Day 16
Day 16. Least favorite film adaptation.
I have to give the grand prize here to "Mansfield Park" 2007, the version starring Billie Piper and Blake Ritson. Frankly, a lot of this has to do with the casting. I don't mean to knock any of the actors, and I'm sure they've been great in other things -- but I can't imagine a more spectacular mistake than the choice of Billie Piper to play Fanny. She's entirely too pretty, bouncy, and blooming with health, while Fanny is supposed to be rather plain and extremely delicate. I also don't know what the hairdresser was thinking; women of this period always wore their hair up in public, and they always wore bonnets when they went outside! Movie-Fanny does neither; instead, she runs around the grounds of Mansfield Park like some bohemian child of the earth. Not exactly the way Fanny is portrayed in the novel, where she gets tired from picking roses for an hour!
I also wasn't a huge fan of Blake Ritson as Edmund Bertram. I thought he made the character look pathetic and weak. (Again, this isn't meant to be a criticism of Ritson as an actor -- I loved him as Mr. Elton in "Emma" 2009!) And don't even get me started on the "color purple" moment at the end of the movie...oh! And the waltzing on the lawn at their wedding! I can't imagine anything these characters would be less likely to do!
To be fair, "Mansfield Park" 1999 definitely has its flaws also, most notably changing the entire character of Fanny Price. However, I thought it was more enjoyable as a movie than the 2007 version; once I forgot that MP 1999 was based on an Austen novel, I managed to enjoy it a lot! I also thought the casting of the earlier version was much more successful. Jonny Lee Miller as Edmund even made the character (almost) likable! And Alessandro Nivola did a much better job as Henry Crawford than whoever the new guy was. I had high hopes going into MP 2007, because I was hoping that it would fix a lot of the problems with the older version; however, I was sadly disappointed, and I'm still waiting for a truly good film version of Mansfield Park.
The Jane Austen Challenge
1. Favorite Austen heroine.
2. Favorite Austen man.
3. Favorite Austen book.
4. Favorite quote from the books.
5. Favorite moment in the books.
6. Favorite movie adaptation.
7. Favorite Austen couple.
8. Least favorite couple.
9. Most hated foe of a heroine.
10. Most frustrating family member.
11. Least favorite book.
12. Least favorite Austen heroine.
13. Least favorite Austen man.
14. Favorite love confession from the books.
15. Favorite love confession from the films.
16. Least favorite film adaptation.
17. Moment that made you sad/cry while reading.
18. Moment that made you smile/happy while reading.
19. Moment that made you laugh while reading.
20. Moment that made you mad while reading.
21. Favorite Jane Austen-related photo.
22. Favorite Austen female casting decision.
23. Favorite Austen male casting decision.
24. Favorite supporting character.
25. Favorite family connection (i.e. sister-sister, mother-daughter, brother-sister, etc.)
26. Favorite casting cameo from the films.
27. Favorite quote from the films.
28. Favorite moment from the films.
29. Favorite character back story or secret.
30. Character you most relate to.
I have to give the grand prize here to "Mansfield Park" 2007, the version starring Billie Piper and Blake Ritson. Frankly, a lot of this has to do with the casting. I don't mean to knock any of the actors, and I'm sure they've been great in other things -- but I can't imagine a more spectacular mistake than the choice of Billie Piper to play Fanny. She's entirely too pretty, bouncy, and blooming with health, while Fanny is supposed to be rather plain and extremely delicate. I also don't know what the hairdresser was thinking; women of this period always wore their hair up in public, and they always wore bonnets when they went outside! Movie-Fanny does neither; instead, she runs around the grounds of Mansfield Park like some bohemian child of the earth. Not exactly the way Fanny is portrayed in the novel, where she gets tired from picking roses for an hour!
I also wasn't a huge fan of Blake Ritson as Edmund Bertram. I thought he made the character look pathetic and weak. (Again, this isn't meant to be a criticism of Ritson as an actor -- I loved him as Mr. Elton in "Emma" 2009!) And don't even get me started on the "color purple" moment at the end of the movie...oh! And the waltzing on the lawn at their wedding! I can't imagine anything these characters would be less likely to do!
To be fair, "Mansfield Park" 1999 definitely has its flaws also, most notably changing the entire character of Fanny Price. However, I thought it was more enjoyable as a movie than the 2007 version; once I forgot that MP 1999 was based on an Austen novel, I managed to enjoy it a lot! I also thought the casting of the earlier version was much more successful. Jonny Lee Miller as Edmund even made the character (almost) likable! And Alessandro Nivola did a much better job as Henry Crawford than whoever the new guy was. I had high hopes going into MP 2007, because I was hoping that it would fix a lot of the problems with the older version; however, I was sadly disappointed, and I'm still waiting for a truly good film version of Mansfield Park.
The Jane Austen Challenge
1. Favorite Austen heroine.
2. Favorite Austen man.
3. Favorite Austen book.
4. Favorite quote from the books.
5. Favorite moment in the books.
6. Favorite movie adaptation.
7. Favorite Austen couple.
8. Least favorite couple.
9. Most hated foe of a heroine.
10. Most frustrating family member.
11. Least favorite book.
12. Least favorite Austen heroine.
13. Least favorite Austen man.
14. Favorite love confession from the books.
15. Favorite love confession from the films.
16. Least favorite film adaptation.
17. Moment that made you sad/cry while reading.
18. Moment that made you smile/happy while reading.
19. Moment that made you laugh while reading.
20. Moment that made you mad while reading.
21. Favorite Jane Austen-related photo.
22. Favorite Austen female casting decision.
23. Favorite Austen male casting decision.
24. Favorite supporting character.
25. Favorite family connection (i.e. sister-sister, mother-daughter, brother-sister, etc.)
26. Favorite casting cameo from the films.
27. Favorite quote from the films.
28. Favorite moment from the films.
29. Favorite character back story or secret.
30. Character you most relate to.