A list of the best Jane Austen film adaptations to watch in the evenings, on your weekend trips to the English countryside from London, by the Mother of an English Literature graduate who studied Jane Austen at the University of St. Andrews and now has a dream job working with Austen & Bronte. (Me, the editor of this blog!)
It all began with a four-year old, a rainy English afternoon, and a VHS tape bought in a Solihull shop. Little did I know that purchasing that BBC “Pride and Prejudice “would not just entertain my daughter but sentence us both to a lifetime of critical analysis of Colin Firth’s wet shirt versus Mathew Macfadeyn’s soulful stare. Our family holidays were forever changed: we have quite the collection of DVDs of Jane Austen film adaptations that we picked up to watch whilst traipsing all over the English countryside. (We have at least 3 different versions of Pride & Prejudice, 2 Mansfield Park-s, 2 Emma-s, 2 Persuasion-s...)
In no particular order, here is our recommendation of which Jane Austen films to watch, and which to skip!
The 1995 Pride & Prejudice
Definitely THE definitive version of Jane Austen's most famous and most popular novel. True to the novel, with amazing chemistry between the leads.
Six (or so) hours of lingering glances and polite fury that we have watched countless times. (Click here for the most iconic Pride & Prejudice quotes or Austen quotes on friendship!)
Recommended for: If you're a fan of men in wet shirts or looking for an adaptation that's true to the spirit of Jane Austen, and perfectly brings to life Elizabeth and Darcy this is it.
Skip: If you're used to Hollywood romances and not for the slow burn, the 2005 version would be more your scene.
Pride & Prejudice” (2005)
Faster paced, some say prettier, and definitely more dramatic than the 95 version- what's with all the wandering through misty fields in the night clothes?! Did the producer/ writer/ director confuse Austen with the Brontes?! And that pig wandering through the house....!
I was SOOO looking forward to this re-make of Pride & Prejudice but, despite the amazing cinematography and music, was UTTERLY disappointed. It's NOTHING like the novel!
Nonetheless, I can see that it is a beautifully filmed movie- I LOVE the musical score- which also has legions of fans. Just look up "P&P hand flex" and you'll see!
Recommended for: Bridgerton fans and Hollywood-movie watchers looking for a Regency romance
Skip: if you're looking for any sort of resemblance to Austen's novel
Clueless
Now this Hollywood adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma I adored and have watched dozens of times. Featuring privileged American teenagers in Beverley Hills, keeps the spirit of the Austen novel whilst giving it a remake and adding fresh elements.
Ties with Bridget Jones Diary for the best Austen adaptation!
Recommended for: people tired of Regency films or younger audiences
Emma (1996, with Gwyneth Paltrow)
Another Hollywood adaptation of Emma and one I actually enjoyed.
Maybe because it has the most pleasant looking Mr Knightley?! Gwyneth Paltrow is obviously very convincing as Emma- "handsome, clever, and rich" - the girl we all love to hate!
Emma (1996, with Kate Beckinsale)
Gosh, TWO Emma film adaptations back to back!
This version managed to make the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale look rather plain, but despite the characters' looks, was quite charming in its own right.
It developed more of the family theme of Emma and we are given a better idea of why Mr Woodhouse eventually agreed to Emma and Knightley marrying. The film also develops Knightley as a character more fully, in my opinion- watch it and let me know if you agree!
Emma (2009)
This was another good Emma film. I was keen to watch it as the lead actress, Romola Garai, had spent time in my home town (Singapore) and it did not disappoint.
Having watched a number of Emma films before it, I wasn't sure anything new could be added to it, but Romola Garai's interpretation of Emma gave her more of a young, immature, childish flavor which was interesting. (Or disturbing if you consider the age gap between herself and Mr Knightley!)
Note: I was so "seriously displeased" with both the Netflix Persuasion and 2020 Netflix Emma that they "deserve no such attention" and will not be discussed on this list!
Persuasion 1995
There’s something so deeply satisfying about a second-chance romance. (Also interesting to think about the parallels to Austen's story- she wrote this towards the end of her life, as a mature woman. Was she thinking of all that could have been?)
Recommended for: the weary hearted who believe love might have passed them by. (Or those of us, myself included, who find a brooding naval captain in a well-fitted coat is utterly compelling!)
Skip: The 1995 Ciaran Hinds version was true to the novel's interpratation of navymen being weathered and Anne having lost her bloom. If you're used to gorgeous cast and sets a la Hollywood and Bridgerton, this may not be the adaptation for you. (Try the one below instead.)
Persuasion 2007
This 2007 Rupert Penry-Jones gives the cast a bit more of a makeover, though still staying true to the novel.
Definitely my favorite Persuasion adaptation!
Bridget Jones Diary
A terrific modern-day (if the early 2000s are still counted as modern!) retelling of Pride & Prejudice.
It's actually a series of 4 films. The 1st is a must-watch but the 2nd one is entirely skippable in my opinion! And the 4th is quite controversial....
Note: Fans of the white shirt, note that it stars Colin Firth as Mr Darcy again!
Sense & Sensibility 1995
This ties with Mansfield Park as my least favorite Austen novel so I'm only mentioning 1 film adaptation (despite there being several.)
Northanger Abbey 2006
I've always felt this first novel of Jane Austen's deserves more attention. There are hardly any film adaptations of it around!
If you're a fan of Wuthering Heights but would like a lighter read with a happy ending, this may be the film for you, given its play on the Gothic, which we see liberally interspersed throughout the film.
Written by Andrew Davies, and starring Felicity Jones (who has gone on to appear in several Hollywood films), it's definitely a fun watch!
Fun fact: The lead actor JJ Feild was in another Austen-related film, Austenland!
Mansfield Park 1999 vs 2007
The most serious and, dare I say it, least popular of Austen's novels, with its darker themes- the slave trade underpinning the estate’s wealth- and least charismatic female lead.
Go for 2007 if you prefer the slower burn and 1999 if you want a bit more excitement (and don't mind some Austen liberties.) Personally I prefer the 1999 version!
North & South (2004)
OK purists will be gasping at my audacity, since North & South is by Elizabeth Gaskell, not Jane Austen.
To me, it's always read like an adaptation of Pride & Prejudice set during the Industrial Revolution, so I'm including it on this list! (It actually ties with the 1995 Pride & Prejudice as my favourite film on this list.) And Richard Armitage is a more unforgettable male lead than even Colin Firth, in my humble opinion!
Any questions about Jane Austen film adaptations? Let me know in the comments!
