Chels

It is a truth universally acknowledged that once temperatures drop into single digits, the only acceptable evening activities are curling up under a blanket with a good book or watching a cosy film. And where better to start than with one of our biggest literary icons – Jane Austen. It goes without saying that her novels are timeless; seven stories that pull us into the world she lived in, telling romantic tales that also illuminate the social dilemmas that young women of the era dealt with. But why stop at just her novels? There are countless film and television adaptations, as well as unofficial sequels and retellings, so we can enjoy the stories even more.

The Films

The UK had a real wave in the 80s and 90s of making heritage films – adaptations of our literary canon. From Shakespeare to Forster to Austen, most of our actors at the time donned period clothing and recited famous lines.

Ang Lee’s 1995 Sense and Sensibility is timeless – in my opinion, the best film adaptation of an Austen novel. It earned seven Oscar nominations and twelve BAFTAs, and it brought director Ang Lee into the world of Hollywood cinema. It’s a really beautiful film, and incredibly romantic.

There are two Pride and Prejudice adaptations from the same era, and both have their staunch fans. They also both happen to have their iconic on-screen Mr Darcy moments. As a perpetual fence-sitter, I really couldn’t choose a favourite. There’s the 1995 miniseries, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, which brought us the wet shirt scene that’s been recreated in Bridget Jones’ Diary (more than once), Bridgerton, and countless romcoms over the years. In more recent years, there’s been a lot of love for the 2005 film starring Matthew MacFadyen and Keira Knightley, and the hand flex that still has everyone swooning.

Austen’s Emma was made into a film in 1996 starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and more recently in 2020, starring Anya Taylor-Joy. In this case, I do have a favourite. I found that Emma (2020) is almost a modernisation of the novel, but not in the same way Clueless modernises the story. It felt like a bit of a Frankenfilm, it tried to be a lot of different things at once. That being said, it’s still a good adaptation, and one that I know inspired a lot of people to pick up the novels back in lockdown.

Inspired by …

Austen’s work is in the public domain, which means anyone can take the work and characters and adapt them as they please. This is why we have so many modernisations, genre shifts, and sequels to the novels.

Pride and Prejudice seems to invite the most of these adaptations – from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to Death Comes to Pemberley.

Crime fiction author P.D. James wrote a mystery twist into Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s married life, with Wickham on trial for the murder of Captain Denny. The book alone is really fun, and a three part miniseries based on the novel aired over Christmas in 2013. The series had mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it as both an Austen fan and a murder mystery fan. I’d recommend both.

Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’ Diary novels were originally based on Pride and Prejudice, with Bridget standing in for Elizabeth, and, as you might expect, Mark Darcy as Mr Darcy. The later novels become a universe of their own, but the initial story mimics that of Elizabeth, Darcy, and Wickham. Where Elizabeth Bennett deals with the complex society of her own time, Bridget Jones has her own issues, firmly placing the novels in the 1990s. There’s often discourse online about the series being harmful, especially to young women who are the primary audience, but I think this take ignores the satirical tone the novels take. After all, Austen was satirising her own time, and Helen Fielding satirises the sheer complexity of trying to navigate womanhood in the 90s and early 00s. Perhaps reading Bridget log her weight in her diary can feel a little uncomfortable these days, but perhaps the intense and frequent scrutiny of class in Pride and Prejudice also felt uncomfortable for people reading the novel as attitudes to class shifted in the past.

When the Bridget Jones novels were further adapted into the film series, filmmakers solidified the connection to Pride and Prejudice by casting Colin Firth (the most recent Mr Darcy actor at the time) as Mark Darcy. They paid homage to his iconic film portrayal multiple times throughout the film series, frequently referencing his wet shirt scene). Often, you feel that modernisations want to separate themselves from their original inspiration, but that’s not the case with Bridget Jones’ Diary, which adds a layer of tongue in cheek silliness that’s perfect for a romantic comedy. 

I mentioned Clueless in my critique of Emma (2020), and I’m going to hesitantly label the film my all time favourite Austen adaptation. Hesitantly, because I’m a huge Bridget Jones fan. There’s just something about Clueless that I adore (and it’s not just Paul Rudd). Story wise, I think the film really captures the essence of Emma Woodhouse as a character, and brings her into the present so skilfully. Cher (as she’s renamed) expertly matchmakes her teachers, takes on the ‘project’ of making new girl Tai popular, and like a true Austen protagonist, denies her affection for Josh until the very end. It’s not a beat for beat remake, but all the key plot points are there, just through a 90s lens. I won’t hear a bad word said against the film. Amy Heckerling is one of my all time favourite filmmakers, and not only did she produce the sequel Clueless TV series (which is, admittedly, not as great as the film), she also directed the 2006 film I Could Never Be Your Woman about her experience making the series, which starred a lot of the cast of the original film. It’s like a meta-adaptation. 

There are definitely adaptations that I’ve missed. Since all of Austen’s works are in the public domain, there’s no limit to the possibility of films, novels, or plays based on her original works. Are there any adaptations that you think I should look into?