A Ramble about Jane Austen Adaptations

I have to admit that I am NOT an expert on Austen-related content--there are multitudes of adaptations or inspired content I still haven't seen, such as Pride and Prejudice & Zombies, Bridget Jones, Austenland, the 1995 Persuasion miniseries, the Love & Friendship movie based on Austen's Lady Susan novella, the ongoing Sandition series, etc. But thanks to a seminar course I took in college, I have read all of her works. That's got to mean something, right?

If you've been on the Janenite side of the internet lately, you've probably heard about the new, extremely polarizing movie adaptation of Persuasion, particularly how it fails as an adaptation. Admittedly, I haven't gathered the courage to watch the movie yet so I can't do an in-depth review...however, just the trailer did raise some concerns from me. To be fair, Persuasion is my favorite of Jane Austen's novels, so I expect that my expectations are a little more rigid than some. 

I've landed on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to movie adaptations of her other works. While I largely prefer a faithful adaptation, for the most part I don't mind some alterations here and there. I think it's kind of like Shakespeare, where as long as the characterization and the themes are the same, you can get away with some changes. I don't mind if an adaptation adds a scene/dialogue as long as it's in character, and I love if something has more inclusive casting, especially if it's a modern adaptation. I think for time-accurate pieces it can be a bit of a double-edged sword--if you are sticking to the regency time period in your adaptation, it can be a better path to interrogate concepts such as race/gender/sexuality and use those as opportunities for conscious exploration of the novel's themes than to just pretend those things don't exist, although I understand why for certain works that may not be the case. This article is better at explaining the concept than I am, so I will leave the link for your perusal.

For example, while I enjoy both the 1995 Pride & Prejudice miniseries and the 2005 movie (an unpopular opinion in itself, as most tend to pick one and leave the other), I am of the even more unpopular opinion that the 2005 version is my favorite of the two. The myriad versions of Emma each have their own flaws and their own successes--yes, that includes Clueless. I would have to do a marathon of the 2020 and 1995 films as well as the 2009 miniseries with detailed note-taking to determine a precise ranking, although I suspect 2020 would be the popular choice for most. In regards to Sense & Sensibility (1995), I would have a hard time accepting a remake, because there simply doesn't seem to be a need for one when this version so perfectly captures the story. I admit the 2008 miniseries is good too, but it feels like the "Marianne" version of the story whereas the 1995 film feels like the "Elinor" version, and I've always been partial to the elder Dashwood sister, so sue me. To take the conversation to the theatre, Kate Hamill's stage adaptation of Sense & Sensibility is quite lovely. 

Historically, I do enjoy modern webseries remakes of Austen's work, such as The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (a take on Pride & Prejudice), Northbound (based on Northanger Abbey) and the ongoing Rational Creatures (based on Persuasion). Speaking of webseries, perhaps Emma Approved (a modernized Emma) should be added to the previously-mentioned marathon as well...

But there are times I can lean more towards the purist end of the spectrum, maybe because I've seen a lot of Austen-adjacent movies that are just bad (looking at you, Pride & Prejudice and & Mistletoe--I didn't have high hopes for you, but any hope at all was a mistake). Like most Austen fans, I abhor the liberties taken with both the plot and the characterization in the 1999 remake of Mansfield Park (mistakes I suspect the 2022 Persuasion may make as well in their characterization of Anne Elliot), and I can't say the 2007 version with Billie Piper was any more successful in depicting the true nature of Fanny Price. The only good adaptation I have been able to find is From Mansfield with Love, a webseries available on Youtube. It must be noted, however, that the webseries does put Fanny's story in a modern context, meaning I am still on the hunt for a faithful adaptation set in the same time period as the book. 

Honestly, when it comes to modern novels, so many books that claim to be adaptations are more inspired by the original(s)--or, in some cases, are completely unrecognizable and attempting to cash in on the name recognition. It is incredibly frustrating to see novels claim to be "the next Pride & Prejudice" or "a modern Pride & Prejudice" simply because there is a hate/love element to the main couple. 

*leaps on soapbox* Lizzie and Darcy weren't even enemies to lovers, they were strangers to lovers!!! But that's beside the point...

Perhaps because of how picky I am, I tend to enjoy books who are inspired by or very loosely based on the material more than those attempting an outright retelling. Some books do a really great job of taking elements of the story and using them in an interesting way that still carries forth the original themes, even if the characters or plot aren't the same. My most recent favorite is Pride, Prejudice, & Other Flavors by Sonali Dev, which takes the themes from the original and incorporates them into a story about an Indian-American family. 

I also don't mind a deep exploration of Jane Austen herself--as inaccurate as Becoming Jane was, it's a pretty entertaining movie. On the book front, Miss Austen by Gill Hornby is a fascinating fictional depiction of Austen's sister Cassandra and a reflection of their relationship. And when I am thirsting for accuracy, The Real Jane Austen by Paula Byrne is there to explain anything I could ever need to know. Seriously, it's one of my favorite nonfiction books of all time!!!

To wrap up this ramble: I think the variety of Jane Austen adaptations, both good bad, as well as the transformative nature of the themes in her novels illustrate the timelessness and relatability of her work. Her novels are full of wit and wonder, portray interesting, layered individuals with complex relationships and beliefs, and speak to facets of life that are still important to humanity today. As you can clearly see, I still have so many adaptations to watch and read and hopefully enjoy--and I hope the list never stops growing.