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Sense and Sensibility Review

by Christian Sammartino on 2020-05-19T15:01:08-04:00 | 0 Comments

I have always been a reader. I would regularly come home from the public library every few with a large bag of books that I would devour.  But when my son was little I found it difficult to finish even one library book before I had to return it.  Also, we were pretty short on funds.   So, I started downloading e-books from Project Gutenberg to catch up with the classics.  Slowly, I tackled a sprawling Gothic novel, I made my way through some Jules Verne and lots of Dickins, I read through the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, and many Jane Austen novels.

Believe it or not, I had never read any Austen before but I knew I had to add it to my must read list.  One of my favorite films is the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility, directed by Ang Lee and with an award winning screenplay adaptation by Emma Thompson.  Sense and Sensibility is one of the few movies I enjoy more than the book; sorry purist Jane Austen fans.  It is fairly faithful to the plot of the novel but I found the characters more relatable and likable in this film adaptation, especially the male leads.  Much of this had to do with the script but I also credit the amazing actors in this version.  Emma Thompson not only wrote the screenplay is also one of the leads; Kate Winslet, Alan Richman and Hugh Grant round out the main cast.  Together with a number of other accomplished actors playing the minor characters, they take the viewer on a rich emotional journey. The cinematography and score are beautiful and, the costumes and manners have a realistic period feel.  For those used to the fast pace of action flicks this may feel slow but for a period drama, the pacing is just right.

It’s hard to believe this film is 25 years old! At the risk of aging myself, when Sense and Sensibility was released on DVD I rented it so many times from the Blockbuster I decided it would be cheaper to buy my own copy.  I have never regretted it.  Give it a try yourself; escape to Regency England for a little while.  Currently it is available streaming for free on Hulu or for a small charge from Amazon Prime, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

Post Written By: Amanda Brooks


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