“Selkie,” a reader of this blog, left a comment on my “best of 2014” blog post about my love of the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice (staring Kiera Knightly). She said she watches an Austen movie once a week. (I can understand!) Very kindly, she gave me a list to share here. As comprehensive as it is, she notes that is only of the films she owns.
Emma (1972), starring Doran Godwin and John Carson.
Emma (1996), starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam.
Emma (1996), starring Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong.
Mansfield Park (1983), starring Sylvestra Le Touzel and Nicholas Farrell.
Northanger Abby (1986), starring Katherine Svhlesinger and Peter Firth.
Persuasion (1971), starring Firbank and Bryan Marshall.
Pride and Prejudice (1940), starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier.
Pride and Prejudice (1980), starring Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul.
Pride and Prejudice (2003—an extremely modern version), starring Kim Heskin and Orlando Seale.
Pride and Prejudice (2005), starring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen.
Sense and Sensibility (1981), starring Irene Richard and Tracey Childs.
Sense and Sensibility (2004), starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, and Hugh Grant.
Related movies:
Becoming Jane (2007), starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy.
Lost in Austen (2008), starring Jemima Rooper and Elliot Cowan.
About this last one, Selkie notes, “I absolutely love this movie!” That’s high praise indeed; I’m going to try to find it!
Thank you so much, Selkie!
I discovered that I had a 6-book credit on Audible.com that had to be used before the end of this month. Needless-to-say, I went on a book-buying spree. Here’s what I bought:
Landline by Rainbow Rowell, because I enjoy YA and I especially enjoy Rowell’s work.
My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead. On many “best of 2014” lists.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Ditto.
Dept. of Speculation, by Jenny Offill. This unusual novel was on the very interesting New York Times 10 Best Books of 2014 list and I really liked what the NY Times team had to say about it on their Podcast. (It’s a poetic novel, and I’m not sure how well it will work on audible, however.)
All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. This one is on virtually every “best of” list.
Heartburn by Nora Ephron. Because laughing is wonderful, but most of all, because it is narrated by the amazing Meryl Streep.
I listen to “books on tape” (not that they are on tape anymore) when I’m exercising, so this collection should get me in excellent form.
Of the Austen films that I have seen, Sense and Sensibility (2004 starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant) was very well done. Emma Thompson is a sublime actress anyhow, but apparently she did the screenplay as well.
I love that production of Sense & Sensibility as well, hels. I even have the book on the process of filming it. (Although I can’t check right now: it might have been another Austen movie.) Apparently sheep are not easy to deal with on a film set!