Sense
and Sensibility (1995)
"Isn't that one of those 'nice-ladies-in-hats'
movies?" - Brett Butler on "Grace Under Fire"
Not to be confused with "Pride and Prejudice," the
other Jane Austen (1775-1817) novel with a two words
that start with the same letter joined by the most common
conjunction, "Sense and Sensibility" should also not
be confused with a Merchant/Ivory film. The duo responsible
for bringing a plethora of E.M. Forester novels to the
American multiplex may have brought Hugh Grant and Emma
Thompson to the forefront of pop culture (or, at least,
pseudo-intellectual culture) but that is there only
real connection to this film.
Thompson and Grant play love interests here to an
almost amusing result. Thompson, decked out in the most
frumpy dresses ever allowed onto a film set, looks as
big as a pregnant shithouse rat. Grant, looking just
as incredulous in his ill-fitting (i.e. binding) fancy
duds, appears to be 20 years Ms. Thompson's junior.
We never believe the two might fall in love.
But Austen's novel is about exactly that: love. In
particular, Austen takes on the weighty topic of marriage.
Myriad legalized couplings are shown throughout the
film and none of them consist of anything that one might
deem as happy. The film begins with an older man dying.
His marriage, which is hardly discussed, might be considered
a failure because his death leaves his (at least) second
wife penniless. Legally all the money must go to his
elder male heir. He makes the son promise to look out
for his "stepmother" and her three daughters (his step-sisters)
but we soon see the heir's acrimonious wife talk him
out of doing anything that might be financially beneficial
for the family. This is Austen's first real view of
a "unhappy" marriage, one where the wife totally dominates
her milquetoast husband. In the course of the plot another
man will leave his true love, Kate Winslet as Thompson's
sister Marrianne, because he will be disowned if he
marries her. He chooses money over true love. Then there
is the shambles with Grant which has him sticking by
his "betrothed" even though he will be disowned. Much
of the plot revolves around Thompson's feelings for
Grant, which may be unrequited. Eventually, Thompson's
Elinor Dashwood meets a woman who is secretly engaged
to Grant. Conservative and honorable, Thompson keeps
this secret even though it breaks her heart. Eventually,
the secret relationship is found out and Grant "honorably"
gives up his forthcoming inheritance to keep his word
to his betrothed, even though we're pretty sure he really
loves Thompson. Here, again, although Grant tries to
do the right thing, what will be an unhappy marriage
takes place. Another couple in the film, the Parmers,
are quite inharmonious. The male is quiet except when
he belittles his wife with snide asides. His wife, an
ingratiating chatterbox, dismisses all of this with
a giggle. She doesn't seem nearly as unhappy as her
husband but, then again, this guy makes Scrooge seems
like the life of the party. Austen also throws in an
unhappy story about a relationship of the past involving
Alan Rickman's character Colonel Brandon. Brandon loves
Winslet's Marrianne but she rebuffs him for the man
who will eventually rebuff her. Brandon, it is told,
loved a woman long ago but was separated from her because
she was below his station and then was forced to enter
the military. This story gets elongated as the film
evolves.
Austen, in turn, says some odd things about happiness
in relationships in the film as well. Surely one of
the most delightful couplings involves Thompson's elder
cousin who allows the Dashwood family to live in a cottage
on his estate. This older man has found a unique relationship
with his mother-in-law; We assume his wife is dead.
Acting much like a married couple, these two are a real
hoot in the film often adding humor to the proceedings.
They seem extraordinarily harmonious and yet one must
remember, they are not married, nor a real couple.
Austen's novel is morphed into a script here by none
other than Thompson herself and one must admire her
work in many ways. Although I have not read the source
novel, nor any of Austen's other works, I assume much
of the wit, irony and social satire Austen presented
in her book is preserved by Thompson. The film can be
quite amusing at times. And Austen's sense of the class
structure of the time, from which much of the satire
and the drama is derived, is also seemingly intact.
Austen's novel is about two sisters, one whom is quiet
and pragmatic while the other is whimsical and a romantic
free-spirit (embodied here by Thompson and Winslet,
respectively). And, in reading the Encyclopedia Americana,
I have learned that Thompson indeed keeps Austen's ending,
which I will call "happy," intact. It's quite an inharmonious
ending to such a socially critical work. Austen, a woman
who would never marry, apparently still believed in
happy endings and romantic couplings. In effect, the
ending negates almost everything she says in the book.
Many of the unknowns in the cast are quite good with
those playing Parmer, the cousin and his mother-in-law,
and Franny, the half-brother's wife, all particularly
noteworthy. The actress playing Franny, in particular,
reminds one a great deal of the wonderful actress who
played Mrs. Olsen on "Little House on the Prairie" for
all those years (and whose name I cannot remember).
These character's give resonance and meaning to Austen's
sociological indictments.
Meanwhile, there are a few problems with the more
prominent actors of whom Thompson and Grant have been
discussed previously. Winslet, for all the world, looks
like she has been cast because of her remarkable resemblance
to Helena Bonham Carter. It's hard to escape noticing
this. Only Alan Rickman turns in a truly remarkable
performance here and he does so without ever really
being given a chance to shine. But Rickman's Brandon
is a subdued character to begin with. Rickman makes
him charming, empathetic and even a bit romantic yet
all the while barely opens his mouth to speak. Rickman's
depiction of a bruised man with a past who barely resides
in the present, until given a chance to flower for Winslet's
sake, is the one true noteworthy performance from a
principle in the film.
Director Ang Lee, an Asian director whose films have
become known to art house patrons in America, helms
his first English production. He fails to give the film
any real style or flair. His pictures of architecture
(exteriors and interiors) are quite nice but his camera
rarely adds any fluidity or flair to the proceedings.
In addition, the film looks quite grainy when compared
to the Merchant/Ivory outings. There is little color
here and no real splendor. Lee seems a bit out of his
element. His film is, at times, as frumpy as Thompson's
dresses.
Yet, it must be said, "Sense and Sensibility" is a
nice film. Fans of the genre will find plenty to like
here. Rickman's performance is a delightful surprise
and the wit, the conscience, the irony, and even the
romance of Austen's source work seems to have made a
great transition to the silver screen. This film makes
one want to read the ancient novel on which it is based.
And, these days, that's saying a lot.
Note: Produced by Sydney Pollack. Director of Photography
is Michael Coulter. Costumes by Jenny Beavan and John
Bright. Score is by Patrick Doyle who also wrote the
songs Winslet sings in the film.
Although both Grant and Thompson are associated with
Merchant/Ivory, I can find no film in which both appear
together before this one.
The nepotism factor (A possibility): Assistant to
Ang Lee is David Lee.
This was Austen's first novel to be published (1811).
Among her other works: "Emma" (1816).
Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Thompson),
Best Supporting Actress (Winslet), Best Adapted Screenplay
(Thompson), Best Cinematography, Original Dramatic Score,
Best Costumes.
Review written in 1996
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