," "P&P 1995" and "Wives & Daughters" are three of my most favorite period dramas and all these were made by the BBC. Granted, they were given proper treatment with their 4-plus hour running time so they were able to do justice to the books.
It is unfortunate that ITV can only dedicate 2-hours to each of the "Jane Austen Season" adaptations. I think MP3, NA2 and Persuasion deserve at least a 3-hour running time to do justice to their source material. I have no doubt that the new "Mansfield Park" would have been a more superior adaptation if only it was longer.
One thing I've been pleased about with this new slew of adaptations has been the casting. I'm no great fan of last week's "Mansfield Park" but was impressed with most of the cast. I thought most of the actors were perfect for their roles, with standouts like Blake Ritson (Edmund), Joseph Beattie (Henry Crawford), Douglas Hodge (Sir Thomas), Jemma Redgrave (Lady Bertram) and Hayley Atwell (Mary Crawford). Same thing with "Northanger Abbey" and "Persuasion." To be able to have accomplished, well respected actors like Liam Cunningham, Rupert Penry-Jones, Douglas Hodge and Jemma Redgrave in the cast list is quite impressive.
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
Marcy I agree with everything you said, particularly the BBC's sucesses being down to big budgets and more time so may I just need to get over it. Did you watch Jane Eyre? Like I said before that and North & South are my favourites. Think I need to re-visit Wives & Daughters because I remember enjoying that at the time.
Watched NA again last night and once again thought it delightful. Particularly the end scene with Henry and Catherine. SOOOOOO sweet.
Yes, I watched Jane Eyre when it came out here and enjoyed it very much. It was very well done and I did like Toby Jones and (oops, forget her name) the actress who played Jane. I still haven't decided though if I like this version better than the one from the 80s with Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke. For some reason that one stands out as my JE favorite.
Can't wait to watch NA and the upcoming Persuasion. Please keep the reviews coming! I enjoy reading them.
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
If the BBC has such a lavish budget, why is it that military uniforms in their period productions are ALWAYS ludicrous?
Anybody watching Northanger Abbey last Sunday who had the faintest notion of Napoleonic-period uniforms was jumping out of their chair when General Tilney appeared in his scarlet coat, yelling "Just what is that pile of sh*te supposed to be?"
It's weird. 20 minutes with reference books would have told them what a British General in ball dress looked like, but they won't do it. It's my belief that the BBC costume designers are a militant cell of pacifists who have sworn an oath that there will never, ever be a correct period military uniform in a BBC production. (I've seen productions set in the late 19th and early 20th century where the character was obviously wearing a complete genuine uniform, but the militants kept their oath by draping the cap-lines back to front or muddling the orders of dress. Anything so as not to get it right.)
[deleted]
Generals then, as Generals now pretty much wear their uniforms as they like, as no-one is gong to tell them otherwise.
Er, yes they were. Not only were three Royal Dukes - the Prince Regent, the Duke of York (the Commander-in-Chief of the Army) and the Duke of Kent high sticklers for correct military uniform, and prepared to bully officers of any rank into wearing it right; every public assembly and many ticket-only ones had a Master of Ceremonies, one of whose duties was to ensure that people attended dressed correctly. (Remember the Duke of Wellington being turned out of Almack's because he arrived wearing pantaloons instead of breeches and stockings?) Any officer wearing a gorget (as both Captain and General Tilney did in the production) would blatantly be improperly dressed for a ball, since the sole purpose of the gorget was to identify an officer on regimental duty. And a general wearing a gorget would be improperly dressed at any time, since generals by definition don't do regimental duty! (And what was with the chains those gorgets were hanging off? Gorgets were suspended by ribbons of the regimental facing colour. Those chains made them look like German military police.)
Not the BBC to blame in this case: it was an ITV production, as are all the current spate of Austens (which I am avoiding).
shareToo bad for you, as the ITV production of Northanger Abbey is quite delightful.
shareNo. I have a lifelong Austen-aversion.
shareAn aversion to the novels or to the adaptations of the novels?
You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hopeshare
Both.
I suffered Austen at school (twice). There was a general assumption that, being female, you would automatically like her work. Too domestic and narrow for my tastes. I preferred Hardy and (at home, sadly not in school) Dostoevskii and Victor Hugo, and, for sheer entertainment, Anthony Hope.
Much better than last week's Mansfield Park.
Tilney is great and Catherine brilliant!!!
I can't wait for next week's.
www.ennisjack.com
Much more interesting than Mansfield Park. Definitely better than the version from the 80s (that was a real nightmare). I thought all the actors were great in their roles. I really could have done without the signature Andrew Davies sexy stuff, but whatever.
I haven't read the book in a while, but both this version and the '80s one show Catherine as a novel reader from the beginning. I thought in the book she didn't get into novels until she meets Isabella? Am I remembering wrong?
Although it does say that Catherine preferred baseball, cricket and riding to books or other sedentary activities when she was young, "from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine; she read all such works as heroines must read," namely novels and poetry.
John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
Thanks. I need to read the book again. Unfortunately I don't have much time for reading for fun anymore.
shareI finally saw it and I thought it was simply BRILLIANT!! Let me do start by saying that Northanger Abbey is one of my favorite JA books so I had high expectations for this one.
I was smiling and chuckling in many places. This is definitely light and bright Austen - full of humor and fun, although there are dramatic scenes esp. when Catherine goes to Northanger and subsequently returns home.
I thought the cast was perfect. JJ Feild and Felicity Jones have amazing chemistry and just look lovely together. JJ is the perfect Henry - handsome, charming, witty, gentle and sweet. Felicity's Catherine is pretty, sweet and naive, without being cloying. All the supporting characters were superb, particularly the very funny Sylvestra Le Touzel (Mrs. Allen and, who would have thought, the 1980s Fanny of Mansfield Park!), the obnoxious William Beck (Thorpe), imperious and stern Liam Cunningham (Gen. Tilney), and the elegant, sweet Catherine Walker (Eleanor). The only one I didn't warm to was Carey Mulligan - her Isabella was sophisticated and worldly, but not coquettish enough (compared to Cassie Stuart from the 1980s version).
The only shortcoming would be the shortness of it all! I wish it would go on and on and I was sad when it ended. The ending was a bit quick, but it was done so well and was faithful to the book. It is worth noting that in the book Henry and his father reconcile, whereas this version leads you to believe that Henry breaks with his father indefinitely.
All in all, a fantastic adaptation. I absolutely loved it and - fortunately - I now have the dvd in hand so that I can watch it again and again.
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
Also, please remember to rate this adaptation on the main cast page. It is still awaiting 5 votes. I have already given my rating of 10/10.
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
Marcy, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's my favourite book too, and I did watch it AGAIN last night. Am starting to feel a little guilty moaning about lack of magic in ITV productions as I do think this is absolutely delightful. It's a very happy, humerous version. And like I said before Catherine and Henry are just SO sweet together.
Thanks for pointing out that Mrs Allen was the original Fanny from Mansfield Park. I was wondering where I recognised her from.
That was astonishly much more better than I expected! Andrew Davies created a very good screenplay, I must say. You know, this book of Austen has never been among my favorites, I always prefered P&P, S&S, an Persiasion, but then.. I started to watch this movie and thought - why, what a interesting story! I never noticed that!
I love casting, music, and camera, I really enjoed wathing this movie. Will hope to see soon on DVD.
Marcy,
I am glad your DVD arrived and that you enjoyed it. I also bought the DVD for this and tomorrow I have a long train journey... perfect excuse to watch it again!
http://monomaniadiaries.blogspot.com
lanouvelleheloise and fifitrix,
yes!! i've watched NA three times already and enjoy it even more (if that is at all possible) the more times i watch it. i'm able to catch more things in the background or some minor comments that i've missed before. it's just like watching "north & south" - i'm continually rewinding the dvd player to replay my favorite bits. remember that train station ending in "north & south"? i must have seen that hundreds of times. well, i've been rewinding the ending of NA as well - right at the part when henry arrives at fullerton.
this is just absolutely delightful. my favorite parts? any with henry and catherine together. there are too many to mention, but here are the highlights:
- the opening. lifted almost directly from the book. it was done in a humorous way but still a great introduction to catherine and the morland family.
- catherine and henry's first meeting. very faithful to the book and mrs. allen is very funny. i loved when she ran to grab seats at the tea room and then calmly fans herself afterwards!
- i thought all the ballroom scenes were a treat. the dancing and gowns were lovely. how come NA can manage 3 ballroom scenes, and MP could only manage a "picnic" (and they had a huge mansion to film in, too)?
- when gen. tilney leaves for london and eleanor, henry and catherine are able to relax. i loved the apple tree scene, (!) woodston, the sweet moment with henry brushing catherine's cheek, and then almost getting caught by eleanor.
- the last 10 minutes or so with catherine coming home, the warmth and affection between the morlands, henry following her on his white horse, the funny and awkward chat inside the house, "hush, lucy!" as mrs. morland reprimands one of her daughters, the proposal, the kiss (!!!), and the happy ending!!
and so what are your favorite scenes?
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
I thought Catherine and Henry's first meeting was very badly done. In the book they are introduced by the master of ceremonies; in the production Henry "scrapes an acquaintance" by deliberately bumping into her and Mrs Allen and immediately going into the riff about muslin, which would be utterly impertinent if said to a pair of total strangers. Jane Austen would never have allowed one of her heroes to behave so vulgarly and "encroachingly"; if I hadn't known the book I would have assumed that this had to be the villain!
shareDisagree with you there. He didn't "deliberately" bump Mrs. Allen. It was definitely an accident.
I thought JJ Feild was an excellent Henry. I loved this adaptation and I'm looking forward to watching the dvd!
Why do you think the shot was set so Henry deliberately knocked into Mrs Allen?
I thought it was accidental, but hopefully when I get home from work later, my DVD should have arrived and I can re-watch it and have another think about it.
"Bite me, Alien Boy!"
I just finished reading the book and also just finished watching the adaptation so this is all still fresh in my mind.
I believe this version takes scenes from the book and the 1980s adaptation, and combines them. Henry accidentally bumps into Mrs. Allen, apologizes and talks to them about muslin, etc (from the 1980s version)....then finds the Master of Ceremonies and asks him to introduce them (from the book). But then the book also has the discussion about muslin, which takes place after Catherine and Henry dance for the first time.
I thought it was very well done and Henry definitely brings up the fact that it was not "proper" for them to chat without being introduced, and so he makes it all right by having a proper introduction through the MofC. Very gentlemanly, in my opinion, and it did not bother me at all.
"I do not want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you." - John Thornton
If two of you thought the bumping was accidental, then I concede. But I still felt his instantly moving in on them and talking seemed pushy. The more so as otherwise I thought JJ Feild was just right.
shareMarcy, I'm so glad you enjoyed NA. I was interested to read that you thought they'd combined bits from NA83 (or whatever year it was) cos I thought that scene inparticular was just the spitting image of the old one. Presumably Andrew Davis had seen it and thought it couldn't be beaten? I often wonder how these screen writers get the old versions out of their heads when they start on these adaptations anew.
I too love the bit where he holds Catherine's face in his hands. SO sweet.
Re the 'bumping' scene (!) based on the old version I think it was accidental too but I think Henry had much more confidence in that scene than in the old version. Ooooh he's just lovely throughout really!
Hi
My DVD wasn't here :o( It best arrive tomorrow!
Anyways I found this website (was on IMDb's page on JJ Feild) that looks quite good. http://jjfeild.bravehost.com I've just joined and started a topic on Northanger to see if anyone wants to comment on Northanger Abbey.
"Bite me, Alien Boy!"
I saw NA on YouTube just now and I certainly enjoyed it. Catherine and Henry were very well cast and did an excellent job. I was a bit apprehensive after reading about the sexed-up parts, but they didn't bother me that much. That said, I think the bath scene was very silly and not sexy at all. And having her reading a sexual scene from The Monk was unnecessary. I liked Catherine's gothic fantasies with the swordfights and the highwaymen but was a little put off by her strange seductive smiles (in the fantasies), she didn't look like the innocent Catherine from the book.
I liked the gothic atmosphere at Northanger Abbey, the music really helped to convey that. Carey Mulligan did a great job as Isabella. The other performances are not that memorable. Good casting, overall, but the only stand-out performances were Cathy, Henry and Isabella, in my opinion.
It's fun and highly enjoyable, but I wouldn't count it among my favorite classic adaptations. It was a good effort, though, and best of all is that the script, even with the changes, kept the spirit of the novel very well.
I agree with you about the supporting character performances, although I did enjoy Sylvestra LeTouzel as Mrs. Allen. But the rest were really lack-lustre, imo. But I was a so sorry to find that Eleanor seemed so drab-- and old!
shareYes, it was very odd to see Eleanor so old. I don't know the age of the actress who played her, but she certainly looks as if she's in her thirties. She's very pretty, though.
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Hi Fay
Yes, I think I said on this thread or another that I felt the same about the General. I felt he wasn't scary enough. I didn't engage with his character at all and I was hoping to be frightened by him so that you can then understand why Catherine's imagination runs away with her so dramatically about him.
I think NA83 got this much better.
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I just want to add my praise for NA here. It was briliant, I loved it. I have never read the book or seen any other adaptations but I really did like this. The actors seemed to fit their characters perfectly and I thought felicity and JJ Field had fantastic chemistry!!
I really loved every minute of it and I have nearly worn the video out...might have to purchase the DVD!!
10/10
Lois:"Are there any more at home like you?"
Clark:"Not really no"
Lois:"didn't think so"