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[morganmuffle]

So a review of Mansfield Park because I know many of you are expecting it :P

Does it surprise you to know I rather enjoyed it? Of course it wasn't actually Mansfield Park so...

Comments

[the_gentleman]

I liked it. But two hours is never enough time to do a character-driven book. Since I haven't read the book, I wasn't bothered by the adaptation, though I thought it did quite well to do it all in two hours. Less, for ad breaks. The Abbreviated Austen, I think this series will be dubbed.

[morganmuffle]

It is a very short time to fit an entire novel in but then perhaps if I title it Abbreviated Austen in my head it might make my expectations a little more realistic *g*

Northanger Abbey next...

[donna_k]

I quite liked it, even with missing a big chunk in the middle! But like I said before, I haven't read the book, so no preconceptions! I did however think it seemed really rather rushed, as if there were big chunks missing. I don't know if that's true, but that's what came across.

I could never quite decide if her goodness came from a natural piety and feeling or from her situation.
The impression I got was it was from her situation. Obviously she was a nice young lady, but yeah, it seemed most of her goodness came from the fact that she wasn't really allowed to do anything else.

Oh, and I saw Julia at the wedding. :)

[morganmuffle]

Well I'm glad she was at the wedding but still I feel her name could have at least been mentioned a little more often...

It's interesting that you thought it was rushed too as it's hard to tell when you're also cataloguing missing scenes in your head ;) though as the_gentleman pointed out aboce 2 hours minus ad breaks is very short to adapt a whole novel.

I enjoyed it, but....

[mrs_redboots]

I actually liked Mrs Norris - I thought she was well done, unlike some adaptations of JA's nastier characters, who tend to be overdone. This Mrs Norris was subtle and understated, so you were always surprised by just how bitchy she could be!

I agree about the comment about slavery: "Would she really have said that?" asked the Husband, to which one could only say, "No".

And Billie Piper is a good actress - but oh dear, she is now too old to play an 18-year-old. No 18-year-old has that many lines around her mouth! Sir Thomas was just how I imagined him, though. It's ages since I read the book, and I couldn't remember much of the plot, which was probably just as well!

Re: I enjoyed it, but....

[morganmuffle]

The slavery thing just seemed to appear out of nowhere and then vanish again with no real purpose to it at all that I could see which was a little frustrating but never mind.

It was probably my favourite role for Billie so far even though it wasn't Fanny (are you bored of that refrain yet) she did play it well but no not even a little bit as though she was 18. Interestingly my Dad pointed out that the actor playing William seemed far too old to be a midshipman too though perhaps that was simply that he couldn'te get advancement without the extra hand up but there you go.

[moth2fic]

It's ages since I read the book so the omissions didn't bother me too much - and what can you expect in lessthan two hours?!
We notied the absence of Julia and were quite relieved to hear she was in London and not msteriously done away with.
I liked the way Mrs. Norris was portrayed - slightly creepy and twisted.
We thought the switch from young Fanny to Billie Piper was a bit too much to take! But given that this wasn't Austen's Fanny anyway, we just sat back and enjoyed (husband would probably watch Billie Piper acting being a lump of dough or a statue or something ...)
I was fairly convinced by Henry's lack of charm but couldn't quite see why anyone wanted Edmund, either. Tom, now ...
Thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a Sunday evening but not one to buy and keep.